Master's in Law and Security
New responses to new threats
Presentation
The Master’s Degree in Law & Security provides in-depth knowledge of issues related to Security, drawing from different fields. It is based on an interdisciplinary and transversal approach, due to the need to address the problems of (in)security, which require a global response.
The importance of this master’s degree lies in acknowledging the growing threats to the security of States and citizens, such as terrorism, organized crime, the fragility of certain States, cyberattacks, among many others – all of which pose a series of challenges to the legality and legitimacy of the action of public powers. Today, more than ever, Security is intrinsically connected to democracy, citizenship, globalization and development, therefore being a crucial issue for the International Community of States and Citizens.
For the academic year 2022/23 we present a revised edition of the Master’s Degree in Law & Security. We have invested heavily in internationalization and reinforced the theoretical and practical component. We have thus intensified the political, geostrategic, military, economic and legal area of Security. Consequently, we can guarantee the appropriate training for our students to adequately respond to the professional and academic challenges of an increasingly complex and competitive world.
Coordination
Laura Íñigo Álvarez
Felipe Pathé Duarte
Scientific Commission
President: Laura Íñigo Álvarez | Board Members: Felipe Pathé Duarte (taught component) | Athina Sachoulidou (taught component)
Goals
The general objective is to provide specialised training in matters of Law and of Security, from a multidisciplinary, integrated perspective. There are also specific objectives:
- To understand, from a geostrategic perspective, the challenges that the new international configuration brings to the individual and collective security of states – namely by analysing the design of a regional, international and a legal order designed to face the new challenges to security arising from organised crime, particularly with regard to the use of force;
- To promote in-depth discussions about security as a fundamental right and as a limit to other fundamental rights in the light of national Constitutions and of other normative orders in the international order within which we live, and given a changing international system under ever-increasing stresses – consistently with a focus on the rule of law;
- To systematically examine the internal legal order and the institutional responses, among others, regarding the domains of national, regional, and international security, and the roles filled by the branches of the increasingly complex, varied, and interconnected Armed Forces, the changing roles of extant police forces, and the various intelligence services;
- To understand the role of research and crime in contemporary socio-political and socio-economic domains, as well as in environmental dynamics, which includes a careful assessment of the importance of other communal and more inclusive security systems, such as civil protection, and cybersecurity or private security, in developing a sense of security.
Target Applicant
The Master’s Degree in Law & Security is for all graduates who want to deepen their knowledge in these two ever broader and more sensitive areas, stressing that security presents itself as an interdisciplinary domain that touches and challenges the boundaries of multiple research fields.
The Master’s may be undertaken by students as a full or part-time endeavour.
Timetable
This course is taught after working hours*.
*Some Optional Curricular Units may have schedules that do not match the timetable of the course.
Certification
| Study Cycle | Degree | A3ES Decision | Number of Years | Publication of the A3ES Decision | DGES Registration Number | Publication in Diário da República |
| Law and Security | Master | accredited | 6 | 21-11-2014 | R/A-Ef 3197/2011 |
Testimonials
Curricular Plan
+ 2023/2024
1st year – Taught Component
The taught component corresponds to 60 ECTS and consists of 6 mandatory courses (36 ECTS), 3 subjects of restricted option (18 ECTS) and 1 subject of free option (6 ECTS).
| 1st Semester | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | |
| Security, Governance and the Rule of Law | 6 |
| Globalization and Security | 6 |
| International Humanitarian Law | 6 |
| Restrictive Optional | |
| Cybersecurity and Governance | 6 |
| Intelligence and Strategic Analysis | 6 |
| Free Option | |
| Data Protection and Management Law* | 6 |
| Emerging Technologies: Governance and Regulation | 4 |
| International Economic Law | 4 |
| Legal English | 4 |
| 2.º Semestre | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | |
| International and European Security Law | 6 |
| Research Methodology | 6 |
| Security and Geopolitics | 6 |
| Restrictive Optional | |
| Human Rights International Protection Systems | 6 |
| Risk Management and Security | 6 |
| National Security and International Cooperation | 6 |
| Cybercrime | 6 |
| Free Option | |
| Direito Penal Económico | 6 |
| Law of Online Platforms | 6 |
| Ethics and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence | 4 |
*Data Protection and Management Law is a course offered by NOVA School of Law’s Jean Monnet Module on European Union Data Protection Law in Portugal (DataporEU)
2nd year – Research
| 1st Semester / 2nd Semester | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | |
| Dissertation, internship at national or international institution or project work. | 60 |
+ 2022/2023
1st year – Taught Component
The taught component corresponds to 60 ECTS and consists of 6 mandatory courses (36 ECTS), 3 subjects of restricted option (18 ECTS) and 1 subject of free option (6 ECTS).
