The Bachelor of Arts is the most diverse, most flexible, and most popular degree at The Australian National University. Each of its some fifty majors, in fields throughout the arts, humanities and social sciences, is taught by truly outstanding scholars to ensure that each student receives the very best education, is engaged with cutting-edge research, and learns to think like a researcher. These majors can be coupled with more than seventy minors and specialisations to broaden or deepen your study. Regardless of your choices, your Arts degree will provide you with core skills in critical analysis and in written and oral communication, while developing your adaptability and ability to help shape change and prepare you for a multifaceted career or further study.

Do you want to delve into an enthralling field that deals with the complexities of crime and responses to crime? Look no further.

Our program addresses the causes, politics and management of crime and criminal justice from a range of disciplinary perspectives.

You will develop an understanding of a range of issues in contemporary criminology including definitions and representations of crime, the complex social, political, and individual factors that underpin criminal activity, the operation of the criminal justice system. We offer courses on policing, the courts, prisons and punishment, organised crime, transnational crime, drugs and crime, young people and crime and more.  The Bachelor of Criminology also has a strong focus on empirical methods and debates. This provides our graduates with valuable skills that translate across many career paths. 

The ANU Bachelor of Criminology draws attention to the social dimensions of crime and deviancy and assesses the effectiveness and implications of crime control measures.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts may find work in publishing, policy, education, international development, politics, media, information technology, communications, journalism, aid, advertising, art conservation, government and many other fields.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts may find work in publishing, policy, education, international development, politics, media, information technology, communications, journalism, aid, advertising, art conservation, government and many other fields.

Learning Outcomes

1. critically apply theoretical frameworks and research techniques to understanding national and international issues and problems;
2. identify, including through interrogation of databases, relevant sources of information from across a variety of media (print and digital, written and audio-visual) and judge the importance and reliability of those sources;
3. evaluate ideas and develop creative solutions to problems, including through independent pursuit of knowledge and making connections between different disciplinary approaches and methods;
4. communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media; and
5. understand the ethical implications of ideas, communications, and actions.

1. better understand the social conditions, forces and relations influencing crime and deviance, criminal justice system processes, and crime control interventions;

2. develop analytical techniques and research skills for applied use in the fields of criminology and in social research;

3. critically evaluate scholarly theories, concepts and methodological approaches relating to all aspects of contemporary criminological inquiry;

4. critically evaluate criminal justice policies and practices from an informed interdisciplinary perspective; and

5. express complex ideas and arguments across multiple modalities of communication when engaging with a range of relevant audiences in a clear, effective, appropriate and ethical manner.

Further Information

APAC accreditation and pathway to Honours in Psychology

This program is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) when students complete the accredited sequence of psychology courses. At ANU this includes minimum required learning achieved by successful completion of PSYC1003, PSYC1004, PSYC2001, PSYC2002, PSYC2007, PSYC2008, PSYC2009, PSYC3018, PSYC3025, PSYC3026 and an additional 2 x 3000 level PSYC courses. Students in an ANU BA who wish to be eligible for Honours in psychology must complete the specific set of courses that satisfy the APAC accreditation requirements.

APAC accreditation and pathway to Honours in Psychology

This program is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) when students complete the accredited sequence of psychology courses. At ANU this includes minimum required learning achieved by successful completion of PSYC1003, PSYC1004, PSYC2001, PSYC2002, PSYC2007, PSYC2008, PSYC2009, PSYC3018, PSYC3025, PSYC3026 and an additional 2 x 3000 level PSYC courses. Students in an ANU BA who wish to be eligible for Honours in psychology must complete the specific set of courses that satisfy the APAC accreditation requirements.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

Adjustment Factors

Adjustment factors are additional points added to an applicant's Selection Rank (for example an applicant's ATAR). ANU offers adjustment factors based on performance and equity principles, such as for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. 

Selection Rank adjustments are granted in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustment factors and maximum 10 equity-based adjustment factors) can be awarded. 

You may be considered for adjustment factors if you have:

• applied for an eligible ANU Bachelor degree program
• undertaken Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate
• achieved an ATAR or equivalent at or above 70
• not previously attempted tertiary study.

Please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must consist of:

48 units from the completion of one of the following majors

MAJORS

Disciplines and Fields

Ancient History

Anthropology

Archaeology

Art History and Theory

Australian Indigenous Studies

Biological Anthropology

Criminology

Demography

Development Studies

Digital Humanities

Economic Studies

English

Environmental Studies

Gender, Sexuality and Culture

Geography

Global Security

History

Human Evolutionary Biology

Human Rights

International Communication

International Relations

Linguistics

Mathematics

Music

Music Technology

Peace and Conflict Studies

Philosophy

Political Science

Psychology

Screen Studies

Sociology

Technology, Networks and Society

War Studies

Languages

Ancient Greek

Arabic

Chinese Language

French Language and Culture

German Language and Culture

Hindi Language

Indonesian Language

Italian Language and Culture

Japanese Language

Japanese Linguistics

Korean Language

Latin

Persian

Sanskrit Language

Spanish

Thai Language

Vietnamese Language

Geographically Defined Area Studies

Asian Studies

Asian History

Asian and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender

Chinese Studies

Contemporary Europe

Indian and South Asian Studies

Indonesian Studies

Japanese Studies

Korean Studies

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies

Northeast Asian Studies

Pacific Studies

Southeast Asian Studies

EITHER:

48 units from completion of a second major from the list above

OR

24 units from completion of one of the following minors, which must have a different name to the major

MINORS

Disciplines and Fields

Advanced Studies

Ancient History

Anthropology

Applied Linguistics

Archaeology

Art History and Theory

Australian Indigenous Studies

Biological Anthropology

Climate Science and Policy

Criminology

Demography

Design

Development Studies

Digital Humanities

Economic Studies

English

Environmental Policy

Environmental Studies

Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Linguistics

Gender and Sexuality

Geography

Global Security

Health, Medicine and the Body

Heritage and Museum Studies

History

Human Ecology

Human Evolutionary Biology

Human Rights

International Communication

International Relations

Linguistics

Mathematics

Music

Music Technology

Peace and Conflict Studies

Philosophy and Science

Philosophy

Political Science

Popular Music

Screen Studies

Social Psychology

Social Research Methods

Sociology

Sustainable Development

Technology, Networks and Society

Visual Arts Practice

War Studies

Languages

Advanced Ancient Greek

Advanced Arabic

Advanced Chinese Language

Advanced French Studies

Advanced German Studies

Advanced Italian Studies

Advanced Japanese Language

Advanced Korean Language

Advanced Latin

Advanced Persian

Advanced Sanskrit Language

Advanced Spanish Studies

Ancient Greek

Arabic

Burmese Language 

Chinese Language 

English Language

French Language and Culture

German Language and Culture

Hindi Language

Indonesian Language

Italian Language and Culture

Japanese Language

Japanese Linguistics

Korean Language

Latin

Literary Chinese

Mongolian Language

Persian

Russian

Sanskrit Language

Spanish

Tetum Language

Thai Language

Tok Pisin Language

Vietnamese Language

Geographically Defined Area Studies

Asian and Pacific Anthropology

Asian and Pacific Linguistics 

Asian Art History

Asian History

Asian Studies

Asian and Pacific Archaeology

Asia and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender

Asian-Pacific International Relations

Asian and Pacific Literature and Film

Asia-Pacific Politics

Australian Politics

Chinese Studies

Contemporary Europe

Indian and South Asian Studies

Indonesian Studies

Japanese Studies

Korean Studies

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies

Northeast Asian Studies

Pacific Studies

Southeast Asian Studies

ANIP

ANIP3007 Australian National Internships Program D *

And 24 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU

OR

48 units from completion of two of the above minors, which must have different names to the major

The Bachelor of Criminology flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must include:

48 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

CRIM1001 - Criminological Imaginations: Understanding Criminality (6 units)

CRIM1002 - Criminological Perspectives: Understanding Crime (6 units)

CRIM2001 - Doing Criminology: Research and Practice in Crime and Criminal Justice (6 units)

CRIM3001 - Professional Perspectives on Crime and Prevention (6 units)

CRIM3005 - Diversity and Crime: Equality in the Criminal Justice System (6 units)

SOCR1001 - Foundations of Social Research (6 units)

SOCY2038 - Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (6 units)

SOCY2043 - Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (6 units)

6 units from completion of a course from the following list:

ANTH1002 - Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology (6 units)

ANTH1003 - Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality (6 units)

ASIA1025 - Asia and the Pacific: Power, diversity and change (6 units)

ASIA1030 - Asia and the Pacific in Motion 

ECON1101 - Microeconomics 1 (6 units)

ECON1102 - Macroeconomics 1 (6 units)

GEND1001 - Sex, Gender and Identity: An Introduction to Gender Studies (6 units)

GEND1002 - Reading Popular Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Studies (6 units)

HIST1209 - Terror to Terrorism: A History (6 units)

INDG1001 - Country, Kinship and Continuities: An Introduction to Australian Indigenous Studies (6 units)

INDG1002 - First Peoples' resilience rights and resurgence in Australia (6 units)

INTR1021 - Understanding Peace and Conflict (6 units)

INTR1022 - Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution (6 units)

LING1001 - Introduction to the Study of Language (6 units)

LING1002 - Language and Society (6 units)

PHIL1004 - Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction (6 units)

PHIL1005 - Logic and Critical Thinking (6 units)

PHIL1008 - Introduction to Ethics (6 units)

POLS1002 - Introduction to Politics (6 units)

POLS1005 - Introduction to International Relations: Foundations and Concepts (6 units)

POLS1006 - Introduction to International Relations: Contemporary Global Issues (6 units)

SOCY1002 - Self and Society (6 units)

SOCY1004 - Analysing the Social World: An Introduction to Social Psychology (6 units)

STAT1003 - Statistical Techniques (6 units)

STST1001 - Introduction to International Security Studies (6 units)

WARS1001 - War in the Modern World, 1789 to today (6 units)

Maximum 30 units from completion of courses from the following list:

ANTH2017 - Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today ( 6 units)

ANTH2130 - Violence and Terror (6 units)

BIAN2128 - Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology (6 units)

CRIM2000 - The Illicit Economy (6 units)

CRIM2002 - Organised Crime: Understanding the Underworld (6 units)

CRIM2003 - Controversies in Crime Control (6 units)

CRIM2005 - Alcohol, Drugs and Crime: Promoting Health and Preventing Consequences (6 units)

CRIM2006 - Young People and Crime: Developmental Criminology and its Discontents (6 units)

CRIM2007 - Order in the Courts: An Introduction to the Australian Judicial System (6 units)

CRIM2008 - Punishment and Society: An Introduction to Penology (6 units)

CRIM2009 - Corruption in our World (6 units)

CRIM2010 - Cybercrime: An Introduction (6 units)

CRIM2011 - Special Topics in Criminology (6 units)

CRIM2013 - Policing (6 units)

CRIM2014 - Introduction to Crime Science (6 units)

CRIM2015 - Targeted Violence: Criminological Approaches to Understanding and Prevention (6 units)

HIST2232 - Crime and Justice: Historical Dilemmas (6 units)

HIST2238 - Human Rights in History (6 units)

LING2105 - Forensic Linguistics: Language and the Law (6 units)

PHIL2020 - Theories of Social Justice (6 units)

POLS2100 - Genocide in the Modern World (6 units)

PSYC2011 - Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology (6 units)

SOCY2026 - Excessive Appetites: Sociocultural Perspectives on Addiction and Drug Use (6 units)

SOCY2157 - Surveillance and Society (6 units)

Minimum 12 units from completion of courses from the following list:

ANIP3003 - Australian National Internships Program A (6 units)

ANIP3005 - Australian National Internships Program B (12 units)

CRIM3002 - Corruption in Sport (6 units)

CRIM3003 - Criminology at the Scene 1 (6 units)

CRIM3004 - Criminology at the Scene - Extended (12 units)

CRIM3006 - Crime Prevention: Evaluation Theory and Practice (6 units)

INDG3001 - First Nations Peoples, the State and Public Policy in Australia (6 units)

LING3032 - Forensic Linguistics: Forensic Voice and Text Comparison (6 units)

POLS3036 - International Terrorism (6 units)

SOCR3001 - Data for Decision Making (6 units)

SOCY3001 - Research Internship (6 units)

Majors

Bachelor of Arts Majors

Minors

Bachelor of Arts Minors

Study Options