The Bachelor of Science (Criminology and Psychology) course will give you a broad and coherent theoretical, scientific and technical knowledge of both criminology and psychology. The course considers the complex interplay between psychology and criminology and its application in real-world contexts. The course prepares you for a career in contexts in which understanding of human behaviour, behaviour change and mental health are applied to criminal justice, corrections and law enforcement settings.
The course considers the psychology of crime, criminology theory and its practical application to criminal justice and its regulation. You will develop knowledge of the range of core scientific and research areas that make up each discipline, and an understanding of the methodologies and statistical techniques used by researchers for information gathering and analysis. You will learn how to engage in professional written and verbal communication and how to engage in research and professional practice in an ethical and culturally- and socially-responsive manner. There will be opportunities for you to explore applied and professional uses of criminology and psychology, through activities such as crime scene analysis, criminal profiling and forensic interviewing.
The psychology component of the course is delivered in accordance with the foundational (Level one) competencies for three-year undergraduate psychology programs, as specified by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). You can complete further study through the CQUniversity 1-year Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) degree and then complete an accredited postgraduate course to gain registration as a psychologist.
The Bachelor of Science (Criminology and Psychology) prepares you for a career in criminal justice, police, customs, correction services and other law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The degree is also relevant to a broad array of government departments such as prisons, probation and parole, court clerk, investigator, defence as well as public and private security and investigation. The psychology aspects of the degree are useful for careers which require a sound understanding of human behaviour such as: human resource management, rehabilitation, business management, teaching, school guidance counselling, scientific research, public health, defence, and special education. You can undertake further study to qualify as a psychologist.
Duration | 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time |
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Credit Points that Must be Earned | 144 |
Number of Units Required | CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in undergraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24). |
Expected Hours of Study | One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term. |
Course Type | Undergraduate Award |
Qualification (post nominal) | BSc (Crim&Psych) |
AQF Level | Level 7: Bachelor Degree |
Course Fees |
Indicative Year - 2025
Indicative Year - 2024
Indicative Year - 2023
Indicative Year - 2022
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
Not Applicable |
Rank Threshold | SR 62 | ATAR 62 |
Entry Requirements
English (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent
English Language Proficiency Requirements
If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America, you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University.
Applicants are required to provide documentation confirming completion of:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
- An Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV qualification, or
- An AQF Diploma level qualification, or
- Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA 4.0
completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.
If you are an international student, additional requirements may apply, please visit international student information for more details.
If you do not satisfy any of the above, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores:
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 6.0 with a minimum 5.5 in each subset; or
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT - Requires 75 or better overall and no score less than 17; or
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Requires an overall score of 54 with no sub-score less than 46; or
- An Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study and must appear on a single result certificate.
Each student will be assessed individually.
English
Interim Awards | CM10 - Diploma of Criminology |
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Exit Awards | CM10 - Diploma of Criminology |
Accreditation |
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No Residential School for this course.
CRIM13004 - This capstone unit enables students to apply the theories, content knowledge and skills they have learned to a workplace environment. Student work should involve finding solutions to a problem in a regulatory agency, criminal justice agency, government or other organisation involved in the prevention or regulation of criminal activity. On successful completion of this unit students will be able to: 1. Apply skills and knowledge developed in the course to criminology practice in a regulatory agency, criminal justice agency, government or other organisation involved in the prevention or regulation of criminal activity. 2. Evaluate and report work placement experiences and assess personal and professional growth, strengths and weaknesses in: (a) intellectual development (integration, problem identification, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making), (b) social development (social skills, initiative and independence), and (c) professional development (technical skills, time management and verbal and written communication). 3. Reflect upon and describe the careers, roles, relationships, responsibilities and activities of people engaged in the practice of criminology in the workplace. 4. Reflect upon, evaluate and report enhanced knowledge of criminology gained as a result of participation in work placement and the nature of the environment that supported such learning. |
Year | Number of Students |
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2024 | 156 |
2023 | 148 |
2022 | 173 |
2021 | 175 |
2020 | 147 |
Please note that in some instances there may be similarities between course, entry and inherent requirements.
