Faculty of Arts
Criminology

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Faculty of Arts

1. Prerequisites
2. Requirements for a major
3. Honours entry
    3.1. Prerequisites
    3.2. Application procedures
4. Honours requirements
    4.1. Pure honours
    4.2. Combined honours
5. Further study
6. Career opportunities
7. For more information
Subject Lists
    First-year subjects
    Second/third-year subjects
    Third/fourth-year subjects
    Fourth-year subjects
    Fourth-year/postgraduate subjects

The Department of Criminology was established in 1951 as the first school of criminology in Australia. The department continues as a leader in this field, attracting a considerable number of research grants and contracts, such as the recent pilot program looking at community-based approaches to drug law-enforcement. High level research provides students with access to leading academics whose work forms the basis of many of the subjects. Students are thus provided with the most contemporary and original materials that will equip them with the means of dealing with the challenging issues of crime and justice. The optional fieldwork component provides students with hands-on experience, exposing them to the operations of various government and community-based agencies in dealing with issues involving crime and policy development.

Criminology is the study of processes of criminalisation and social control developed by the state. Criminology is an inherently multidisciplinary area of study, involving contributions from disciplines such as law, the social and behavioural sciences, psychiatry, history and philosophy. Criminology offers a broad range of theoretical and policy-related analyses. The practical focus of the discipline lies in an integrated study of the components of the criminal justice system. In particular, criminology addresses topics concerning law enforcement agencies, the courts and correctional systems and includes issues relating to public policy and political decisions regarding crime and crime control.

1. Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for first-year subjects in criminology.

The prerequisite for second-year criminology subjects is usually the completion of 25 points of criminology at first year.

The prerequisite for entry to third-year criminology subjects is usually the completion of at least two second-year criminology subjects (25 points).

The prerequisite for a third/fourth-year criminology subject is usually three second/third-year subjects in criminology (37.5 points).

In exceptional circumstances, exemption from these prerequisites may be granted by the Head of Department. Exemptions may also be granted where criminology subjects are taken as part of an approved interdepartmental program with its own entry requirements. In such cases, applications for prerequisites to be waived must be made to the subject coordinator.

2. Requirements for a major

A major in criminology usually consists of nine 12.5-point subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

two first-year subjects in criminology (25 points); and
seven second/third-year subjects in criminology (totalling 87.5 points) usually consisting of three second-year subjects and four third-year subjects.

3. Honours entry

3.1. Prerequisites

The prerequisites for entry to fourth-year honours in criminology are:

completion of all the requirements for the BA;
completion of a major in criminology;
an average grade of H2A or higher over the second/third-year subjects within the major.
Students who do not meet that average may be granted admission to honours with the special approval of the Head of Department (or nominee) and the Faculty of Arts honours course adviser.

It is strongly recommended that students undertake 191-004 Introduction to Research Methods or one other research methods subject within the major.

3.2. Application procedures

All students intending to undertake their thesis in criminology will be required to submit a research proposal of at least 1000 words as part of the entry procedure. It is recommended that this proposal be generated in consultation with members of the Department of Criminology who have an interest in the area of the proposal. Acceptance into the program is dependent upon completion of an adequate proposal as judged by the department.

Application forms for entry to honours are available from the General Office, Department of Criminology, and should be returned to the criminology honours coordinator by the first week in November. Thesis proposals are due by the end of November. Successful applicants will be notified by the department in late December.

4. Honours requirements

Honours students undertaking a thesis in criminology are encouraged to attend the department's research support seminar program.

4.1. Pure honours

Students undertaking pure honours in criminology must complete:

191-505 Criminology Thesis or 191-519 Criminology Thesis (MYE) (37.5 points); and
191-530 Criminology Thesis Seminar (12.5 points); and
two fourth-year subjects in criminology (25 points); and
either 191-532 Supervised Field Study (25 points) or a further two fourth-year subjects in criminology (25 points).

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a fourth-year methods subject as one of their electives.

Students undertaking pure honours part time would usually take their elective subjects and 191-532 Supervised Field Study in the first year, and 191-505 Criminology Thesis, or 191-519 Criminology Thesis (MYE), and 191-530 Criminology Thesis Seminar in the second.

4.2. Combined honours

Students undertaking combined honours in criminology and another area of study must complete:

191-505 Criminology Thesis or 191-519 Criminology Thesis (MYE) (37.5 points); and
191-530 Criminology Thesis Seminar(12.5 points); and
one fourth-year subject in criminology (12.5 points); and
three fourth-year subjects in the combined area of study (totalling 37.5 points).

honours thesis in the combined area of study (37.5 points); and
two fourth-year subjects in the combined area of study (totalling 25 points); and
a fourth-year subject in criminology (12.5 points); and
either 191-532 Supervised Field Study (25 points) or two fourth-year subjects in criminology (25 points).

Students undertaking their thesis in criminology are strongly advised to choose a fourth-year methods subject as their elective.

Up to 25 points of 500-level criminology subjects can be made available to honours students. Applications are approved on a case-by-case basis by the honours coordinator.

5. Further study

The Department offers the following courses for graduates:

Graduate certificate courses:
- Graduate Certificate in Criminology (Crime and Violence Prevention)
- Graduate Certificate in Criminology (Enforcement Studies)
- Graduate Certificate in Criminology (Policy Studies)
Graduate Diploma in Arts (Criminology)
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Criminology)
Master of Criminology
Master of Arts (Criminology)
Master of Criminology (Forensic Psychology)
Doctor of Philosophy

6. Career opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts who have majored in criminology have found employment in the following areas:

research institutions dealing with the criminal justice system such as the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Bureau of Statistics;
government agencies in the areas of criminal justice and welfare such as the Departments of Justice, Departments of Health and Welfare, police organisations, the criminal courts, the correctional system and community welfare services;
non-government and private sector organisations which provide welfare and security services; and
teaching services at secondary and tertiary levels in fields of law, crime and criminology.

7. For more information

Department of Criminology
234 Queensberry Street
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Tel: +61 3 8344 9440
Fax: +61 3 9349 4259
Email: discovery@criminology.unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.criminology.unimelb.edu.au

First-year subjects

191-101 Perspectives on Crime
191-102 Institutions of Criminal Justice

Second/third-year subjects

191-003 Crime and Public Policy
191-004 Introduction to Research Methods
191-005 Criminal Law and Criminology
191-006 Policing
191-007 Correctional Theory and Practice
191-008 Sociology of Crime and Deviance

Third/fourth-year subjects

191-407 Sentencing Theory and Practice
191-414 Psychology and Criminal Justice
191-415 Youth Crime and Society
191-417 Corporate and White Collar Crime
191-419 Violence in Australia
191-420 Qualitative Research Methods
191-421 Contemporary Crime Prevention
191-422 Women, Gender and Crime
191-425 Supervised Reading
191-427 Crime Ethnicity and Race
191-428 Crime and Culture
191-433 Criminal Justice Decision Making
191-434 Victims
191-435 Drugs and Justice
191-436 What Works in Criminal Justice
191-438 Criminal Fictions

Fourth-year subjects

191-505 Criminology Thesis
191-519 Criminology Thesis (MYE)
191-530 Criminology Thesis Seminar
191-423 Supervised Field Study
191-424 Supervised Field Study (MYE)

Fourth-year/postgraduate subjects

191-534 Contemporary Issues in Criminology
191-535 Current Research in Criminology