L’Istituto Interregionale delle Nazioni Unite per la Ricerca sul Crimine e la Giustizia (UNICRI) e la University for Peace (UPEACE), in collaborazione con il Centre of Security and Crime Sciences (CSCS), hanno organizzato la prima edizione del Master in Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and International Law che mira a formare i partecipanti sulle norme del diritto internazionale e sulle pratiche applicate per indagare e combattere attività informatiche illecite, nonché a fornire loro una conoscenza approfondita delle strategie di prevenzione del cybercrime, con focus sulle dimensioni internazionali del cybercrime e della cybersecurity.
Overview
The online Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and International Law aims at training participants in international law and applied practices to investigate and combat malicious cyber activities, as well as at providing them with in-depth knowledge of existing cybercrime prevention strategies at various levels, with a focus on the international dimensions of cybercrime and cybersecurity.
Participants will also be trained in all areas and disciplines related to law and revolving around cybersecurity: criminology and social sciences, victimology, psychology, economics, organizational sciences, and computer science.
Students will be equipped with knowledge of the main trends on cybercrimes with a focus on the profiles of perpetrators and victims, the most-up-to-date intelligence operations, and the methods and analytical tools implemented to continuously understand, adapt, and respond to cybercrime.
The LL.M. is designed to train university graduates and professionals into highly interdisciplinary law experts able to analyse, prevent, investigate and counter cybercrime, in order to protect the community, institutions, and businesses.
The LL.M. is carried out fully online, and it is complemented by a final 2-week optional series of workshops taking place at the United Nations Campus in Turin in 2024. The LL.M. is idea for those wishing to pursue a Master’s degree by engaging in flexible learning arrangements from where they work at any time.
Depending on each student’s background and interest, the programme is functional for careers as:
- Prosecutors and law enforcement officials dealing with cybercrime investigation and judicial cooperation
- (International) cybercrime lawyers
- Transnational cybercrime analysts
- Researchers investigating transnational cybercrime in public and private research institutions
- Officials from international organizations working on cybercrime and relevant policies
- Cyber risk management analysts and business continuity professionals in international industries
Through a combination of recorded videos, live webinars, self-study material and readings, selected participants will acquire in-depth knowledge on the theoretical and practical aspects related to cybercrime, cyber organized crime, cyberterrorism and terrorist use of internet, cyberwarfare, AI and cybercrime, hate crimes online, and online counterfeiting.
The LL.M. will focus on the cybercrime phenomena, its perpetrators and victims, as well as the analytical tools needed to understand the ever-changing problems of cybercrime. Once the phenomena of cybercrime have been analysed in detail, the tools to prevent and counter it -from both a legal and technological perspective- will follow and the study plan will culminate with the Cybersecurity challenges and possible ways to prevent and address it.
In addition, foundational courses on international and comparative criminal law will be part of the LL.M. curriculum and the legal perspective will be incorporated to the various subjects.
The academic curriculum of the Master’s programme is divided into two phases:
- Online phase: 29 May 2023 – 7 June 2024.
- In-person workshops (optional): 17 – 28 June 2024.
The final graduation project will consist of a paper to be submitted after having completed all courses.
Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be awarded an LL.M. degree officially issued by UPEACE.
The partner organizations:
The LL.M. in Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and International Law is organized by UNICRI and UPEACE in cooperation with the Centre of Security and Crime Sciences (CSCS).
UNICRI is one of the main training and research institutes of the UN System. It was established in 1968 and is mandated to support countries worldwide in preventing and countering crime and promoting justice and security in support of human rights, peace and development. Over the years the Institute has developed a sound expertise in research and training, which is reflected in the organization of several capacity-building activities and specialized postgraduate courses.
The University for Peace (UPEACE), headquartered in Costa Rica, is a Treaty Organization established in 1980 through an International Agreement approved by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 35/55, and has the mandate “to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations”. By virtue of the mandate granted to it by Article 15 of the Charter of the University for Peace, annexed to the International Agreement Establishing the University for Peace, UPEACE conducts Master and Doctorate Degree programmes in fields that promote peace and security.
The Centre of Security and Crime Sciences is a joint research Centre of the University of Trento and University of Verona. Founded in 2021, the Centre conducts applied research and high-level training activities aimed at identifying, analysing, preventing and mitigating risks related to security, safety, crime and risk management. The Centre’s research and knowledge dissemination activities are developed using an interdisciplinary approach that integrates data from the fields of criminology, law, statistics, mathematics, information sciences, sociology, human sciences and engineering to produce tailored solutions to tackle security and safety issues of modern global challenges.
Deadlines – 2023-2024
Deadline for application: 16 April 2023 (rolling basis)
Confirmation of the course by the organizing entities: 5 May 2023
Waitlisted applications (second round): From 27 April 2023
Structure, content and methodology
The LL.M. is characterized by an interdisciplinary academic strategy that integrates theory and practice, favours active exchange of ideas, and furthers the comparative and critical thinking skills of the students.
The academic curriculum of the programme unfolds in two phases:
During the Online phase (29 May 2023 – 7 June 2024), participants will have access to the e-learning platform of the LL.M. Programme, on which, in addition to self-study, they will have to attend webinars, carry out group projects and other interactive activities with the support of a tutor.
Each block of three weeks will be composed of 2 modules. Participants will have to carry out all activities foreseen for the module but with the flexibility to organize the workload to suit their own schedules with asynchronous forums and recordings.
