Admission: +359 52 355 106

Forensic Science Expertise

Faculty of Law
Department of Security and Safety

 

Speciality: Counteraction to Crime and Public Order Protection

Specialization: Forensic Science Expertise

Awarded qualification: Forensic Science Expertise

Level of qualification: Master

 

Length of programme: 3 semesters (2nd, 3rd and 4tn semester from the curriculum) – for Bachelors and Masters in the professional area National Security

4 semesters - for Bachelors and Masters in other professional areas.

 

Number of credits:
90 credits for 3 semesters

120 credits for 4 semesters

 

Field(s) of study (ISCED-F): 103: Securety

 

Specific admission requirements: A higher education degree, average grade - Good . Interview with the candidates

 

Specific arrangements for recognition of prior learning:
• Procedures: recognition of credits on the basis of an academic transcript or a diploma from a previous education; certifying knowledge and skills by sitting exams in specific for the professional area knowledge and skills by the Department of Security and Safety;

• Awarding of credits: Department of Security and Safety awards credits adequate for the curriculum of the major on the basis of the certified knowledge and skills.

 

Qualification requirements and regulations, including graduation equirements*:
To acquire the qualification 90 credits are needed (for training in 3 semesters) or 120 credits (for training in 4 semesters).

There have to be as follows:

• 66 (96 respectively) credits from compulsory subjects,

• 6 credits from elective subjects

• 3 credits from optional subjects

• 15 credits from a defense of a Master's Thesis.

 

Programme learning outcomes:

The methodology of training includes acquiring knowledge in the following major directions:
• nature and types of clues and evidence;
• principles, organization and rules for collecting and checking evidence in the criminal, civil, administrative, tax and arbitration law cases;
• characteristics of collecting evidence when investigating different types of crimes;
• powers of the investigating authorities, the prosecutor, the court in the process of proving;
• procedural status of the expert;
• nature of the expertise as a proving method;
• rules for appointing, assigning, preparation and carrying out the expertise;
• methodology for carrying out forensic expertise;
• nature of the conclusion of the expert;
• assessment of the conclusion of the expert. В The subject of training includes acquiring theoretical knowledge and practical skills for carrying out different types of forensic expertise.

 

Programme structure diagram with credits *:

No ECTS code CourseTitle Lectures and seminars Out-of-class workload Number of credits
1 2 3 4 5 6
MODULE EQUALIZATION COURSES FOR BACHELORS IN OTHER PROFESSIONAL AREAS
1 LAW 3315 Constitutional Law 30 60 3
2 LAW 3332 Organization of the Judiciary  30 60 3
3 LAW 3326 Criminal Law  60 120 6
4 LAW 3327 Criminal Procedure Law 75 150 7.5
5 LAW 3316 Forensic Science 90 180 9
6 SEC 2002 Special Intelligence Means 15 30 1.5
Total for semester I  300 600 30
1 LAW 2015 Constitutional Rights of Citizens 30 60 3
2 LAW 2049 Judicial System 30 60 3
3 LAW 2026 Crime and Criminal Liability 60 120 6
4 LAW 2027 Proof in Criminal Action 75 150 7.5
5 LAW 2016 Methods of Investigation 90 180 9
6 SEC 2110 Police intelligence 15 30 1.5
Total for semester II 300 600 30
Total for year 1 600 1200 60
1 LAW 2170 General Theory of Forensic Expertise 75 150 7.5
2 LAW 2160 Expert Ethics 15 30 1.5
3 LAW 2182 Methodology of Dactyloscopic Expertise 60 120 6
4 LAW 2191 Methodology of Trace Evidence Analysis 60 120 6
5 LAW 2193 Methodology of Handwriting and Writing Style Expertise 60 120 6
6   Elective courses 1 15 30 1.5
7   Elective courses 2 15 30 1.5
Total for semester IІI 300 600 30
1 LAW 2192 Methodology of Ballistic Expertise 45 90 4.5
2 LAW 2194 Methodology for Forensic Document Examination 45 90 4.5
3   Elective courses 3 15 30 1.5
4   Elective courses 4 15 30 1.5
5   Optional courses 1  15 30 1.5
6   Optional courses 2 15 30 1.5
Total for semester VІ  150 300 15
Total for year 2 450 900 45
Graduation     15
Total for the entire course of study: 1,050 2,100 120
Elective courses (choose 4 from 6)
1 LAW 2190 Technical Means for Obtaining and Studying Evidence 15 30 1.5
LAW 2195 Information Systems for Identification Research
2 15 30 1.5
LAW 2180 International Standards for Forensic Expertise
3 LAW 2184 Methodology of Odorological Expertise 15 30 1.5
LAW 2181 Methodology of Situational Expertise
4 15 30 1.5
LAW 2183 Methodology of Portrait Expertise
Optional courses (choose 2 from 3)
1 LAW 2150 Substantiation in the Civil Law case 15 30 1.5
MED 2001 Forensic Medicine
2 15 30 1.5
LAW 2185 History of Forensic Science and Forensic Expertise 
 

* In Varna Free University, a credit equals 30 lessons, of which 10 contact hours (lectures and seminars) and 20 hours independent work.

 

Mode of study: full-time/ part-time

 

Examination regulations and grading scale: The leading lecturer of each course introduces rules for admitting students to the semester exam, methodology and evaluation criteria which are included in the syllabus of the subject and are presented at the beginning of the course in front of the students and are published on the university website. Various teaching methods are used in the process of training - lectures, seminars, practical seminars (expert internship), contact hours (including online) and others. The forms and ways of evaluation are the following: project assignments (carrying out different types of expertise), task assignemnts, tests, case studies and others. The evaluation criteria depends on the methods and forms used in each course.

 

Occupational profiles of graduates: The graduates from the Master's degree programme will possess the necessary competence to work as experts in criminal, civil, administrative and arbitration law cases. For that reason they can be added to the expert lists for forensic expertise for the different regions in the country. They can also be employed as specialists - technical assistants when carrying out investigation process.

 

Access to further studies: PhD programmes

 

Head of the Master's Degree programme:

Prof. D. Sc. Yonko Kunchev
mobile phone: 0888/ 378 350
e-mail:alexandra_angelova@yahoo.com