If you experience difficulties meeting these requirements, reasonable adjustments may be made upon contacting accessibility@cqu.edu.au. Adjustment must not compromise the academic integrity of the degree or course chosen at CQUniversity or the legal requirements of field education.
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Course Learning Outcomes | ||||||||
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Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
1. KNOWLEDGE Have a broad and coherent body of knowledge, with depth in the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines as a basis for independent lifelong learning | ||||||||
2. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to review critically, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge | ||||||||
3. SKILLS Have cognitive and technical skills to demonstrate a broad understanding of knowledge with depth in some areas | ||||||||
4. SKILLS Have cognitive and creative skills to exercise critical thinking and judgement in identifying and solving problems with intellectual independence | ||||||||
5. SKILLS Have communication skills to present a clear, coherent and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas | ||||||||
6. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Demonstrate initiative and judgement in planning, problem solving and decision making in professional practice and/or scholarship | ||||||||
7. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts | ||||||||
8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILL Be responsible and accountable for own learning and professional practice and in collaboration with others within broad parameters | ||||||||
KNOWLEDGE Develop an understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture in contemporary and historical context using the respectful and appropriate protocols and terminology | ||||||||
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Engage in reflective self-evaluation of own cultural values and perspectives to proactively create an inclusive workplace that affirms and celebrates cultural diversity | ||||||||
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Display leadership by creating inclusive work environments and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a culturally respectful manner |
Number of units: 24 | Total credit points: 144 |
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Course Structure
The degree consists of 24 units making a total of 144 credit points.
There are eight core Criminology units, and a choice of three elective Criminology units. This makes a total of 11 Criminology units.
There are 13 core Psychology units which must be completed to satisfy the accreditation requirements of the Psychology component of the CL55 Bachelor of Science (Criminology and Psychology) course.
Further Study
After successful completion of this course, students who have satisfied the above criteria for the first three years (including the required minors/major) and have a GPA of 5.5 or above for Level 2 and Level 3 psychology units, will be eligible to apply for a place in the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) course (CC42). For the purposes of entry into the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) course, calculation of GPA will be based on 10 accredited psychology units at Level 2 and Level 3, excluding PSYC13021 Forensic Psychology. If the offer is accepted, it must be taken up for the year of intake offered and cannot be held open.
Students must complete 3 Criminology discipline units from the list below.
Available units | ||
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Students must complete 3 from the following units: | ||
CRIM11003 | Indigenous Australians and the Criminal Justice System | |
CRIM13008 | Case Management Practice | |
CRIM13007 | Crimes of the Powerful | |
CRIM13009 | Criminal Ethnographies | |
CRIM13005 | Indigenous Justice |
Credit Applications
Credit applications for psychology units will only be granted where the units that form the basis of the credit application have been taken as part of a course of study in psychology offered by an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited academic organisational unit.
Refer to the Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit information on the CQUniversity website for further on the guidelines and application process.
Computing Requirements
Students will need to have access to a computer or equivalent device in order to complete their coursework. It is important that students have dependable access to the internet and a computer (or equivalent device) with hardware capable of video conferencing for online classes.
Students enrolled in this course will be engaged in many activities involving technology and the online environment, including video conferencing into online classes, completing assessments in word processing or presentation software, recording oral presentations, submitting written or video-recorded assessments online, completing online tests or quizzes, posting to online forums and responding to emails.
Students should review their unit profiles to learn about any specific technology requirements for their coursework.
Group and Teamwork
One of the learning outcomes for this course is for students to be able to communicate effectively through a variety of approaches, individually and in collaboration with others. This learning outcomes aligns with the foundational competencies we are required to develop in students as an APAC-accredited 3-year program in psychology. As such, students in this course will be required to demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork through assessment tasks that involve working in pairs or small groups with other students.
Students should review their unit profiles to learn about the specific assessment requirements in each unit.