Materials for Accreditation in Academic Study Programme LAW

Faculty of Law

Materials for Accreditation in Academic Study Programme “LAW”

to Acquire a Master 's Degree in Law

(code 41389)

Riga – 2011.

For the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Latvia

On study programme accrediation

Application for Accreditation

Rīga Stradiņš University asks to do the accreditation for the academic Master's study programme “Law”.

Title of higher educational establishments: Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU)

Legal address of higher education establishment: Dzirciema iela 16, Rīga, LV-1007

Telephone number: 67409232

Nr. of certificate of higher educational establishment: 3341202042

Title of study programme: Law

Code of study programme: 463800

Number of credit points: 80 credit points

Length of study course : 2 years

Type and form of study programme: full-time and part-time studies

Prerequisites on starting study programme: Master's degree in Law

Degree to be acquired: Dr.sc.iur.

Venue of implementation of study programme: RSU Institute of Law, Dzirciema ielā, 16, Rīga, LV-1007

Authorized person: Dean of RSU Facylty of Law Dr. iur. Andrejs Vilks

RSUvice- rector: Ilze Akota

A.Vilks 6 7409218

·  TABLE OF CONTENTS

·  INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….. 5

·  1. SELF-ASSESSMENT REPORT OF THE STUDY PROGRAMME……………………………………………….6

·  1.1. Aims and objectives of the study programme …………….6 1.2. Structure and organization of Master's study programme…6

1.3. Annotation of description of the study programme...... 7

1.4. Evaluation system...... 17

·  1.5. Practical implementation of the study programme

·  (teaching forms and methods)...... 16

·  1.6. Prospective evaluation of the study programme...... 17

o  1.6.1. Programme compliance to the standard of national aacademic education...... 17

o  1.6.2. Prognosis of graduates' employment for the following six years

…………………………………………………… 19

1.7. Students...... 19

1.7.1. Number of students...... 19

1.7.2.Number of graduates...... 19

1.7.3. Students' poll and its analysis...... 19

o  1..7.4. Students' participation in perfection of the study process...... 20

o  1.7.5. Results of employers' poll……………………………….....21

·  1.8.Academic and administrative staff engaged in the study programme...21

1.8.1. Qualification and professionalism of academic staff.....21

1.8.2. Research work of academic staff...... 23

1.9. Financing and infrastructure...... 32

·  1.10.External relations...... 34

·  1.11. Analysis of strong and weak sides of the study programme...... 35

·  II. Evaluation of the study programme from the point of view of national interests...... 35

·  2.1. Evaluation of the study programme from the point of view of national intesrests…...... 36

·  2.2. Comparison of RSU Master's study programme to other Master's study programmes implemented in other European countries………………..37

·  3.Development plan of study programme 39

APPENDICES……………………………………………… 41

Appendix Nr. 1. Information which confirms that at least 50% of the academic staff elected work at the university and at least 50% of the academic staff elected are with a Doctor's degree…………………………………………………….42

Appendix Nr. 2. CV of academic staff ……………………………….....50.

Appendix Nr.3. Study course descriptions ……………………………….79

Appendix Nr. 4 Diploma and a model of its appendix……………...... 110

APPENDIX 5: List of all courses indicating amount in credits, position in time, involved academic staff (table form) 114

Appendix Nr. 6. RSU Senate resolution on the approval jf the foudation of the Academic Study Programme ‘’Law’’...... 117

APPENDIX 7: Questionnaire form for evaluation of a teacher and learning process 118

Introduction

Academic Master's study programme “Law” has been designed in accordance with the requirements of the national standard for academic education.

Current needs of Master's study programme in Law of Rīga Stradiņš University Institute of Law determine the necessity to train qualified, high rank specialists who would have acquired general theoretical disciplines, have got the knowledge in subbranches of law sciences, as well as have specialized in the legal field of medicine, public health and rehabilitation, and also in international and European jurisdiction. At present more and more attention is being paid to international laws, special legal regulations and protection are required by medical professionals, medical institutions become a specific object for regulation of legal relations. The above-mentioned aspects are paid a special attention in the study programme “Law”, International laws including.

The topicality of the programme is emphasized by the fact that Latvia, on integrating into the European Union, has apply legal regulations not only for establishing it as a well-developed legal state and improving the public safety, but would also facilitate its social welfare level and its development. In this respect, it is important to study the current tendencies of European laws in the social sphere, as well as the necessity by using modern theory of law, practice and methodology, to solve local and international problems. This calls for the need to introduce new study programmes, including academic Master's study programme, which would qualitatively improve specialists' training in the science of law who would have much deeper insight in the European processes of law, and who would have the skills and competences to participate and influence them.

