The Criminology stream is offered as part of the Bachelor of Justice and Society and requires three years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time). The Criminology stream is offered by the Flinders Law School, within the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law.

The Criminology stream has different admission requirements to the other programs of study available in the Bachelor of Justice and Society. In order to undertake the Criminology stream commencing students must apply for admission to the stream through SATAC. The name of the stream will appear on the transcript and parchment.

Students wishing to continue on to Honours may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminal Justice or Legal Studies, provided they meet the individual admission requirements for their selected area of specialisation.

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements. 

Course aims

The course aims to provide students with:
  • a broad understanding of criminological theory and its application in Criminal Justice contexts;
  • the skill of applying criminological knowledge in educational and professional settings;
  • the ability to communicate effectively in justice-related contexts;
  • the skills of working independently and collaboratively in projects of criminological significance;
  • an appreciation of the ways that ethical behaviour improves justice outcomes;
  • an understanding of concepts central to the structure and functioning of a just society, such as rights, laws, freedom, power and rules;
  • an overview of how modern society works, as well as different conceptions of justice;
  • the skills to research and analyse social issues and assess proposals for social change;
  • a specific understanding of social policy, including how public policy is developed, implemented, reviewed and reformed within society.

Learning outcomes

Upon graduating, students will be able to demonstrate:
  • a comprehensive understanding of both classic and contemporary criminological theories;
  • a nuanced understanding of the ways that criminal justice systems function to deliver justice both in Australia and abroad;
  • the ability to apply criminological knowledge in educational and professional settings;
  • the ability to communicate effectively in justice-related contexts;
  • the skills of working independently and collaboratively in projects of criminological significance;
  • an appreciation of the ways that ethical behaviour improves justice outcomes;
  • the ability to connect across boundaries, having been exposed to international perspectives, case studies and examples in the curriculum;
  • an understanding of the function of justice representatives in contemporary society;
  • an ability to reason and argue clearly;
  • an understanding of complex positions and their implications;
  • an ability to recognise and resolve issues involving values;
  • the skills required to understand and constructively criticise contemporary life.

Program of study

To qualify for The Bachelor of Justice and Society (Criminology), a student must complete 108 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study detailed below.

No more than 45 units of First Year level topics may be included in the 108 units for the degree.

Elective topics may be selected from any offered within the University or, with the approval from the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law, from outside the University, provided any course and topic prerequisite requirements are met.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

Core - Year 1 topics

27 units comprising

 COMS1001 Academic and Professional Communication (4.5 units)*
 CRIM1101 Crime and Criminology (4.5 units)
 CRIM1102 Criminal Justice System (4.5 units)
 JUSS1000  An Introduction to Justice and Society  (4.5 units)
 LEGL1101  Australian Justice System  (4.5 units)
 LEGL1102  Contentious Justice Issues  (4.5 units)

* Under certain conditions the core topic COMS1001 may be replaced with an alternative topic. See COMS1001 for further details.

Option/Elective - Year 1 topics

9 units of first year electives or first year option topics:

First Year Option topics#

 FACH1701 Introduction to Forensic Science (4.5 units)
 CHEM1201 General Chemistry (4.5 units)
 CHEM1202 Chemistry for the Life Sciences (4.5 units)
 PSYC1101 Psychology 1A (4.5 units)
 PSYC1102 Psychology 1B (4.5 units)

#Students who want to study Psychology (PSYC) option topics in years 2 and 3 must enrol in both PSYC1101 and PSYC1102 in year 1.  Students who want to study FACH2702 Chemical Criminalistics and/or BIOL3793 Biological Criminalistics as option topics in years 2 and 3 should enrol in CHEM1201 and CHEM1202 in year 1 so that they meet the prerequisites.  FACH1701, CHEM1201 and CHEM1202 are also available in the Option - Year 2 topics.

NB: Students can count up to a maximum of 45 units of first year topics towards the degree.

Core - Year 2 topics

18 units comprising

 CRIM2201 Crime and Punishment (4.5 units)
 CRIM2202 Policing and Law Enforcement (4.5 units)
 CRIM2204 Criminal Process and the Courts (4.5 units)
 LEGL2110  Access to Justice: Policy and Reform  (4.5 units)

Option - Year 2 topics

Select 9 units from the topics listed:

 CHEM1201 General Chemistry (4.5 units)
 CHEM1202 Chemistry for the Life Sciences (4.5 units)
 ENGL2130 Crime Fiction and Film: From Poe to the Postmodern (4.5 units)
 FACH1701 Introduction to Forensic Science (4.5 units)
 FACH2702 Chemical Criminalistics (4.5 units)
 HIST2043 Terrorism and Society in Modern Europe (4.5 units)
 LEGL2116  Young People and the Law  (4.5 units)
 LEGL2117  Legal Fictions: Race, Crime and Sovereignty  (4.5 units)
 LLAW3271 Miscarriages of Justice - Australia, Canada, Britain (4.5 units)
 PSYC1106 Research Methods 1 (4.5 units)
 PSYC2019 Personality and Social Psychology (4.5 units)
 PSYC2021 Human Development (4.5 units)
 SOCI2015 Sociology of Deviance (4.5 units)
 WMST2015 Sex, Gender and the Law (4.5 units)

plus 9 units of electives or second year option topics.

Core - Year 3 topics

18 units comprising:

 CRIM3302 International Criminal Justice (4.5 units)
 JUSS3333  Seminar in Justice Policy  (4.5 units)
 LEGL3113  Socio-Legal Research Methods  (4.5 units)

Plus one of the following:

 CRIM3203 Corporate Crime (4.5 units)
 CRIM3301 Crime, Law and Trauma (4.5 units)
 CRIM3303 Psychology, Crime and the Law (4.5 units)
 CRIM3011B Current Issues in Criminal Justice B (4.5 units)

Option - Year 3 topics

Select 9 units from the topics listed:
 
   BIOL3793 Biological Criminalistics (4.5 units)
   BIOL7731 Evidence Evaluation (4.5 units)
   CRIM3203 Corporate Crime (4.5 units)
   CRIM3301 Crime, Law and Trauma (4.5 units)
   CRIM3303 Psychology, Crime and the Law (4.5 units)
   CRIM3011B Current Issues in Criminal Justice B - Organised Crime and Criminal Networks (4.5 units)
   FACH2702 Chemical Criminalistics  (4.5 units)
   ITAL3215 The Italian Mafia: Origin and Representations  (4.5 units)
   JUSS3300 Justice Policy Work Integrated Learning  (4.5 units)
   PSYC2018 Research Methods 2 (4.5 units)
   PSYC3004 Advanced Social Psychology (4.5 units)
   PSYC3008 Applied Cognitive Psychology (4.5 units)

plus 9 units of electives or third year option topics.

Combined degrees

The Bachelor of Justice and Society (Criminology) may also be studied in a combined degrees program with a: