Criminology Schools and Programs in Mexico

Criminology Studies in Mexico

Criminology studies crime, offenders and victims, and how society prevents and responds to crime. In Mexico it is a university degree (licenciatura) taught in Spanish that draws on law, psychology, sociology, statistics and forensic science. A closely related field is forensic science (ciencia forense), which concentrates on the scientific investigation of crimes and on expert evidence for the courts. Both prepare graduates for work in public security, prosecution services and the justice system.

SpainExchange lists two universities in Mexico for criminology: the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Puebla and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), whose Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Forenses is at Ciudad Universitaria in Coyoacán, Mexico City.

How criminology degrees are organised in Mexico

Mexican bachelor's degrees are called licenciaturas and are organised in semesters. Programmes include a period of social service (servicio social), and students must complete a degree-completion requirement (titulación) to receive their professional title. Two programmes show the range:

• BUAP Licenciatura en Criminología: an on-campus degree at Ciudad Universitaria in Puebla, set out over eight semesters if all courses are passed on time
• UNAM Licenciatura en Ciencia Forense: a 9-semester on-campus degree at the Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Forenses, with the last semester devoted to social service; graduates receive the title of Licenciado en Ciencia Forense

The BUAP curriculum combines criminology with law, clinical and social subjects. It includes introductions to criminology and victimology, criminological psychology and biology, criminal law and criminal procedure, criminalistics, forensic medicine and forensic victimology, the prison system, cybercriminology and corporate criminology, plus English I to IV, a professional practice and a research seminar. At UNAM, students learn to collect and process physical evidence, keep the chain of custody, write expert reports and present conclusions in judicial proceedings; professional placements rotate through public prosecutors' offices, forensic medical services and courts.

At postgraduate level, UNAM itself points to other options in Mexico, such as the master's in criminology of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Penales (INACIPE) and the master's in forensic sciences of the Universidad de Guadalajara.

Admission and language

Teaching is in Spanish, so international students need a good command of the language. UNAM admits students through a selection exam. Its forensic science degree has indirect entry: students must first be admitted to another UNAM degree, such as medicine, science, chemistry, law, psychology or philosophy and letters, and then pass an internal selection process. UNAM states that it accepts 36 students a year. BUAP looks for applicants with a background in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, mathematics and IT.

Students with foreign school certificates must have them recognised. At UNAM, the Dirección General de Incorporación y Revalidación de Estudios (DGIRE) handles the revalidation of studies completed abroad.

Student visa

Students who will stay in Mexico for more than 180 days must apply for a visa before travelling; Mexican consulates issue a temporary resident student visa (Visa de Residencia Temporal de Estudiante). At the consulate in New York, for example, all visa applications require an appointment. Requirements depend on nationality, so applicants should check the page of the Mexican consulate responsible for their place of residence.

Careers and professional recognition

According to BUAP, its criminology graduates can work in public security ministries, the National Guard, the defence and navy ministries, prosecutors' offices (fiscalías), immigration and customs, search and victim-support commissions, human rights commissions, private security firms, NGOs and companies, as investigators, official or private expert witnesses (peritos), risk assessors or crime analysts. UNAM notes that forensic scientists work mainly in laboratories, close to public prosecutors and judges, and also in teaching and research.

After graduating, professionals in Mexico apply for a cédula profesional, the licence registered with the national register of professionals (Registro Nacional de Profesionistas); the application is made through the federal government portal gob.mx.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a criminology degree take in Mexico?

The BUAP Licenciatura en Criminología is set out over eight semesters if all courses are passed on time. The UNAM degree in forensic science takes nine semesters, including a semester of social service.

Can international students study criminology in Mexico?

Yes, but programmes are taught in Spanish, foreign school certificates must be revalidated and stays longer than 180 days require a temporary resident student visa.

What is the difference between criminology and forensic science?

Criminology studies crime as a social, legal and psychological phenomenon and how to prevent it. Forensic science, as taught at UNAM, focuses on the scientific analysis of evidence and expert reports for the justice system.