The entire teaching staff of the Faculty of Law at Trnava University in Trnava came to the institution in 1998 to fulfil their dream of applying different methods to preparing young people for the legal profession, which had fallen into considerable disrepute under the previous political regime. The academic community of the Faculty of Law, which laid foundations for a good-quality faculty of law, had the necessary determination, abilities and drive for raising the legal science at the faculty to a high standard and for steadily building a favourable academic environment for honest scientific endeavours.
Today, after 19 years of activities of the revived TU Faculty of Law, we still adhere to the historic and moral legacy of the ancient Faculty of Law of Trnava University of the 17th and 18th centuries, namely that science is a great benefaction for mankind, and we are vigorously striving to promote a science that serves the dignity and natural rights of men and adheres to moral principles and criteria.
In the 19 years of our activities within the revived Faculty of Law at Trnava University, we have made every effort to apply ethical foundations of law to the teaching of law and legal science. We have striven to teach our students that the force of law must prevail in social practice over the law of the stronger, that it is important for each society to apply force in the service of law and order, to make law and order supersede arbitrariness and to preserve freedom as common freedom.
In the 19 years of its activities, the Faculty of Law at Trnava University has built a moral credit and scientific reputation within and outside of the legal community in Slovakia. The Faculty is a member of the International Association of Law Faculties and of the European Association of Law Faculties.
We are proud of the fact that our graduates go on to assume important positions in our society and shape the Slovak legal system and practice, but we also nurture our international outlook and reputation. This is shown not only in the European, comparative and international focus embodied in our study programmes, but also in the high mobility of our students and teaching staff, frequent visiting lecturers and other distinguished guests, successful participation in international student competitions and a growing portfolio of international conferences and similar events taking place at the Faculty.
Seeing the high potential of the faculty, integrated Europe and the opportunities of the globalised world of economics, the law faculty of Trnava University is spreading its international cooperation within all levels of academic life such as international exchange of students, lecturers or organisation of international conferences and other events.
As a member of the Erasmus programme the faculty welcomes a number of students from various European countries and beyond e.g. Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Georgia, Belarus or Russia. We also motivate our students to get as much international experiences as possible with the intention to become successful competitors in the current market after their graduation. The faculty also motivates our students to many extra curriculum activities as sports, arts or common hiking trips to nearby Carpathian foothills. International experiences, practises of other professional backgrounds and alumni gatherings do not only enrich our academia but also help us to see our faculty as a community, community of open minded people who see law and justice as an instrument for better functioning societies of today and in the future.
Study Programmes
The Faculty aims to provide its students with the mastery of individual legal areas as well as the overall structure of the legal system, and to equip them with the methods of legal analysis and reasoning enabling them to tackle practical legal problems. It also strives to foster their broader intellectual development and critical thinking, reflecting and reassessing the fundamental values of the legal system.
The Faculty of Law offers three cycles of legal education: a three-year bachelor’s programme (a four-year part time programme), a two-year master’s degree programme (a three-year part time programme), and a three-year doctoral programme. The doctoral programme is designed as a comprehensive programme, in the framework of which each student selects one of the following orientations: Civil Law, Labour Law, Legal History and Theory and Criminal Law.
Students who fulfil all the obligations required by bachelor’s programme receive the professional title bakalár (bc.). The basic goal of the first-cycle university study programme in Law is to form the professional profile of an expert who will be able to work independently in legal profession in companies and other business organisations, at lower positions in public administration, including the possibility to conduct administrative proceedings etc.
Students who fulfil all of the obligations required by the study programme receive the professional title magister (Mgr.). The master’s study programme in Law represents a continuation of the first-cycle programme and only the completion of both cycles satisfies the requirements for taking the State Bar Examination as well as assuming the more demanding traditional legal professions.
The Faculty of Law also offers study Programme European Legal Studies in Slovak Republic in English. Applicants must have a first degree in law from a recognized university or institution of higher education, or provide documentation indicating that they will earn such a first degree before enrolment in a program. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in English. A standard student’s workload in the program European Legal Studies in the whole academic year (Full time 2 semesters – winter and summer) is granted by the number of 60 credits. For part time (1 semester) 35 credits. At the end of program the student obtains the certificate. Tuition Fee is 1.200 Euro for full time (2 semesters) and 600 Euro for part time (1 semester). More information: http://iuridica.truni.sk/news-and-events
Science and Research
From the point of view of overall evaluation, the faculty considers scientific and research activity, as well as new forms of education, to be one of the primary means through which its international recognition evolves. The faculty was able to provide personnel guarantees for its successful development of scientific activities in the field of legal sciences immediately upon its reopening (establishment) thanks to scientific personalities revered in both the Slovak and foreign legal communities who were present during the reopening. While working under difficult material conditions, the faculty continues to support and develop legal science, mainly in the field of basic research. The faculty’s management is deeply aware of the fact that preparation of new generations of academic lawyers and university pedagogues interested in scientific work and an academic career represents a fundamental prerequisite for further development of the faculty and legal science and its internationalisation.
The scientific profile of the faculty and the internationally-recognised outcomes achieved by faculty members during the past 19 are encouraging. These illustrate permanent, active scientific activity by the vast majority of the faculty’s pedagogues as well as the continuity of further development of scientific life at the faculty by joining the scientific activities of young university pedagogues, especially through their participation in investigation teams for grant tasks and also in cooperation with specialised international governmental as well as non-governmental organisations working in various legal and scientific disciplines of public and private law.
During its nineteen years of existence the faculty has published …. monographs (books) – ….. of which were published in foreign publishing houses as well as ………textbooks and study texts written by pedagogues of the Faculty of Law. In relation to the number of its pedagogic employees, the Faculty of Law achieves the best results – in publications per pedagogue, active participation in international conferences and congresses, and personal memberships in international boards, associations and international editorial boards. The faculty is also among the first faculties in Slovakia in organisation of scientific conferences for young scientists in the Slovak Republic. It funds not only the organisation of these scientific events for young scientists but also publishes almanacs from these conferences.
Library
The Faculty of Law library is a modern university library, open to the public and part of the University of Trnava library system. It is a stable social and educational component of our faculty and its primary role is to collect, process and provide access to scientific information. It caters to students and professors of the Faculty of Law, as well as all external users. The entire library collection encompasses around 18 300 items from all branches of law and related fields. In addition, the library is subscribed to numerous foreign and local law magazines in printed and electronic form. The entire collection is also recorded in the electronic catalogue. The capacity of the reading rooms is 40 seats, of which 6 are available for lecturers. It provides modern IT facilities with access to a number of online information sources. In addition, the library also provides interlibrary loan services and cooperates to that effect with many institutions at home and abroad. Due to its extensive collection of books, journals, online information sources and activities, the library is able to successfully carry out its mission of serving as a house of learning. Since 2001, the library has been part of the worldwide library network of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).