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Reasons to Study International Criminal Justice in Marburg

The increasing efforts of the international community to hold the perpetrators of international crimes accountable, and the establishment or expansion of corresponding investigative and punitive mechanisms at the international and national levels (in the broader context of transitional justice processes) represent a wide and diverse occupational field in need of competent and well-educated workforce.

For the time being, the master’s programme “International Criminal Justice (Law, History, Politics) is unique in Germany and in German-speaking countries.

  • Interdisciplinarity

    Due to their complexity, crimes under international law and their punishment cannot be reduced to their judicial dimension. This applies to both scientific analysis and the practice of international criminal law. Not only necessary but also possible is a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary approach.

    The Master's program is fully interdisciplinary. The fundamentally equal participation of the disciplines of law, history, and politics is a unique feature. The departments of Law, History, and Cultural Studies as well as Social Sciences and Philosophy contribute equally to the content of the study program.

    Graduates are characterized in particular by broad methodological skills, a special ability to engage in interdisciplinary discourse, and a comprehensive, genuinely interdisciplinary understanding of macro crime.

    Regardless of this, students are given the opportunity to develop their own study profile and to set substantive priorities, which may lead to a more intensive focus on one of the three disciplines that determine the course of study.

    For holders of the first state examination in law, a Master's program can be a useful alternative or additional qualification to the second state examination. You can read reports on experiences here.

  • International Orientation

    Special emphasis is placed on the international connectivity of the course content, which enables and encourages a professional and research orientation across national borders.

    Voluntary study abroad for one semester can be integrated into the course of study without extending the study time.

    Students in the Master's program "International Criminal Justice: Law, History, Politics" can complete an internship abroad and benefit from the ICWC's field trips and events.

  • Research

    The students of the Master's programme “International Criminal Justice (Law, History, Politics) can participate in the conferences, lectures and workshops organized by the ICWC and use the centre's infrastructure (e.g. library, database) for their own research.

  • Career Prospects

    Graduates of the Master’s programme "International Criminal Justice (Law, History, Politics)” will acquire interdisciplinary in-depth knowledge and skills which are in demand in numerous occupational fields, such as in:

    - International and internationalised courts and tribunals
    - National and international institutions combatting international and transnational crime
    - Other national and international institutions in adjacent fields (e.g. human rights, transitional justice)
    - Ministries of foreign affairs, ministries of justice, ministries of interior, ministries of defense, parliaments
    - International and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and think tanks
    - Museums, memorials, archives, documentation centres
    - Media, public relations, journalism
    - Publishing sector (e.g. as editors)
    - Universities, research institutions

    Through targeted attendance of specific courses, the compulsory internship and the theme of the master's thesis, qualifications can be tailored to specific occupational fields.

    An initial overview of possible career fields can be found on the university's Career Service page.

  • Trial-Monitoring Training Programme

  • High Quality Teaching with No Tuition Fees

    There are not any tuition fees either for German or international students. Students will have to pay merely a small administrative fee per semester.

    Click here for information on the administrative fees as well as on living expenses and scholarship opportunities.

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