| Mandatory | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Security, Governance and the Rule of Law | 6 |
| International and European Security Law | 6 |
| Research Methodology | 6 |
| Globalization and Security | 6 |
| International Humanitarian Law | 6 |
| Security and Geopolitics | 6 |
| Restricted Option | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Cybersecurity and Governance | 6 |
| Risk Management and Security | 6 |
| Privacy and Security | 6 |
| Research and Crime | 6 |
| National Security and International Cooperation | 6 |
| Intelligence and Strategic Analysis | 6 |
| Cybercrime | 6 |
| Human Rights International Protection Systems | 6 |
| Free Option* | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Data Protection and Management Law** | 6 |
| Ethics and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence | 6 |
| Law of Online Platforms | 6 |
| Direito Penal Económico | 6 |
| Emerging technologies: governance and regulation | 4 |
| EU Criminal Law | 4 |
| International Economic Law | 4 |
| Fintech4 | 4 |
*The list does not exhaust all options on offer
**Data Protection and Management Law is a course offered by NOVA School of Law’s Jean Monnet Module on European Union Data Protection Law in Portugal (DataporEU)
2nd year – Research
| 1st Semester / 2nd Semester | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | |
| Dissertation, internship at national or international institution or project work. | 60 |
Objectives and Structure of the Curricular Units
Tuition Fees
In master’s degrees and doctorates, the tuition fee for part-time students corresponds to 65% of the tuition fee owed by full-time students.
*Tuition fees as deliberated by the General Council on 14 December 2022
**Applicable only if the course is not terminated inside the established deadline.
Reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the full documentation regarding fees, emoluments and taxes for the academic year in question.
Tuition fees are annual and due in full upon enrolment in the course. Payment in instalments is allowed for students’ mere convenience.
In the case of withdrawal from the course, the amounts already paid are not refundable. The remaining tuition fee payments due for the academic year to which the application relates must also be paid.
Refund of the tuition fee is only possible where the previous course has not been completed by September, and is conditioned by its completion. In this case, the applicant must give proof of the situation through a declaration from the home institution, before the end of September. Amounts other than tuition fees (fees, school insurance and administrative costs) are not refundable.
Payments must be made via ATM or through PayPal* using the references available in the reserved area. Failure to pay tuition fees within the time limits indicated results in an increase in the amount to be settled and/or the suspension of enrolment and registration, as well as the invalidity of all curricular acts practised in the academic year in which the non-compliance is not respected.
*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment
Financial Discounts
Students who choose to pay the annual tuition fees in a one-off payment receive a 5% discount on the amount to be paid.
Payment by instalments
Annual tuition fees for the taught component
The annual tuition fees for the taught component can be paid in 10 instalments
- 10 instalments: 1st instalment of 20% of the total amount paid upon enrolment, and the remaining amount in 9 instalments paid between the 1st and 10th of the months of September through May.
Tuition fees of the non-curricular phase
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase can be paid in 10 instalments.
- 10 instalments: 1st instalment of 20% of the total amount paid upon enrolment, and the remaining amount in 9 instalments paid between the 1st and 10th of the months of September through May.
Tuition fee for an additional non-curricular semester
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase can be paid in 4 instalments.
- 4 instalments: 25% of the total amount paid upon enrolment, remaining instalments:
- 1st semester: between the 1st and 10th (October, November, January);
- 2nd semester: between the 1st and 10th (March, April, May).
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase
Fees are paid in full at the time of registration.
