M.A. in Criminology

The syllabus familiarizes with criminal processes and analyzes their characteristics and implementation. The focus is on the following areas: an exploration of policing models and strategies in the Western world, analysis of issues which shape policing policy, police force culture, public stances towards the criminal justice system, mass media and law enforcement, trends in Israeli policing, and the effectiveness of various policing approaches.

Courses also examine the principles guiding courts of law in Israel and worldwide, and compare various theoretical models of policing, imprisonment and rehabilitation in Israel and other Western countries. The trends and changes in the organizational, social and cultural levels in Israel’s incarceration and rehabilitation systems are also subjected to analysis.

The syllabus includes core courses such as theories of criminology, democracy, and criminal justice; theoretical and practical perspectives on law enforcement processes; comparisons between Israel and the Western world on all matters relating to criminal hearings, the police force and policing, claims and courts of law, and incarceration and rehabilitation systems.

Studies comprise theoretical and research courses and seminar papers as well as workshops providing practical training in course materials. Towards completion of their studies, students are required to submit a final project in which a specific area of criminal justice in Israel is explored based on a comprehensive theoretical framework. During 2nd Year, students must integrate into a criminal justice or rehabilitation framework as their practicum.