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.

The Bachelor of Political Science is the only dedicated Political Science degree in Australia. The ANU has some of the world’s finest political scientists, and was the only Australian university to receive a 5 (“well above world class”) in both of the Excellence in Research for Australia’s reports. Located in the national capital, the ANU is the only university with a right to place interns in Australian Parliament House. The Bachelor of Political Science will give you the knowledge, theoretical understandings, and practical skills that underpin a successful career that engages with politics.

Employment Opportunities

In the Bachelor of Criminology you will learn about the drivers of crime and how society responds to it. The breadth of knowledge that you learn can be applied to many different industries and institutions. Graduates may find work in government, intelligence, criminal justice institutions, social work, the non-government sector, research, consultancy, journalism and policy making.

In the Bachelor of Criminology you will learn about the drivers of crime and how society responds to it. The breadth of knowledge that you learn can be applied to many different industries and institutions. Graduates may find work in government, intelligence, criminal justice institutions, social work, the non-government sector, research, consultancy, journalism and policy making.

Learning Outcomes

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.

1. apply concepts and theories used in the study of political science to the analysis of interests, ideas, institutions and behaviour and to the evaluation of political phenomena;

2. apply a range of research methods to the investigation of political phenomena;

3. demonstrate understanding of differences in political systems and the contexts in which they operate; and

4. communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media.

Further Information

Students completing SOCR1001 - Foundations of Social Research; SOCY2038 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods; SOCY2043 - Introduction to Qualitative Methods; and CRIM3010 - Doing Criminology will effectively complete the Minor in Social Research Methods (SORM-MIN)

Students completing SOCR1001 - Foundations of Social Research; SOCY2038 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods; SOCY2043 - Introduction to Qualitative Methods; and CRIM3010 - Doing Criminology will effectively complete the Minor in Social Research Methods (SORM-MIN)

Admission Requirements

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 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)

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

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

CRIM3010 - Doing Criminology: Research and Practice in Crime and Criminal Justice (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 (6 units)

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 - Resilience, Responsibility, and Resurgence: First Peoples' Experiences and Ways of Being (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 - Economy and Society: Work, Care and Identity (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)

A maximum of 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)

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)

A minimum of 6 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)

The Bachelor of Political Science flexible double degree component requires the 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:

24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POLS1002 Introduction to Politics

POLS1009 Research and Writing in Political Science

POLS2044 Contemporary Political Analysis

POLS2119 Ideas in Politics

A minimum of 6 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:

EURO3002 Comparative European Politics

POLS3022 Washington DC Internship

POLS3029 Sharing Power: Federalism in Comparative Perspective

POLS3031 Comparative Judicial Politics

POLS3033 Environment, Human Security and Conflict

POLS3036 International Terrorism

POLS3038 Media and Politics

POLS3039 Political Leadership and Executive Government

POLS3040 Conflict and Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

A minimum of 12 units from completion of political theory and political philosophy courses from the following list:

PHIL1004 Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction

PHIL2020 Theories of Social Justice

PHIL2113 Global Justice

POLS2063 Contemporary Political Theory

POLS2102 Political Belief and Deceit

A minimum of 12 units from completion of methodology courses from the following list:

ECON2141 Strategic Thinking: An Introduction to Game Theory

POLS2125 Game Theory and Social Sciences

POLS2130 Public Choice and Politics

POLS2137 Meaning in Politics: Interpretation, Method and Critique

POLS3045 Qualitative Methods in Political Science Research

SOCY2043 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

A minimum of 12 units from completion of Australian politics courses from the following list:

POLS2002 Public Policy: Theory and Practice

POLS2009 Bureaucracy, Politics and Power

POLS2111 Elections, Political Behaviour and Public Opinion in Australia

POLS2114 Australian Political Institutions

A minimum of 12 units from completion of comparative politics courses from the following list:

ASIA2065 Asia’s Changing Politics in Comparative Perspective

POLS2043 Pressure Groups and Political Lobbying

POLS2126 Democracy and Dictatorship

POLS2134 Gender and Politics

POLS2135 Race, Ethnicity and Representation

A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the following cognate list:

ANIP3005 Australian National Internships Program B

DEMO2001 Understanding Population Change

DEMO3001 Population Policy Case Studies

HIST1209 Terror to Terrorism: A History              

HIST2227 Australian Political History      

HIST2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History   

HIST2240 Democracy and Dissent: Europe Since 1945*  

MEAS3007 Syria in the Levant: State, Society and the Current Turmoil

MEAS3008 Egypt: Social and Political Dynamics in a Changing Middle East

*Please note that courses with asterisks are usually offered every second year.

A maximum of 6 units from completion of area studies courses from the following list:

ASIA2026 The Politics of China

ASIA2031 Japanese Politics

ASIA2049 Politics and Society in Contemporary Korea

ASIA2070 Democracy in Southeast Asia

ASIA2516 Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development

EURO2012 Uniting Europe: History, Politics, Theory

MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security

MEAS3005 Modern Iraq: State, Politics and Society

POLS2031 Politics in the Middle East

POLS2055 Pacific Politics

POLS2069 Politics in Russia

POLS2095 Politics in Latin America

POLS2100 Genocide in the Modern World

POLS2127 U.S. Politics

POLS3070 Politics in Central Asia

A minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 units from completion of political economy courses from the following list:

ASIA2090 Study Tour: The Political Economy of Myanmar

ECON2013 Behavioural Economics

ECON2060 Economic Reasoning for Government

MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East

POLS2011 Development and Change

POLS2094 Issues in International Political Economy

A maximum of 6 units from completion of internship/Vice-Chancellors courses from the following list:

ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program A

VCUG2002 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World

VCUG3001 Unravelling Complexity

Study Options