Merit Awards
The number of awards is established annually by the Board of NOVA School of Law. Merit Awards are awarded to:
- Candidates whose final average admission to a 2nd study cycle at NOVA School of Law, according to assessment and ranking by the appropriate jury, is equal to or higher than 17 points (on a scale of 0/20) and who enrol and attend the same course, benefit from an award in cash corresponding to 50% of the tuition fee for the taught component of the Master’s degree.
- Candidates whose final average admission to a 2nd study cycle at NOVA School of Law, according to assessment and ranking by the appropriate jury, is equal to or higher than 16 points and lower than 17 (on a scale of 0/20) and who enrol and attend the same course, benefit from an award in cash corresponding to 30% of the tuition fee for the taught component of the Master’s degree.
In the non-taught phase, three prizes for academic merit are awarded (by master’s degree or area of specialization, in the case of the Master’s Degree in Law). These awards assume the completion of the taught component within the stipulated time.
- The best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle, resident in Portugal, who continues and attends the non-taught phase benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 100% of the tuition fee for the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree;
- The second-best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase, resident in Portugal, benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 60% of the tuition fee, corresponding to the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree;
- The third-best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree, resident in Portugal, benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 40% of the tuition fee, corresponding to the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree.
Scholarships for Access to Study Cycles at NOVA University Lisbon
The Scholarships for Access to Study Cycles are available to students of the three study cycles, being students of Universidade Nova de Lisboa, nationals or stateless persons, foreigners with tax residence in Portugal or with refugee status, who are in a situation of financial need and who do not benefit from the scholarships awarded by the Directorate-General for Higher Education, or whose value proves to be insufficient.
Full scholarship details here.
José Neves Foundation Grant
This course is eligible for the José Neves Foundation ISA scholarship programme. Find out more information here.
Emoluments/Charges and Taxes Fees
- Application fee: 51.00€
- Administrative costs per registration/enrolment (each year): 35.00€
- Institution insurance (each year): 3.00€
- Registration Certificate: 6.00 €
- Improvement grade exam: 15.00 €/enrolement
- Conclusion Certificate: 50€
- Total Tuition Fee – National and International Student: 4900.00€;
- Annual fee for the taught component – National and International Student: 3900.00€;
- Total Semester Tuition Fee for Non-curricular phase: 1000.00€;
- Tuition Fee for Additional Non-Curricular semester – National and International Student: 500.00€;
Reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the full documentation regarding fees, emoluments and taxes for the academic year in question.
Tuition fees are annual and due in full upon enrolment in the course. Payment in instalments is allowed for students’ mere convenience.
In the case of withdrawal from the course, the amounts already paid are not refundable. The remaining tuition fee payments due for the academic year to which the application relates must also be paid.
Refund of the tuition fee is only possible where the previous course has not been completed by September, and is conditioned by its completion. In this case, the applicant must give proof of the situation through a declaration from the home institution, before the end of September. Amounts other than tuition fees (fees, school insurance and administrative costs) are not refundable.
Payments must be made via ATM or through PayPal* using the references available in the reserved area. Failure to pay tuition fees within the time limits indicated results in an increase in the amount to be settled and/or the suspension of enrolment and registration, as well as the invalidity of all curricular acts practised in the academic year in which the non-compliance is not respected.
*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment
Financial Discounts
Students who choose to pay tuition fees in a one-off initial payment at the time of registration receive a 5% discount on the amount to be paid.
Payment by instalments
Annual tuition fees for the taught component
The annual tuition fees for the taught component can be paid in 4 or 10 instalments
- 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and 10th of the months of September, January, May.
- 10 instalments: 1st instalment of 20% of the total amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining amount in 9 instalments paid between the 1st and the 10th of the months of September to May.
Tuition fees of the non-curricular phase
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase can be paid in 4 instalments.
- 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and the 10th of the months of November, January, May
Tuition fee for an additional non-curricular semester
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase can be paid in 4 instalments.
- 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and the 10th of the months of October, November, January for the 1st semester and March, April, May for the 2nd semester
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase
Fees are paid in full at the time of registration.
