Study Criminology

Criminology is the study of crime and responses to crime, and considers issues such as social justice, the emergence of new crimes in cyberspace and the global economy, and how crimes are solved through criminal profiling and forensic science.

Gain an understanding the complex nature of crime, why it occurs, why some individuals and groups are criminalised, and what can be done to prevent crime. Learn to critically evaluate the various agencies of the Criminal Justice System and explore alternative strategies.

Undergraduate and postgraduate courses

Study on campus in Armidale or fully online in your own home, or abroad.

Undergraduate courses

The Bachelor of Criminology at UNE is an inter-disciplinary degree that draws upon areas of study such as criminology, forensic science, law and criminal justice, and the sociology of deviance. Students are able to choose a number of core and elective units that examine criminal law and procedures, policing, prisons and punishment, forensic science, transnational organised crime, theories of crime, rural crime, crime prevention, Indigenous over-representation and juvenile delinquency. The degree also offers students the opportunity to undertake training in research methods and provides hands-on-experience within the criminal justice system through UNE's WorkReady program. Criminology graduates can seek employment in a wide range of sectors, including border control, correctional facilities, crime prevention agencies, government and policy agencies, intelligence and security, juvenile justice, police service and welfare.

Criminology can be studied in the following undergraduate courses:

Bachelor degrees

Bachelor of Criminology

The Bachelor of Criminology is a 3-year degree with a core program and electives in Social Science, Forensic Science, Psychology, Social Work and Criminology. The program will build your skills in applied social research and policy analysis, combined with a specialised study of crime and the justice system. Find out more information in the Course and Unit Catalogue.

Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Law

This double degree provides you with the flexibility to either pursue a purely legal career as a practitioner, or to build a successful career in criminology, drawing on your legal skills and knowledge. The law component includes compulsory fundamental units such as legal systems and method, criminal law, contracts, torts, property law, equity and constitutional law. The criminology component draws on criminology, forensic archaeology, anthropology, forensic science, sociology of deviance, law and criminal justice studies. Detailed information on the Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Laws course appears in the Course and Unit Catalogue.

Criminology can also be studied as a Crime and Society and/or Criminal Justice major in the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Social Science.

Interested in honours? For Bachelor Honours see honours and postgraduate courses.

Honours and postgraduate courses

Further course options for studying Criminology

Study Criminology with honours or in our postgraduate level research programs.

Bachelor Honours

We encourage and welcome applications from motivated graduates to our Honours program.

Honours study offers students the opportunity to spend additional time pursuing research in their area of interest at a deeper level than is allowed by an undergraduate degree. Honours is a pathway for students who wish to undertake postgraduate research such as Masters or PhD. An Honours degree
is also well respected in the job market.

The Honours program is offered both internally and externally and either full-time, over one year, or part-time, over two years. The extensive expertise of Criminology staff allows for a broad range of dissertation topics.

The Honours degree is comprised of two units of study:

  • Coursework Unit (24 credit points), comprised of two papers: a literature review and methodology.
  • Dissertation Unit (24 credit points), in which students write a dissertation of 20,000 words on a topic devised in consultation with a supervisor.

How to apply for Honours

First, contact the Honours Convenor, Dr Kyle Mulrooney (email:kmulroon@une.edu.au) to discuss the program of study offered, potential dissertation topics and supervisors. Once you have established your topic and eligibility, you can then apply formally.

Postgraduate research

Find out about Higher Degree Research

Majors

Study Criminology as a Major in one of our Arts Degrees.

Our staff

To contact an academic or find a research supervisor, visit the staff page.

Find a staff member

Career options for Criminology graduates

A degree in Criminology or Criminology/Law will open the door to a wide range of exciting and rewarding careers in areas such as:

  • Criminal justice system (courts, corrections, probation and parole)
  • Law enforcement (AFP, NSW Police, Customs and border protection)
  • Crime prevention (public sector, local Councils, NGOs)
  • Research and teaching (via honours and postgraduate study)
  • Policy making (policy advisors, government)
  • Community agencies (child protection, social work)
  • Media

Opportunities

The Criminology program at UNE is unique.

  • It is the only program that  considers crime in rural communities as well as urban places.
  • UNE was the first Australian university to introduce a Bachelor of Criminology/Law double degree and this has proven to be very popular with students.
  • As UNE is a leader in distance education, the degree is ideally suited to professionals in human services looking to update or upgrade their qualifications.

Partnerships and networks

Criminology staff partner and network with a range of national and international associations, enabling them to remain at the forefront of scholarship in their fields of teaching and research.

Further information

For more information about our courses and studying at UNE, please contact AskUNE.