Criminology & Criminal Justice
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences | ||
Contact: Dr Alyce McGovern | ||
Campus: Kensington Campus | ||
Career: Undergraduate | ||
Typical Duration: 3 Years | ||
Typical UOC Per Semester: 24 | ||
Min UOC Per Semester: 3 | ||
Max UOC Per Semester: 24 | ||
Min UOC For Award: 144 | ||
Award(s): | ||
Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice | ||
Program Description
The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice (BCCJ) is an innovative and interdisciplinary field of study with a real world focus designed to explore your interests in crime, deviance, social control and the legal system. Contemporary criminological scholars investigate a broad range of topics including justice, conflict, risk, security, policing, state crime, alternative justice systems, criminalisation and regulation. Key concerns include the nature of crime, how crime is defined and measured, why people commit crime and how societies might respond. Criminologists tackle ‘real world’ social problems including victimisation, juvenile justice, drug-related harm, community safety, indigenous justice, organised crime and corrections. Criminology is shaped by scholars in law, philosophy, psychology and sociology, and other interdisciplinary fields including history, politics, economics, architecture, and cultural studies. The UNSW BCCJ also provides you with the skills of applied social research and policy analysis.
The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice can be completed full-time in Single mode (normally 3 years), in Dual Mode (the equivalent of two years full-time) or part-time. The basic requirements of the program are simple. The program has a depth component and a breadth component. Students enrolled in Single mode do both the depth and breadth component while students enrolled in Dual Mode only complete the depth component.
The Depth component (Blue Zone) is:
- The completion of a Criminology Core (36 UOC - 6 courses)
- The completion of a Social Science and Policy Core (42 UOC - 7 courses)
- The completion of a Prescribed Criminology Electives (18 UOC - 3 courses)
The Breadth component (for students completing the program in Single mode) (Green Zone) are:
- Free Electives (36 UOC - 6 courses)
- General Education (12 UOC- 2 courses)
Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes
The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice program gives students the skills to apply the social sciences to criminological problems. The program will provide students with a coherent program of knowledge about crime, its causes and social construction, the history and operation of crime control institutions, and the outcomes of criminal justice policies.
The Graduate Attributes for this Program are as follows:
- An understanding of the key concepts and theoretical approaches which have been developed in relation to crime, deviance, victimisation, criminalisation, criminal justice, penal practice, crime control and policing;
- A critical awareness of how crime, deviance and victimisation are socially and legally constructed, and of the main agents and institutions which respond to crime and deviance, as found in the mass media, in official reports and in public opinion;
- An understanding of complex social problems and the relationships between them in terms of criminological theory, theories of policing and of crime control, theories of penal practice and evidence, and the major theories deployed throughout the social sciences;
- An understanding of the dimensions of social divisions and social diversity including an ability to understand and demonstrate the relationship of social class, gender, age, race and ethnicity, disabilities, health and other salient aspects of diversity in relation to offending, crime control, policing, criminal justice and penal systems;
- An understanding of the value of comparative analysis and a critical awareness of the local, national and international contexts of crime, criminalisation, policing, criminal justice and penal practice, policy and policy processes;
- The capacity to engage critically with fundamental questions about ethics, justice and human rights including an understanding of the human rights principles which are applicable to the different stages of the criminal justice process, policing and penal practice;
- An ability to understand and conduct social and criminological research, including an understanding of the construction of official crime statistics, an understanding of what can be achieved by different methodologies and techniques, of when a particular methodology or technique is most appropriately used, and of how the results and knowledge claims of any particular study may be critically evaluated;
- Skills in oral and written communication including an ability to communicate a reasoned argument clearly and logically, an ability to take part in and evaluate open minded discussion and debate, and an ability to target information to different audiences using a different range of media and text types;
- The skills of critical, creative and imaginative thinking concerning society and its institutions including the ability to use these skills to problem solve;
- The skills of time planning and management;
- The ability to work productively in a group;
- Understanding of the knowledge base of Social Sciences;
- Ability to conduct research.