Material and activities for each module of three weeks will be organized as follows:
- Required and optional readings for each module will be uploaded on the platform and opened up for access at the beginning of each week. Participants can complete the readings at any time during the week;
- Each module will have two pre-recorded lectures and one live webinar. Pre-recorded lectures corresponding to two of the three weeks in each module will be uploaded on the e-learning platform at the beginning of each week. Students can watch the pre-recorded lectures at any time during the week. There will be a live webinar corresponding with one of the three weeks for students to interact synchronously with the professors and among each other. The date and time for these live webinars will differ from module to module. These webinars will be recorded and uploaded on the platform for any students who are unable to join live due to justified work, health or travel related constraints;
- There will be one discussion forum on the platform every week where the instructor will post a question and students will be required to respond to the instructor and to each other. Students can respond to the discussion question anytime during the week.
At the end of each module a test (such as a quiz or a case study analysis) will take place to assess the knowledge on the topics of the module.
Modules envisage 13 to 15 hours per week of self-study of which 5 hours are devoted to the interactive materials (webinars or recordings, forums or other tools).
The optional in-person workshops (17 – 28 June 2024), will consist in 2-week full time activities held at the UN Campus in Turin (Italy), where will additionally be tutored by a faculty advisor who will support them in the elaboration of the final graduation project.
The workshops are held in the unparalleled setting of the United Nations Campus. The Campus is located on 10 hectares of riverside parkland and hosts other national and international organizations such as the ITC-ILO and UNSSC. Under regular circumstances, it annually runs more than 450 programmes and projects involving approximately 11,000 people from over 180 countries, also offering to participants leisure, dining, and sports facilities.
Some of the classes delivered during this phase will also be offered online, along with dedicated training sessions, for those who are not able to join. The attendance in-person of the workshops is not compulsory. All students (both attending in-person and online) will receive 4 UPEACE credits upon completion of the workshops.
The submission of the final graduation project is compulsory, and its grade will count 6 university credits.
In order to be awarded the final Master of Laws Degree worth 42 UPEACE credits (equivalent to 42 US credits/63 ECTS), students need to complete all activities and foreseen exams. Attendance and participation in activities will be considered towards the final assessment of student’s performance.
Faculty
The Faculty of the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and International Law is composed by international academics, including UPEACE professors, experts and practitioners, also from the UN system.
Career opportunities
The LL.M. aims to build the capacities of interdisciplinary experts who will be able to communicate at all levels with all fields related to cybersecurity, to understand technical issues, to combine the understanding of the problems with technical and non-technical solutions, drawing also on information and communication from technology specialists.
During the Master, participants will interact with lawyers, law enforcement agents and prosecutors, officials of international organizations and industry professionals who deal with cybercrime and cybersecurity in their daily work, providing an operational, case-based approach that addresses real-world problems.
With these considerations in mind, the LL.M. Degree will enable participants to have the required knowledge and skills to engage, or further develop, a professional career as:
- Prosecutors and law enforcement officials dealing with cybercrime investigation and judicial cooperation
- (International) cybercrime lawyers
- Transnational cybercrime analysts
- Researchers investigating transnational cybercrime in public and private research institutions
- Officials from international organizations working on cybercrime and cybercrime policy
- Cyber risk management analysts and business continuity professionals in international industries
Tuition fees
Tuition fees amount to USD 11,000.
Please note that:
- Tuition fees do not cover additional expenses such as those related to VISA, travel, food, and accommodation for students wishing to participate in the in-person workshop
- Tuition fees are non-refundable under any circumstances
- The only event under which tuition fees will be refunded is the cancellation of the course by its organizers
- Applicants receiving an offer for the 2023-24 edition of the LL.M. cannot defer it to the following academic year
Cancellation Policy
UNICRI and UPEACE reserve the right to cancel the programme due to low enrolment or unforeseen circumstances. Participants will be notified by 5 May 2023 of any change in the programme. If the programme is cancelled by the organizers, tuition fees will be reimbursed to participants.
In case of cancellation, the organizers will not be liable for any loss, including travel and accommodation costs suffered by or on behalf of any person who wished to attend the course.
In case of limitation linked to extraordinary health and safety situations, as declared by the Italian Government and/or local and UN Campus authorities, the organizers reserve the right to modify the programme, including through online implementation of the In-person workshops. In such circumstances, no reduction or reimbursement of tuition fee is foreseen.
Entry requirements
- Hold at least a 3-year university degree issued by an internationally recognized university in Law, Political Science, International Relations, Criminology, Social Sciences, Information Engineering, Psychology/Cognitive Sciences, or equivalent academic subjects;
- Full proficiency in written and spoken English. Minimum score of 6.5 (IELTS); 90 (internet based TOEFL); grades A, B (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency English) or grades A, B, C (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English);
- Computer literacy in standard software applications.
Selection process
All applicants will be evaluated and admitted based on the merits of their application, which will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Academic background and achievements
- Professional experience
- Professional training received
- Motivation letter
The organizers retain the possibility to hold an interview with applicants.
Applicants will be notified on the results of the selection process via e-mail within 7 working days of the submission of the application.
Upon receiving the offer, applicants will have 3 days to accept the offer (from the date of the confirmation email), and after that, 10 days to complete the payment.
Wai-listed applicants will be notified on the status of their application starting from 27 April 2023 If you receive an offer, you will have 3 days to accept the offer (from the date of the confirmation email) and 5 days to complete the payment. In the light of the above, we strongly advise students to plan for the payment of the fees already at the time of the application. These deadlines cannot be postponed and payment in multiple instalments is not allowed.
Per il modulo di domanda e per tutte le informazioni si prega di visitare il sito:
https://unicri.it/index.php/master-laws-llm-cybercrime-cybersecurity–international-law-2023-2024