This programme has been designed to provide studies based on scientific theoretical and methodological principles corresponding to the standards of Latvia and other European countries.

Academic Master's study programme „Law” has been worked out considering traditions and specialization of Rīga Stradiņš University in the field of medicine and public health, based on consistent and stable values of scientific and academic work and highly professional research staff.

I Report of Self-Assessment of Study Programme

1.1 . Aims and objectives of study programme

The aim of the programme – to train highly qualified specialists in law, having good theoretical knowledge in the fields of International and European laws and specialization in medicine, public health and rehabilitation, who can successfully deal with national and international social issues, who could indentify, analyze and solve legal problems, coordinating an individual's and public interests, and in such a way, successfully deal with EU laws.

Programme objectives:

-  to train qualified specialists of academic degree in the field of medicine, public health and rehabilitation of Latvia;

-  to promote understanding of modern legislation of European Union, integration into EU and defense of interenational interests of Latvia.

-  to perfect laws in medicine, public health and rehabilitation and their practical use, to provide a professional education, offering to specialists much deeper theoretical and methodological knowledge, paying a special attention to the specificity of the European Union laws;

-  to encourage specialists to think creatively, as well as critically, to prognose the future development of socially-legal processes and to be able to participate in improvement of international laws, to work out and realize new theoretical approaches in the current processes of integration;

-  to enable the advancement of knowledge on the role and place of laws in Latvia and other EU states in the European Union;

-  to ensure the competitiveness of Master's students in the local and European labour market.

Master's programme is developed by analyzing the programmes in Law offered by European universities, who deal with the problems of EU enlargement. Realization of the study programme in Law is structured in correspondence with the programme aims and objectives.

1.2.Structure and organization of Master's study programme

Academic Master's study programme in “Law” is developed in line with the standard requirements of the national academic education.

Master's study programme is organized as full-time and part-time studies and is realized in 4 semesters ( two academic years). The programme is made by obligatory study courses (theoretical, methodological questions), specialization courses (in each specific field of law), general courses in law and a Master's thesis. In order to successfully complete the course, one has to pass examinations, tests and complete other tasks (as required by a lecturer) in all obligatory study courses (20 credit points) and in a part of elective courses (extra to total 20 credit points), as well as to pass examinations in subbranches of law courses, to write and defend a Master's thesis, which is a part of the State examination (20 credit points).

Academic process in the programme is organized by the principle of modules, which, alongside with Latvian and foreign specialists' involvement in the study process, envisages an active independent work of students.

Each study course programme is affirmed by the Council of the Institute of Law. Theoretical knowledge is mainly acquired at lectures and by studying the literature in law indeividually. Students learn practical skills in seminars and by doing practical tasks under the guidance of a lecturer.

1.3. Annotation of study programme description

Academic process in the academic Master's study programme in “Law” is organized according to modules. It means that students concurrently learn only one subject and at the end they take an examination and get a certain number of credit points. Module principle envisages active work of students doing individual work, as well as invitation well-known Latvian and foreign specialists to participate in the realization of the the study process. In one semester students cover six courses in total, which contain theoretical lectures, seminars and practical classes, which aim at students' active participation in discussions and analysis of problem situations. Study course volume is expressed in credit points..

For each study course there are planned 3 - 4 working weeks and just after them – an examination. Each week has 5 lessons – lectures and seminars, the rest of the time is devoted for reading the literature, writing or reports and doing individual work. For each such a module course, where an examination is taken and all other requirements are done, students receive from two to four credit points.

The total count of credit points for Master's study programme is 80, including 40 credit points for part A, but 20 credit points – for part B courses, the credit points for courses of subbranches in law. For writing of a Master's thesis and its defense the programme envisages 20 credit points.

Table 1

Study course title

OBLIGATORY STUDY COURSES

OBLIGATORY STUDY COURSES IN LAW

ESLECTIVE STUDY COURSES

Specialization in medical and social laws

As a result, Master's study programme “Law” is made by obligatory and elective part.

A Master's thesis is a scientific work, which has to be orginal and contain a realistic epistemological research. To do the research and write the paper, students are allocated the whole 4th semester. Shortly before it, at the beginning of the 3rd semester, a seminar is held on “ Methods to be used for writing a Master's thesis”.

Credit points to students are given for each subject studied, if the evaluation at the examination has been positive.

Content and structure of the Master's study programme comply with Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on national higher education standard.

Study course annotations

1.Theory of Law

Aim of the course – to give students the most essential knowledge by means of the theory of law, which can be used in all branches of law, but to understand and use this knowledge in communication and relationship, i.e., systemically.