STUDY PROGRAMMES IN ENGLISH
STUDY PROGRAMMES IN ENGLISH AT FACUTLY OF LAW COMENIUS UNIVERSITY IN BRATISLAVA
Compared to the recent past, the higher education market is saturated with a large number of study programmes in which it is very difficult for a potential applicant to study to find one´s way - the offer far exceeds the demand. The ongoing demographic changes also play a role in lower numbers of students when differences in individual population years are visible. The influence of the modern fast age, when it is not enough to build your name exclusively on the brand and passively wait for students but to actively address them with the offer - to distinguish yourself from other educational institutions by quality and diversity of study programmes and subjects, must be taken into consideration too.
Therefore, as part of the continuous improvement and innovation of teaching methods and setting higher goals, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Law (PraF UK) started to launch study programmes taught in English. With this action, we have expanded and are constantly expanding the offer of foreign language subjects taught at our faculty and we address not only Slovak but also foreign students who do not have to travel mainly to Western Europe seeking quality education but will also find it in Slovakia, at our faculty.
The actual launching of these study programmes was preceded by creating a range of subjects and in the academic year, 2017/2018 our efforts resulted in the launching of an accredited master's degree programme in law, which is entirely carried out in English. It is intended for those candidates who want to gain a more profound knowledge of the European Union law and international law and are interested in finding a job in this field, for example in multinational law firms, business corporations, central government, or within institutions of a transnational nature or international organizations. The acquired master's degree also allows them to enrol in one of the professional chambers in Slovakia or to practice one of the legal professions.
„In response to the English master's programme and also reflecting the growing interest of students and graduates of secondary schools (both domestic and foreign) in studying law in English in the first degree of study, we launched in the academic year 2020/2021 in cooperation with the Faculty of Management CU an accredited two-subject study programme in Management and Law, which offers knowledge from both of these disciplines in a synthesized form. Secondary school students often do not know how to choose a specific field of study or precisely define their future profession or are interested in studying primarily in English so the programme is mainly intended for them. It is a programme whose settings correspond to the programmes taught at foreign universities. By attaining basic knowledge of law and management within the three-year study, the prospective graduate is prepared for a professional career. Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, students can decide whether they want to continue their studies in law or management, in Slovak or English. It is a meaningful bachelor's programme that can help young people consciously choose their specialization in a master's degree and attain professional knowledge in a foreign language. “, said doc. JUDr. Lívia Trellová, PhD., Vice-Dean for International Relations and Foreign Language Studies.
As to the method of teaching, she added “As part of the implemented education reform, the study at our faculty does not focus on memorizing the knowledge contained in the books (what we already consider as obsolete), but our goal is to educate future lawyers, experts in their field in a practical way, namely in the form of clinical legal education (students use their knowledge to solve a specific case, provide specific legal assistance), participation in internships, study visits abroad, professional scientific activity or participation in international simulated litigation, in which our faculty regularly takes part and ranks in the top positions.“
Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Law is constantly striving to improve its quality, in order to prepare graduates who are successful in practice and will go a long way.