Teaching
Information on Studying Criminal Law
Use of u:account Email Addresses
The University of Vienna reminds all students to use their u:account email addresses. Initial inquiries sent from personal email addresses will not be processed.
Bachelor's Degree in Law
What do I need to study for the “Criminal Law” course?
Criminal law consists of four areas:
- Fundamentals and General Part I of Criminal Law (Principles of Criminal Offences)
- Criminal Law: General Part II (Consequences of Criminal Offences)
- Criminal Law: Special Part (Individual Offences)
- Criminal Procedure
What coursework in criminal law do I need to complete? How should I structure my studies?
Coursework in criminal law must be completed as part of the Introduction to Law course and during the ‘judicial section’ (Section 2) of the law degree.
The following course requirements are mandatory for the introductory course:
- Introduction to Law and Its Methods (3 SSt, 4 ECTS). The course covers public law, civil law, and criminal law through short case studies. It is recommended that students take this course as preparation immediately before the written introductory exam.
- Written module exam “Introduction to Law and Its Methods” (12 ECTS): Exam duration: 180 minutes. The StEOP lecture systematically covers the entire exam material.
In the ‘judicial section’, students must complete the required module group on Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, which consists of the following coursework:
- Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure (2 SSt, 4 ECTS). Admission to the course requires successful completion of the required modules Introduction to Legal Studies (PM 1), Methodology, Legal Research, and Legal Tech (PM 4), as well as either the required module Modern Legal and Constitutional History (PM 2) or the required module Roman Law Foundations of European Private Law and Case Analysis Techniques (PM 3). It is recommended that students take the course as preparation immediately prior to the oral module exam.
- Oral Module Exam in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure (12 ECTS): The prerequisite for admission to the module exam is the successful completion of the introductory section and the seminar in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. The module exam must be taken during the second stage of the program. To prepare for the module exam, it is recommended that students attend the lectures, in which the four subfields of criminal law are systematically covered within the scope of the exam material. The exam committee assignments and further information about the examiners can be found on the website.
Can I deepen my knowledge of criminal law by taking additional courses?
In the course catalogue, students will find a wide range of advanced courses in the fields of criminal law and criminology that can be taken as part of your elective and specialization tracks. In addition, the institute offers seminars for master’s students every semester.
Doctoral Programme in Law/PhD Programme Interdisciplinary Legal Studies
The doctoral programme is intended for graduates who are interested in legal research and wish to deepen their academic skills. The programme focuses on the independent writing of a doctoral thesis (dissertation).
What academic requirements do I need to meet? How should I structure my studies?
The curriculum includes the following key elements:
- Signing a doctoral thesis agreement subsequent to the public presentation
- Public presentation of the intended doctoral project within the first year of doctoral studies
- Courses comprising at least 28 ECTS (for details please refer to the curriculum)
- Periodical, at a minimum annual, progress reports
- Writing a doctoral thesis, which demonstrates the candidate's ability to conceptualise and critically examine academic topics independently
- Public thesis defence
The curriculum allows for a individualised course of study. Most doctoral students work while pursuing their studies, for example as university assistants at the institute.
For more information on admission and the course of study, please visit the University of Vienna´s Webpage on the Law Curriculum for Doctoral and PhD Programmes.
What topics can you write your doctoral thesis on under the supervision of members of the institute?
Professors at the institute supervise doctoral theses in all areas of substantive criminal law (principles of criminal law, specific offences within and outside the Criminal Code), criminal procedure, law relating to law enforcement and policing, and criminology.
How do I find a supervisor?
If you are interested in writing a doctoral thesis under the supervision of a professor of the institute, you can contact them by email, including a proposed topic. Applicants are encouraged to align their research topic with the professor’s research areas.
Do students receive support in writing their doctoral thesis?
In addition to the guidance provided by your supervisor, it is worth noting the support offered by the “Ars Iuris Vienna” doctoral school. For more information, please visit the official website of the Ars Iuris Vienna Doctoral School.
Bachelor's Program in International Law (IREWI)
What do I need to study for the “Criminal Law” course?
Criminal law consists of four subfields:
- Fundamentals and General Part I of Criminal Law (Theory of Criminal Offenses)
- Criminal Law: General Part II (Theory of the Consequences of Criminal Offenses)
- Criminal Law: Special Part (Theory of Individual Offenses)
- Criminal Procedure Law
What coursework in criminal law do I need to complete? How should I structure my studies?
The following course requirements are mandatory:
- Introductory exercise in criminal law case analysis (1 hour, 2 ECTS). This must be taken during the first module of the program, “Introduction to Law and Its International Aspects.” Successful completion of this exercise is a prerequisite for completing the module.
- Oral module exam in criminal law and criminal procedure: To be eligible for the module exam, students must have successfully completed the introductory and orientation phases of the program.
Recommendations for structuring your studies:
- To prepare for the oral module exam, completion of a “Required Seminar on Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure” (2 SSt, 4 ECTS) is strongly recommended. Admission to this seminar requires successful completion of the module “Introduction to Law and its International Aspects” (including the introductory seminar on criminal law case analysis). The required seminar on criminal law and criminal procedure should be taken immediately before taking the oral module exam.
- To prepare for the module exam, it is recommended that students attend the lectures in which criminal law and criminal procedure are systematically covered within the scope of the exam material.
Can I deepen my knowledge of criminal law by taking additional courses?
- In the course catalog, you will find several advanced courses related to criminal law that can be taken as part of the elective module. You also have the option of writing your bachelor’s thesis on a topic in criminal law.
Master's Program in Business Law
What do I need to study for the “Criminal Law” course?
The field of criminal law consists of four subfields:
- Fundamentals and General Part I of Criminal Law (Theory of Criminal Offenses)
- Criminal Law: General Part II (Theory of the Consequences of Criminal Offenses)
- Criminal Law: Special Part (Theory of Individual Offenses)
- Criminal Procedure Law
What coursework in criminal law do I need to complete? How should I structure my studies?
The following course requirements are mandatory:
- Oral module exam on criminal law and criminal procedure
Recommendations for structuring your studies:
- According to the curriculum, the lectures—in which criminal law and criminal procedure are systematically covered within the scope of the exam material—serve as preparation for the module exam.