Program Structure
The basic requirements for the degree are:
Single Mode (144 UOC) made up of:
- Criminology Core (36 UOC)
- Social Science and Policy Core (42 UOC)
- Prescribed Criminology Electives (18 UOC)
- Free Electives (36 UOC - 6 courses)
- General Education (12 UOC- 2 courses)
Dual Mode (96 UOC) made up of
- Criminology Core (36 UOC)
- Social Science and Policy Core (42 UOC)
- Prescribed Criminology Electives (18 UOC)
Criminology Core
Compulsory courses (36 UOC) made up of:
| Level 1 | ||||
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Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
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CRIM3001 Explaining Crimes (6 UOC) CRIM3000 Criminology Capstone (6 UOC) |
Social Science and Policy Core
Compulsory courses (42 UOC) made up of
| Level 1 | ||||
|
Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
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SLSP3000 Social Theory and Policy (6 UOC) |
Prescribed Criminology Electives
Complete 18 UOC from the following list of Prescribed Criminology Electives:
- ARTS2845 Sex, Human Rights & Justice (6 UOC)
- ARTS3871 Forensic Sociology (6 UOC)
- CRIM2014 Issues in Policing (6 UOC)
- CRIM2030 History from Crime (6 UOC)
- CRIM2031 Indigenous Perspective (6 UOC)
- CRIM2034 Crime, Politics and the Media (6 UOC)
- CRIM2036 Prison and Punishment (6 UOC)
- CRIM2038 Young People, Risk and Harm (6 UOC)
- CRIM3004 Crime and Punishment (6 UOC)
- CRIM3011 Crime Prevention Policy (6 UOC)
- CRIM3012 Violent & Sexual Offenders (6 UOC)
- CRIM3015 State Crime and Human Rights (6 UOC)
- CRIM3016 Borders, Crime and Security (6 UOC)
- CRIM3018 Victims' Rights (6 UOC)
- CRIM3019 Restorative Justice (6 UOC)
- HUMS2000 Arts Internship (6 UOC)
- PSYC3301 Psychology and Law (6 UOC)
Please seek advice from the coordinator for PSYC3301 about the pre-requisites
Prescribed Criminology Electives
A Prescribed Criminology Elective is any course chosen by the student from the approved list of Criminology elective courses provided by the Program.
Free Electives
A Free Elective is any course offered either within or outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in which the student is able to enrol.
General Education
General Education is the completion of two courses (12 UOC) offered outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Award with Distinction
High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 across their program and who have completed at at least 48 uoc of their program at UNSW are eligible for the award of their Pass Degree "with Distinction".
Honours
High achieving Bachelor of Criminology& Criminal Justice students (in Single or Dual Mode) may apply for entry to Honours. Honours is an additional year of study (two years part-time) which allows a student to further explore their field of Criminology. It involves seminars and the completion or a research thesis. Those students who are considering Honours should submit an expression of interest at the beginning of Level 3 and complete a formal application at the end of Level 3. Both should be submitted to the School of Social Sciences Honours Convenor. Entry to Honours requires a WAM of 70 or higher in the Criminology Core and Prescribed Criminology Electives and is subject to resources and the approval of the Head of the School of Social Sciences. Honours is awarded in three classes (Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions, and Class 3). If requirements for these classes are not met the Pass degree will be awarded if the student is not already a Graduate of the program.
| Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice - Sample Program in Single Mode- Example Only | |||||||||
|
LEVEL |
Core and Prescribed Electives COURSES |
Breadth |
UOC |
||||||
|
Social Science |
Criminology |
|
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| LEVEL 1 - 48 units of credit | |||||||||
| S1 |
SLSP1000 Social Science and Policy (6 UOC) |
Free Elective (6 UOC) Free Elective (6 UOC) |
24 |
||||||
| S2 |
Free Elective (6 UOC) Free Elective (6 UOC) |
24 |
|||||||
| LEVEL 2 - 48 units of credit | |||||||||
| S1 |
SLSP2001 Applied Social Research 1 (6 UOC) |
CRIM2020 Criminal Law and Justice 1 Criminology Prescribed Elective (6 UOC) |
Free Elective (6 UOC) |
24 |
|||||
| S2 |
SLSP2002 Policy Analysis Case Studies (6 UOC) |
CRIM2021 Criminal Law and Justice 2 Criminology Prescribed Elective (6 UOC) |
General Education |
24 |
|||||
| LEVEL 3 - 48 units of credit | |||||||||
| S1 |
SLSP3000 Social Theory & Policy Analysis SLSP3001 Applied Social Research 2 (6 UOC) |
CRIM3001 Explaining Crimes Criminology Prescribed Elective |
24 |
||||||
| S2 |
CRIM3000 Criminology Capstone |
Free Elective (6 UOC) General Education |
24 |
||||||
| Total UOC |
42 |
54 |
48 |
144 |
|||||
Academic Rules
Single Mode
To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:
- enrol in the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and complete 144 units of credit;
- complete the requirements for the Criminology Core and Prescribed Electives
- complete the requirements for the Social Science and Policy Core
- complete 36 UOC of Free Electives
- complete 12 UOC of General Education
- complete at least 30 UOC of Level I courses before enrolling in Level II courses
- complete at least 30 UOC of Level II courses before enrolling in Level III courses
- complete at least 120 UOC overall before enrolling in the program's Capstone course
Dual Mode
To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:
- enrol in the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and complete 96 units of credit;
- complete the requirements for the Criminology Core and Prescribed Electives
- complete the requirements for the Social Science and Policy Core
- complete at least 30 UOC of Level I courses before enrolling in Level II courses
- complete at least 30 UOC of Level II courses before enrolling in Level III courses
- complete at least 72 UOC overall before enrolling in the program's Capstone course
Honours
To qualify for the award of the degree with Honours, a Single or Dual award student must:
- be a Graduand or Graduate of the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice
- hold a WAM of 70 or higher in the Criminology core and prescribed electives
- complete the coursework requirement (18 UOC)
- complete a research thesis (30 UOC)
For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website: https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html
Important Information
The Academic Rules for the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.
Glossary of Terms
Area(s) of Specialisation
