Council for Higher Education of the Republic of Slovenia issued its favourable opinion on March 2, 2007.

In order to advance into the second year, student must successfully complete: Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Security; Individual Research Work 1; Elective Subject 1, and Elective Subject 2 - collect at least 36 credit points (ECTS). In order to advance into the third year, student must successfully complete all study obligations from the 1st year, and the study obligations from the 2nd year: Individual Research Work on Criminal Justice and Security; and Individual research work 3 - collect at least 48 credit points (ECTS). In order to advance into the fourth year, student must successfully complete all study obligations from the 2nd year, and the study obligations from the 3rd year: Transferable Skills – Academic and Research Ethics; Individual Research Work 4; and Elective subject 4 - collect at least 36 credit points (ECTS). The conditions for promotion under extraordinary conditions and the conditions for repetition are defined by the Statute of the University of Maribor.

Putting their academic knowledge and expertise to use in different organisations, our PhD graduates shall apply theoretical knowledge into practice, representing a strong link between the two.

Graduates of the “Criminal Justice and Security Studies” doctoral study programme at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security are experts who possess theoretical and empirical knowledge for conducting security-related research, the governance of security organisations, the management of demanding processes in the field of security, as well as the management and implementation of complex professional tasks in the field of criminal justice and security. They are able to undertake the most demanding operations related to the analysis, planning, design, development, and management of security processes both in national institutions and non-governmental organisations, as well as in the private sector. Doctors of Criminal Justice and Security can obtain employment in different fields, i.e., in research and academic institutions, non-governmental organisations dealing with security analyses and the provision of security to individuals, government agencies, local (self-) government bodies, municipal warden services, security advisory committees, and in the security structures of the future regional administration of the Republic of Slovenia, as well as in the private sector (in companies dealing with protection of property and intellectual property, as experts providing information security, in private security companies and detective agencies, in the field of insurance, etc.).

Examination and assessment of knowledge is in accordance with curricula, and consistently follow the verification of the achieved learning outcomes and competencies of individual course.

The goal of the doctoral study programme is to provide experts in the field of criminal justice and security with extensive knowledge in and a broad perspective of social sciences, as well as a high level of understanding of social phenomena, trends related to the implementation of control activities, the functioning of institutions responsible for performing formal social control (the police, prosecution, courts, prisons, intelligence services), informal social control (factors related to socialisation, family, education system, associations, civil society), and institutionalised informal control (particularly detective agencies and private security companies). During their Ph.D. studies, students broaden their knowledge in the field of understanding social, psychological, philosophical, economic, behavioural, historical and political aspects of criminality, deviance and the criminal-justice system; conducting research in the aetiology, prevention, and control of criminality and deviance, including an adequate response to such phenomena; studying criminal law and criminal proceedings; studying, understanding and improving the work of the police, prosecution, the judiciary and institutions responsible for the enforcement of penal sanctions.

General competencies stem from the universal basic knowledge in a certain subject or programme and make up the graduate’s general profile. During the educational process, the development towards competency does not only refer to knowledge, but also to the attitude expressed towards the application of such knowledge, which is an element that could be attributed to the formative component, but remains inseparable from the educational component.

General competencies acquired by the graduates include: - ability to analyse, synthesise, and anticipate solutions and their consequences in the fields encompassed by criminal justice and security; - autonomy in scientific research work and a critical attitude towards security-related issues; - communication skills, particularly those necessary to communicate in the national and international scientific spheres; - understanding contemporary security and crime-related issues through the prism of classic and modern concepts, and the ability to contextualise such issues; - ability to apply systemic concepts in the understanding and definition of problems; - understanding social, psychological, philosophical, economic, historical, legal, and political aspects of crime and deviance, as well as activities undertaken by law enforcement bodies and other state authorities performing social control. Based on these competencies, graduates are able to perform their work-related activities efficiently, making good use the available material and other resources, i.e., their creativity, their colleagues’ potentials (intellectual capital), funds, equipment, premises, and time.

Candidates who completed the following may apply for the 3rd-cycle (doctoral) study programme in Criminal Justice and Security: 1. A 2nd-cycle (master’s) study programme. 2. An undergraduate academic study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004. 3. A specialisation following an undergraduate professional study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004. Prior to enrolment, candidates shall pass the following courses corresponding to 41 ECTS credits under the 2nd-cycle (master’s) study programme: Strategic Management of Security Organizations (8 ECTS), Methodology of Social Research and Applied Multivariate Statistics (10 ECTS), Criminology and Crime Policy (8 ECTS), Criminal Investigation and Forensic Sciences (8 ECTS), and Private Security Industry (7 ECTS). 4. A study programme educating students for professions regulated by EU directives or another unified (long-cycle) master’s study programme corresponding to 300 ECTS credits.

If the number of applications exceeds the number of available enrolment places, candidates shall be ranked according to: – grade point average (15%), – grade awarded for the thesis (5%), and – grade awarded for the competitive examination (80%) in the field of criminal justice and security. Candidates may replace 40% of the grade with the grade awarded for scientific research and professional work. Criteria for the evaluation of scientific research: – scientific monographs, – an independent scientific paper or chapter in a monograph, – an original scientific paper or review article in journals with impact factor (JCR) or journals indexed in SCI, SSCI, or A&HCI databases and journals in the field of criminology, criminal justice, and security indexed in secondary databases (sociological abstract, worldwide political science abstract), and – published contributions in international conference proceedings, Criteria for the evaluation of professional work: – a professional monograph or review, – an independent professional paper or chapter in a monograph, – published professional conference contributions, – professional papers and/or reviews of these papers, – participation in editorial boards of monographs or journals, and – other forms of documented professional activities.

In accordance with the transfer criteria, candidates who completed the following may be admitted to the second year of study of the 3rd-cycle (doctoral) study programme in Criminal Justice and Security: 1. A master of science study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004. Candidates are awarded 60 ECTS credits. 2. A specialisation following an undergraduate academic study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004. Candidates are awarded 60 ECTS credits. In accordance with the transfer criteria, candidates may transfer to the 3rd-cycle (doctoral) study programme in Criminal Justice and Security from the 3rd-cycle (doctoral) study programmes in the field of security services (103), inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving services (108), social sciences, journalism and information (03), business, administration and law (04), Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (06), welfare (092), or health and welfare not elsewhere classified (099). Candidates may transfer to the study programme provided they fulfil the following criteria: - criteria for enrolment in the first year of the 3rd-cycle study programme in Criminal Justice and Security; - they are transferring from a study programme leading to the acquisition of comparable competences or learning outcomes; - at least half of the study obligations evaluated according to the ECTS credit system of the previous study programme relating to compulsory courses of the new study programme are recognised. The transfer shall be addressed by a competent senate committee of the faculty where the candidate intends to continue his studies. In accordance with the Rules on the Recognition of Knowledge and Skills in Study Programmes of the University of Maribor, the candidate shall submit to the faculty: - an application for the recognition of knowledge and skills at the University of Maribor; - proof of fulfilled study obligations (exams) including grades and ECTS credits; - validated course syllabi according to which knowledge was acquired; - a receipt of payment for the recognition procedure. When transferring from one study programme to another, fulfilled study obligations that may be recognised fully or partially are identified, taking into account the content, extent, and level of complexity of the new study programme, and study obligations required for completion of the new study programme are laid down.

To complete the programme, students must complete all of the programme’s study requirements to a total of at least 240 ECTS credits.