Extended Major Overview

Description

Criminology is an inter-disciplinary subject area that has emerged from the attention distinct disciplines have paid to offenders and offending, and responding to both. As such, this extended Criminology and Criminal Justice major draws broadly on knowledge and perspectives from a range of disciplines including Law, Psychology, History, Anthropology, and Geography. The combination of core and optional units in this major structure will expose students to the breadth of contemporary Criminology and Criminal Justice issues. Included in this will be understanding the practical role Criminology plays in advising governments on issues relating to national, international, and transnational criminality, crime prevention, policing, sentencing, corrective services, offender treatment, and offender risk assessment and management. Additionally, this extended major also requires students to develop a relevant understanding of the importance of forensic science for justice and the relevance of empirical research to guide policy development, reform and practice.

Students will learn to understand crime and punishment in an inter-disciplinary context, being encouraged to question current practices and find ways for improvement. This extended Criminology and Criminal Justice major will require students to develop a broad range of employment-relevant skills, including the capacity to think critically, integrate theory and research to practice, and communicate effectively in written and oral forms.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. apply criminological theoretical frameworks to analyse contemporary challenges relating to crime, victimisation, crime prevention, and the criminal justice system
  2. generate evidence-based empirical and theoretical knowledge in the examination of national, international, and transnational contemporary crime and justice issues, using the broad range of disciplines that underpin criminology
  3. recognise, interpret, and critique contemporary trends in crime, punishment, and justice administration
  4. develop and use appropriate research and analytical skills to engage with ongoing theoretical debates in criminology and criminal justice
  5. develop and use appropriate communication skills to facilitate effective dissemination of evidence-based knowledge in a clear and articulate manner.
Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore other broadening choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

Enrollment in BP050 Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Incompatibilities

MJD-CRIMN Criminology

Courses

Criminology and Criminal Justice can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
SS
summer teaching period
N/A
not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027

Students wishing to take WILG3301 Work Integrated Learning Internship (Arts) 2 as an option unit must apply for and be accepted into the program. Placements cannot be guaranteed for all students. Please visit WIL Placements and Internships for more information. Note: students wishing to complete an internship during Summer School, instead of in Semester One or Two, can apply for WILG3001 Work Integrated Learning Internship Program instead of WILG3301.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (12 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 LAWS1110 Crime and Society None
S1 LAWS1111 Law in Context None
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MATH1700 Forensic Mathematics None
S1, SS PHIL1002 Introduction to Critical Thinking
Incompatibility
PHIL1105 Introduction to Critical Thinking
S1 PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain None
S2 PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context None

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (30 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2, SS FNSC2200 Mysteries of Forensic Science None
S1 LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
Prerequisites
LAWS1110 Crime and Society
S2 LAWS2230 Working with People in the Justice System I
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
LAWS1110 Crime and Society
S1 LAWS2231 Transnational and Organised Crime
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
LAWS1110 Crime and Society
S1 PSYC2203 Research Methods and Analysis in Psychology I
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or Unit(s) PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANTH2406 Society, Law and Politics
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
level 1 24 points Unit(s)
S1, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites
36 points of prior study
N/A HIST2215 Australian Underbelly: A Criminal History
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
two level 1 6 points Unit(s)
S1 HIST2224 American Outlaws: Crime and Punishment in the United States
Prerequisites
Completion of 12 points
S2 LAWS2220 Birth, Life and Death: Health and Medical Law
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any one LAWS1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWX1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWS1110 Crime and Society
or LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
or LAWS1112 Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives
or LAWS1120 Australian Legal Principles and Institutions
or ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or ANHX1101 Human Biology 1 (Becoming Human)
or IMED1001 Form and Function
or PUBH1101 Health and Illness in Human Populations
S1 LAWS2225 Indigenous Peoples and the Law
Prerequisites
LAWS1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWX1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
or LAWS1120 Australian Legal Principles and Institutions
or LAWS1112 Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (18 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 LAWS3212 Working with People in the Justice System 2
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
and LAWS2230 Working with Offenders I
S1 LAWS3213 Preventing Contemporary Crime Problems
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
and LAWS2230 Working with Offenders 1
S2 LAWS3374 Crime, Justice and Public Policy
Prerequisites
LAWS1110 Crime and Society LAWS2223 Criminal Justice System
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:

Please read the unit sequence notes for key information about WILG3301 Work Integrated Learning Internship (Arts) 2

Please read the unit sequence notes for key information about WILG3301 Work Integrated Learning Internship (Arts) 2

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANTH3001 Ethnography
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
level 2 24 points Unit(s)
S2 GEOG3301 Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
S2 HIST3007 Crime and Punishment in Britain 1600–1900
Prerequisites
Completion of 12 points of Humanities units
or permission of the unit coordinator.
or any one of: EURO2201 European Civilisation.
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History.
LAWS1110 Crime and Society.
or LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
Incompatibility
HIST2248 Crime and Punishment in Britain 1700–1900
N/A LAWS3330 Gender and the Law
Prerequisites
Criminology major students
Successful completion of
LAWS1110 Crime and Society LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems and at least one other Level 2 option unit from any major For students in the Bachelor of Human Rights degree
Successful completion of
LAWS2224 Evolution of Human Rights and and at least one other Level 2 option unit from any major For all other students
Successful completion of
LAWS2227 Law in Action
or LAWS2220 Birth, Life and Death: Health and Medical Law at least one other Level 2 option from Law and Society
S1, S2 WILG3301 Work Integrated Learning Internship (Arts) 2
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
48 points in your chosen degree and a successful application for the WIL Placement Program
and Enrolment in
a course
or major offered by the School of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Design,
or Indigenous Studies