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Criminology & Criminal Justice - 3422
arts 3422
Program Description
Program Objectives
Program Structure
Sample Program
Academic Rules
Fees
Important Information
Glossary of Terms
Area(s) of Specialisation

Program Summary

 
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:

  1. The completion of a Criminology Core (36 UOC - 6 courses)
  2. The completion of a Social Science and Policy Core (42 UOC - 7 courses)
  3. 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:
  1. Free Electives (36 UOC - 6 courses)
  2. 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:

  1. 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;
  2. 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;
  3. 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;
  4. 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;
  5. 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;
  6. 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;
  7. 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;
  8. 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;
  9. The skills of critical, creative and imaginative thinking concerning society and its institutions including the ability to use these skills to problem solve;
  10. The skills of time planning and management;
  11. The ability to work productively in a group;
  12. Understanding of the knowledge base of Social Sciences;
  13. Ability to conduct research.

Program Structure

The basic requirements for the degree are:

Single Mode (144 UOC) made up of:

  1. Criminology Core (36 UOC)
  2. Social Science and Policy Core (42 UOC)
  3. Prescribed Criminology Electives (18 UOC)
  4. Free Electives (36 UOC - 6 courses)
  5. General Education (12 UOC- 2 courses)
Dual Mode (96 UOC) made up of
  1. Criminology Core (36 UOC)
  2. Social Science and Policy Core (42 UOC)
  3. Prescribed Criminology Electives (18 UOC)

Criminology Core

Compulsory courses (36 UOC) made up of:
      Level 1  
       
     
Level 2
     
     
Level 3
       

Social Science and Policy Core

Compulsory courses (42 UOC) made up of
      Level 1  
       
     
Level 2
     
     
Level 3
       

Prescribed Criminology Electives

Complete 18 UOC from the following list of Prescribed Criminology Electives:
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.

Sample Program

Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice - Sample Program in Single Mode- Example Only
LEVEL
Core and Prescribed Electives COURSES
   Breadth
UOC
Social Science
Criminology
 
LEVEL 1 - 48 units of  credit 
S1
(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
(6 UOC)
Criminology Prescribed Elective (6 UOC)
Free Elective (6 UOC)
 24
S2
(6 UOC)
Criminology Prescribed Elective (6 UOC)
General Education 
(6 UOC)
 24
LEVEL 3 - 48 units of credit 
S1
(6 UOC)
Criminology Prescribed Elective
(6 UOC)
 24
S2
Free Elective (6 UOC)
General Education
(6 UOC)
 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:
  1. enrol in the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and complete 144 units of credit;
  2. complete the requirements for the Criminology Core and Prescribed Electives
  3. complete the requirements for the Social Science and Policy Core
  4. complete 36 UOC of Free Electives
  5. complete 12 UOC of General Education
  6. complete at least 30 UOC of Level I courses before enrolling in Level II courses
  7. complete at least 30 UOC of Level II courses before enrolling in Level III courses
  8. 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:
  1. enrol in the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and complete 96 units of credit;
  2. complete the requirements for the Criminology Core and Prescribed Electives
  3. complete the requirements for the Social Science and Policy Core
  4. complete at least 30 UOC of Level I courses before enrolling in Level II courses
  5. complete at least 30 UOC of Level II courses before enrolling in Level III courses
  6. 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:
  1. be a Graduand or Graduate of the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice
  2. hold a WAM of 70 or higher in the Criminology core and prescribed electives
  3. complete the coursework requirement (18 UOC)
  4. complete a research thesis (30 UOC)

Fees

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

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Area(s) of Specialisation

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© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.