Study programmes offered
The Faculty of Law, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica offers higher education studies in accredited study programmes in full-time and part-time forms of study as follows:
Bachelor's Degree Study
The Bachelor's degree study or first level of higher education study, the field of study „law“ – as a standard lasts for 3 years in full-time and 4 years in part-time forms of study. The basic requirement for admission to the Faculty is the completion of secondary education or secondary vocational education. Bachelor's degree study is completed upon passing the state examination, which also includes a defence of the final thesis. Successful graduates are awarded the academic degree of "Bachelor" (abbreviated as "Bc.")
The Bachelor's degree study graduates in the field of Law are able to work as professionals mainly in the state administration and self-government. The graduates have knowledge of the history of state and law, Roman law, the issue of the mechanism controlled by public authorities, with particular regard to the implementation of legislative, executive and judicial power in the state. Also, they are able to issue individual-administrative acts within the decision-making activities of public administration under the Administrative Code. In practice, they can apply legal standards in public administration and basic procedures and dealing with legal situations, they can apply procedures in decision-making in the public sector both in the context of standard-setting and individual-decision-making activities. They are able to cooperate with the workers of related professions (psychologist, sociologist, teacher, etc.). They are well-placed to continue Master´s Degree studies.
Master's Degree Study
The Master's Degree Study, or second level of higher education study – lasts for 2 years in full-time and 3 years in part-time forms of study. The basic requirement for admission to the Master's Degree Study is the successful completion of the Bachelor's Degree Study - the first level of the study programme Law. The study is completed upon passing the state examination, which also includes a defence of the final thesis. Successful graduates are awarded the academic degree of "Master" (abbreviated as "Mgr.").
The Master´s Degree Study graduates in the field of Law during the study acquire scientific and practical knowledge, manage basics of theory and methodology, yield preconditions for the acquisition of other scientific areas related to the field of law; graduates may apply their knowledge in all legal professions and administrative functions, in the judiciary, in the prosecution service, incorporate practice, in government; they can actively work in the field of international relations and diplomacy, in the spheres of international law and economics. After successful completion of the study, they are able to apply legal standards in core areas of legal practice in accordance with the principle of legality, to use the law to manage social processes, to adopt specialist knowledge of legal disciplines according to the needs of the practice, creatively respond to changing legislation, the content of the new legal standards and implement them in practice, apply the rules adopted within the European Union.
Doctoral Degree Study
The Faculty of Law currently offers doctoral studies in three-degree programmes: Business and Financial Law, Criminal Law and Civil Law, in full-time and part-time. Doctoral studies, or third level university course - lasts for three years in full-time and four years in part-time forms of study. The basic requirement for doctoral studies candidates is completion of the Master's Degree Study - second level of the study programme Law. The study is completed upon successful defence of the dissertation, which is preceded by the dissertation examination, upon meeting the relevant requirements. Successful graduates are awarded the academic degree of "Philosophiae doctor" (abbreviated as "PhD.").
Doctoral studies graduates will be able to further develop their scientific activity of scientific-pedagogical process and also develop the knowledge acquired by completing the 3rd level of the study in practice. Scientific profiling of a graduate is in the case of the study programme "Business and Finance Law" limited by the focus on business law with the prevailing private-law character and financial law with the prevailing public law character. Scientific profiling of a graduate is in the case of the study programme "Criminal Law" limited by the focus on criminal law with the prevailing public-law character.