Bachelor of Criminology - 2019

Criminology is the study of crime and social control. Crime, how we define it, how we understand its causes, and the ways we respond to it provides a window into a society's challenges, values and aspirations. You will consider the local, national and global aspects of crime and justice and become familiar with a range of lenses for understanding and assessing the efficiency and impact of society's changing understandings and responses. You will gain an understanding of victimisation and perpetration, inequality and its impacts, and approaches to understanding crime and difference and learn about crime committed by individuals, groups, organisations and states and the mechanisms of the criminal justice system including police, courts and corrections.

You will engage with research and policy leaders in crime and justice and experience criminal justice in action in a range of international, national and local contexts. The course challenges you to apply abstract knowledge to real-world problems of crime and justice and develop solutions. You will be equipped to identify credible evidence, to understand how to measure and analyse the impact of policy, and to develop informed, independent thinking skills.

This course equips students with industry-relevant specialist skills to prepare for working and living in a world of constant technological, environmental, political and population change. These skills include the capacity to critically evaluate evidence, develop and support arguments, conduct research using a variety of methodological approaches, advanced oral and written communication and an understanding of the possibilities and challenges of reform.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 7 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 7 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that you will be able to:

1. Identify, define and describe key global challenges to crime and responses to it
2. Apply knowledge of contemporary criminological concerns to understand and examine crime and responses to it at the local, national and international level
3. Work independently and as part of a team to compare and contrast a number of approaches to crime across different cultural, historical and geographical settings
4. Demonstrate sophisticated knowledge of models of engaging government and wider society to improve responses to crime and criminality
5. Apply skills to construct and communicate effectively, a variety of socially just responses to crime to different audiences.

The course develops through three themes that combine to underpin criminology studies: Part A. Expert knowledge, Part B. Global reach and focus and Part C. Collaboration and innovation. Part D involves free elective studies.

Part A. Expert knowledge

This will provide you with a foundational understanding of crime as a complex phenomenon, its social, economic and political impact, and the advantages and limitations associated with different strategies to address it. Students will gain an advanced understanding and develop critical thinking skills to reflect on important social issues such as inequality, vulnerability, and risk that have significant implications for the way we think about and deliver responses to crime, social justice, and security both in Australia and internationally.

Part B. Global reach and focus

This will enable you to develop an understanding of crime as a truly global phenomenon. You will learn about national and international criminal threats and develop the capacity to think critically about the role of states in creating crime and social harm. From a comparative standpoint, students will study the ways that crime manifests in different jurisdictions and how different societies define, govern and respond to crime. Students will gain practical and theoretical knowledge.

Part C. Collaboration and Innovation

You will develop a suite of transferable professional skills to respond effectively to pressing criminal concerns. Students will learn the skills to engage necessary stakeholders to allow them to effectively formulate, influence and evaluate crime and justice policies and practices in a variety of professional contexts. You will develop a critical understanding and develop advanced communication skills for collaborative problem solving and be competent in working in teams to address the problem of crime.

Part D: Free elective study

Free elective units enable students to further their knowledge of criminology more broadly, or to select units from across the University in which they are eligible to enrol. For students in a double degree course, some units required for the other degree can also be credited as electives towards the criminology specialist degree.

The course comprises 144 points, of which 96 points are criminology and 48 points are free electives.

The course develops through theme studies in Part A., Part B., Part C., and Part D., Free Electives.

Elective units may be at any level, however, no more than ten units (60 points) can be credited to the criminology course at level 1 and a minimum of 36 points must be completed at level 3, of which four must be from criminology.

If you are completing a double degree you must complete no more than six level 1 arts units (36 points) and at least 36 points at level 3 of which at least 24 points must be arts units.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2019handbooks/maps/map-a2008.pdf) provides guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

Part A. Expert knowledge, Part B. Global reach and focus and Part C. Collaboration and Innovation (96 points)

Core units (60 points)

You must complete:

• ATS1420 The global crime problem
• ATS1421 The complexity of crime
• ATS1422 Controlling crime, controlling society
• ATS1423 Punishment, court and corrections
• ATS2469 Victims, justice and the law
• ATS2552 Crime, justice and the public
• ATS2553 Indigenous justice in Australia
• ATS3004 Crime, risk and security
• ATS3255 Professional project 1
• ATS3256 Professional project 2

Elective units (36 points)

You must complete either option 1 or 2 below (36 points), of which 12 points are at Level 3:

Option 1:

• Two first year units in any Arts discipline (12 points)

AND

• Four units from the elective list below (24 points)

Option 2:

• Six units from the elective list below (36 points)

Elective list

• ATS2056 Crime and inequality
• ATS3223 Gender, violence and society: Understanding social patterns
• ATS3224Not offered in 2019 Gender, violence and society: Criminal justice responses
• ATS2456 Cybercrime
• ATS3308Not offered in 2019 Politics of crime
• ATS3459Not offered in 2019 Prisons, power and punishment
• ATS3462 International crime and justice
• ATS3466 Sex, gender and crime

Study Tours

• ATS3210 Study tour: Crime and criminal justice
• ATS3231Not offered in 2019 Study tour: Europe, human rights and criminal justice
• ATS3464Not offered in 2019 Study tour: Comparative criminology

Part D. Free electives (48 points)

Free elective units in all specialisations enable you to further your knowledge of your specialisation, or criminology more broadly. Units from the elective lists for the specialisations in this course are recommended, as are any remaining cornerstone or capstone units from any of the specialisations.

Elective units may be chosen from the faculty or across the University as long as you have the prerequisites and there are no restrictions on admission to the units. The units may be at any level, however, no more than ten units (60 points) at level 1 can be credited to the Bachelor of Criminology.

Free electives can be identified using the browse units tool and indexes of units in the current edition of the Handbook. The level of the unit is indicated by the first number in the unit code; undergraduate units are those that commence with the numbers 1-3. You may need permission from the owning faculty to enrol in some units taught by other faculties.

If you are in a double degree course, some units required for the other degree are credited as electives towards the global studies degree.