Merit Awards
Merit Awards are awarded to:
- Candidates whose final average admission to a 2nd study cycle at NOVA School of Law, according to assessment and ranking by the appropriate jury, is equal to or higher than 17 points (on a scale of 0/20) and who enrol and attend the same course, benefit from an award in cash corresponding to 50% of the tuition fee for the taught component of the Master’s degree.
- Candidates whose final average admission to a 2nd study cycle at NOVA School of Law, according to assessment and ranking by the appropriate jury, is equal to or higher than 16 points (on a scale of 0/20) and who enrol and attend the same course, benefit from an award in cash corresponding to 30% of the tuition fee for the taught component of the Master’s degree.
In the non-taught phase, three prizes for academic merit are awarded (by master’s degree or area of specialization, in the case of the Master’s Degree in Law). These awards assume the completion of the taught component within the stipulated time.
- The best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 100% of the tuition fee for the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree;
- The second-best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase, benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 60% of the tuition fee, corresponding to the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree;
- The third-best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 40% of the tuition fee, corresponding to the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree.
Emoluments/Charges and Taxes Fees
- Application fee: 51.00€
- Administrative costs per registration/enrolment (each year): 35.00€
- Institution insurance (each year): 3.00€
- Registration Certificate: 6.00 €
- Improvement grade exam: 15.00 €/enrolement
- Conclusion Certificate: 50€
Applications
2023/2024
Length 4 Semesters
120 ECTS
Taught in English
Applications from students who prove they will be able to complete their bachelor’s degree (licenciatura) by September will be accepted.
1st Phase of Applications:
- Submission of applications: From 1 to 28 February 2023
- Announcement of placements: 21 March 2023
- Complaint about placements: From 22 March to 4 April 2023
- Enrolment: From 5 to 17 April 2023
- Registration for Curricular Units: From 18 to 28 July 2023
2nd Phase of Applications:
(remaining places)
- Submission of applications: From 24 April to 5 May 2023
- Announcement of placements: 26 May 2023
- Complaint about placements: From 29 May to 9 June 2023
- Enrolment: From 12 to 23 June 2023
- Registration for Curricular Units: From 18 to 28 July 2023
3rd Phase of Applications:
(remaining places, if any)
- Submission of applications: From 3 to 7 July 2023
- Announcement of placements: 21 July 2023
- Complaint about placements: From 24 July to 4 August 2023
- Enrolment and Registration for Curricular Units: From 7 to 11 August 2023
Requirements
Holders of a bachelor’s degree (licenciatura) or legal equivalent.
Selection Criteria
- Final mark of the higher education course with which he/she is applying (50%)
- Taking into account the multidisciplinary nature of the course, relevance and adequacy of the previous course for the master’s degree course (50%), the jury will attribute a classification on a scale of 0 to 20 to each candidate, based on an analysis of the letter of motivation and curriculum vitae, and the members of the jury may decide to hold interviews with all or some of the candidates. Elements to be considered: (i) a university degree in Law, Security and National Defence and other related areas (ii) a post-Bologna university degree, corresponding to, at least, 240 ECTS
- Candidates evaluated under this criterion with a score of less than 9.5 will automatically be excluded
Submission of Applications (Online):
- Completion of the application form (online)
- Payment of the application fee using the ATM or Paypal reference provided (51.00€)*
- Online submission of the following documents
- Motivation letter
- Curriculum vitae (European model)
- Copy of the course(s) certificate(s)
- Copy of the tax number identification card
- Copy of the Identification Card
- If you are an International Student, declaration, under oath, that the applicant does not have Portuguese nationality, nor is covered by any of the exceptions of no. 2 of Article 2 of Regulation no. 687/2020, of 20th August, which under the terms of Decree-Law no. 36/2014, of 10th March, excludes him/her from the International Student status – Declaration of Honour | International Student
- For applicants presenting an identification document with a nationality other than Portuguese or EU, declaration, under oath, that the applicant has Portuguese nationality or is covered by one of the exceptions of Article 2, no. 2 of Regulation no. 687/2020, of 20th August, which under the terms of Decree-Law no. 36/2014, of 10th March, excludes him/her from the International Student status – Declaration of Honour
- Declaration under oath on the status of finalist (in case the previous academic degree is not finished by the application date) – Declaration of honour for applications conditional on completion of degree
- Applicants conditioned upon the conclusion of the bachelor’s degree must submit an interim academic transcript showing the subjects already completed and their final grades discriminated and a declaration under oath stating the course, school, expected average and the the conclusion date. In addition, a statement from the institution of higher education where they are attending the degree should be submitted, proving their academic situation
- Candidates with foreign qualifications must send academic transcripts showing the final grade average or a declaration with the final average of the degree. Diplomas not in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish must be accompanied by a translation certified by the competent authorities.
- Applicants who do not report the final grade average, expected or completed will be graded with a minimum score of 10 on the 0-20 scale.
- Applicants may submit, at the time of application, the request for accreditation of academic qualifications and professional experience obtained before enrolment in the study cycle. The crediting processes take into account the level of the credits corresponding to the previous education and training, in no case being allowed the creditation, for the continuation of studies in a study cycle, of education and training carried out in the context of a study cycle of a lower qualification level. For the purpose of accreditation, the candidate must fill in a specific form and attach all the relevant documentation. When the crediting request occurs during the application, the crediting is not a sufficient condition for admission in the study cycle and it only produces effects after the admission and only in that same study cycle
*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment
All documents must be presented in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, and endorsed by the competent authority of the State where the document originates
Applications omitting the documents requested or where the application fee has not been paid will be rejected.
Applications available through the NOVA School of Law applications portal.
Readmissions
Readmission is the act by which a student, after interruption of studies in an institution/course of higher education, enrols in the same institution and enrols in the same course or in a course which has replaced it.
SCHOOL YEAR 2023/2024
Requirements:
Students who can apply for readmission to any cycle of studies:
- Must have already been enrolled and enrolled at the NOVA School of Law, in the same course or in a course in which they are already registered, without having completed it
- Must not have been enrolled in that course in the previous academic year to the one in which they intend to be readmitted to
- Those students whose registration has lapsed due to the requirements in force may apply for readmission once two school semesters have elapsed since the date of the regulations
The Faculty reserves the right to refuse readmission to applications from students whose curricular record indicates serious difficulties in adapting to the study plan in force and to the type of teaching provided at the NOVA School of Law. Requests from students who are in debt to the Faculty for tuition fees or any other amounts will be rejected, subject to the provisions of Law Nº. 75/2019, of September 2.
Deadlines for submission of applications | School Year 2023/24:
1st Semester
Submission of the application | From 3 to 14 July 2023 |
Enrolment and Registration for Curricular Units | From 28 August to 8 September 2023 |
2nd Semester
Submission of the application | From 8 to 19 January 2024 |
Enrolment and Registration for Curricular Units | From 29 January to 2 February 2024 |
Instructions for submitting the application (online):
The application is submitted online through the website of NOVA School of Law by filling in a form and uploading the necessary documents, namely:
- Online submission of a simple photocopy of the citizen card or passport (international applicants)
- Payment of the application fee through the Multibanco/PayPal references that will appear during the application process 70.00€ (non-refundable)
The student must print proof of the online application, essential for any subsequent steps.
Fees and Emoluments
Fee | 70,00€ |
Administrative cost per enrolment/registration (annual) | 35,00€ |
School insurance | 3,00€ |
Registration certificate | 6,00€ |
Note: to these amounts must be added the annual fees applicable to the study cycle relevant to the academic year 2022/23 (see the relevant notice).
Tuition fees are fixed annually by the General Council of the NOVA University Lisbon.
The reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the relevant legislation and regulations, the public notice of fees, and the table of fees in force of the respective school year.
Applications that are not accompanied by all the documents or whose fee has not been paid will automatically be rejected.
Regulations Applicable: Decree-Law Nº. 36/2014, of March 10th, altered by Decree-Law Nº. 62/2018, of August 6th, and Regulation Nº. 436/2020, of April 28th, of the NOVA School of Law.
Applications through the NOVA School of Law applications portal.
Clear all your doubts
We are at your disposal to answer any questions you may have about studying at NOVA
School of Law.
Please do not hesitate to contact us by email: admissions@novalaw.unl.pt