General Information

Overview

Ever wondered if technology could enable a crime-free society? Learn about the causes of crime and how police, courts, corrections systems and victim support services respond. Plus, gain a strong innovation mindset through multidisciplinary hackathons and industry projects. Hone your leadership potential, sharpen your analytical and strategic thinking and embrace a deeper level of human understanding.

Study structure

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Criminal Justice and Criminology / Bachelor of Applied Innovation requires students to complete units of study to the value of 400 credit points. All units of study are valued at 12.5 credit points unless otherwise stated.

  • Full-time study: 100 credit points/eight standard units of study per year

  • Part-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study per year

  • One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)

  • See the course planner for an example degree structure.

  • Full-time study: 100 credit points/eight standard units of study per year

  • One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)

  • See the course planner for an example degree structure.

Units of study Unit code
Core units
Fundamentals of Criminology
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
CRI10002
Introduction to Forensic Psychology
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
FOR10001
Introduction to Law
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW10021
Law and Social Science
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW10022
Criminal Law and Process
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW10024
Brain and Behaviour
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
PSY10007
Policing: Systems and Practice
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
CRI20001
Global Crime
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
CRI20002
Sentencing
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW20030
Crime and Punishment in the International Context
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW20031
Technological Advances in Dealing with Crime
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW20032
Deviance, Difference & Conformity
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
SOC20020
Corrections: Systems and Practice
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
CRI30002
Youth Justice and Crime
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
CRI30010
Advanced Topics in Forensic Psychology
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
FOR30001
Criminal Justice Capstone Project
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
LAW30025
Units of study Unit code
Core units
Exploring Creativity and Innovation
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV10001
Fundamentals of Innovation Practice
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV10002
Innovation Sandpit
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV10003
Responsible Innovation Futures
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV10004
Innovation for Challenges of Today
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV20001
Innovation for the Future
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV20002
Applied Innovation Internship
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV20003
Applied Innovation Studio A
Core unit, 25.0 credit points
INV30001
Applied Innovation Studio B
Core unit, 25.0 credit points
INV30002
Leadership and Facilitation of Innovation
Core unit, 12.5 credit points
INV30003

Choose from a combination of the following course components to complete 50 credit points of other study. Students may also select elective units (12.5 credit points each).

Advanced minors are a structured set of 4 units or 50 credit points in a field of study which builds upon your first major. Advanced minors can only be taken in conjunction with specific majors - more information will be available soon.

Mental Health Advanced

Minors are a structured set of 4 units or 50 credit points and may be chosen from any field of study.

  • Accounting
  • Advertising
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Applied Psychology
  • Aviation
  • Biomedical Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Branded Environments
  • Chemistry
  • Cinema and Screen Studies
  • Climate and Social Justice
  • Communication Design
  • Computer Science
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Data Analytics
  • Data Science
  • Design Principles and Processes
  • Digital Advertising Technology
  • Digital Marketing
  • Diversity and Multiculturalism
  • Editing
  • Engineering
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Ethics and Technology
  • Film and Television Theory
  • Finance
  • Games and Interactivity
  • Health Statistics
  • Health Societies
  • Higher Mathematics
  • History
  • Human Resource Management
  • Indigenous Studies
  • Industrial Design
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Innovation
  • Interior Architecture
  • Interior Documentation and Construction
  • International Relations and Security
  • Journalism
  • Literature
  • Management
  • Management for Health
  • Managing Information Systems
  • Marketing
  • Media Industries
  • Motion Design
  • Neuroscience
  • Nutrition
  • Perspectives on Globalisation
  • Philosophy
  • Photomedia
  • Physics
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Professional and Creative Writing
  • Public Relations
  • Screen Studies and Popular Culture
  • Social Impact
  • Social Media
  • Sociology
  • Space Technology
  • Web Development
View minor units

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  • describe the nature of criminal activity and analyse and evaluate the main causes of crime
  • systematically review and undertake research to evaluate the consequences of crime on victims and the broader community
  • apply knowledge and skills to compare and analyse Australia’s response to crime with that of other nations
  • effectively and persuasively communicate with legal and non-legal audiences
  • analyse information from a variety of sources to investigate and evaluate proposed solutions to crime
  • evaluate technological and other scientific approaches to reducing crime and dealing with the consequences of crime
  • function as an effective member or leader of a team and critically reflect on individual performance
  • apply a series of thinking systems, creativity toolkits and innovation frameworks to design contextually-relevant solutions addressing local and global challenges in and outside their discipline
  • identify and articulate opportunities to innovate and create impact informed by user-centred research and/or data
  • adapt their discipline skillsets in new situations in response to complex and changing contexts, including interdisciplinary environments
  • facilitate and contribute to innovation teams that seek solutions to complex challenges, using inclusive collaboration practices to leverage different skills and perspectives
  • navigate commercial, human and technical requirements aided by prototyping and testing to deliver solutions that create value
  • communicate the value of experimentation, ideas and innovation with confidence in developing solutions to investors, potential partners, employers or other stakeholders
  • develop futures-focused innovations that integrate responsible social, technological and environmental factors

Career opportunities

The course prepares students to work in the areas of law enforcement, corrections, offender rehabilitation, victim support and government policy development. With the development of skills and attributes through innovation capabilities, professional innovation roles may include innovation consultant, innovation lead, innovation analyst, strategic designer, creative producer, start-up founder, human-centred researcher, self-employed entrepreneur, product manager, transformation lead, innovation strategist and innovation manager.

Course rules

To qualify for the Bachelor of Criminal Justice and Criminology / Bachelor of Applied Innovation, students must complete 400 credit points:

  • sixteen [16] Criminal Justice and Criminology core units (200 credit points)
  • four [4] Applied Innovation core units (50 credit points)
  • six [6] units from Applied Innovation major (100 credit points)
  • four [4] units of other studies comprising of a minor, an advanced minor or electives (50 credit points)

Professional placements

Domestic students also have an opportunity to undertake a WIL Professional Placement through a competitive process. Please note that due to government regulation, international students holding a student visa are not able to undertake Professional Placements in this course.

Students who undertake a 12-month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 475 credit points comprising:

  • sixteen [16] Criminal Justice and Criminology core units (200 credit points)
  • four [4] Applied Innovation core units (50 credit points)
  • six [6] units from Applied Innovation major (100 credit points)
  • two [2] units comprising of electives (25 credit points)
  • four [4] units from the Professional Placement co-major (100 credit points)


Students who elect to undertake a 6-month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 437.5 credit points comprising:

  • sixteen [16] Criminal Justice and Criminology core units (200 credit points)
  • four [4] Applied Innovation core units (50 credit points)
  • six [6] units from Applied Innovation major (100 credit points)
  • three [3] units comprising of electives (37.5 credit points)
  • two [2] units from the Professional Placement minor (50 credit points)

Admission criteria

Information about Swinburne's general admission criteria can be found at Admissions at Swinburne - Higher Education webpage.

Entry requirements

A. Applicants with recent secondary education (within past three years)

ATAR

This course uses the ATAR as part of its selection considerations.

Guaranteed ATAR: if you receive an ATAR of 60 or higher and meet all the essential requirements for this course, you will be guaranteed an offer.

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history, including ATAR results, will be considered for entry into this course.

Selection rank adjustments 

Selection ranks for this course will be calculated based on your ATAR with adjustments to overall study scores based on subjects studied, location of your home address, SEAS application, and participation in Swinburne's Early Leaders program. For further details about selection rank adjustments, see Admissions at Swinburne

Subject Adjustments 

A study score of 25 in any Humanities, Legal Studies or Psychology equals 2 aggregate points per study. Overall maximum of 10 points.

Meeting course prerequisites 

VCE units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in any English (except EAL) or at least 30 in English as Alternate Language (EAL) or equivalent.

ATAR profile for those offered places wholly or partly on the basis of ATAR in Semester 1 2023

ATAR-Based offers only, across all offer rounds ATAR
Excluding adjustment factors
Selection Rank
ATAR + any adjustment factors
Highest rank to receive an offer <5 <5
Median rank to receive an offer <5 <5
Lowest rank to receive an offer <5 <5

Notes:
"<5" – the number of students is less than 5.

B. Applicants with higher education study

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history, including results from previous higher education study will be considered for entry into this course. If previous higher education qualifications are incomplete, results must have been obtained in the last seven years. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

C. Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history from the past seven years, including complete and/or incomplete post-secondary VET studies, will be considered for entry into this course. Only graded results will be considered. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

D. Applicants with work and life experience

Entire academic record 

This course uses an applicant's entire academic record as part of its selection considerations, including an applicant's ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered for entry into this course. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

Work experience

Applicants who have not met the entry criteria through their academic studies can have their work experience considered. Applicants need to have completed secondary school and have four years relevant post-secondary work experience with at least two of these years being full-time work.

Evidence must be in the form of a resume, a letter from an employer (on letterhead) outlining the duration of employment, roles and responsibilities and a position description (optional). If an employer letter cannot be provided a referee check may be conducted.

Student profile

The table below gives an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students in this course. It provides data on students who commenced in this course in the most relevant recent intake period, including those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.

  Semester 1, 2023
Applicant background Number of students Percentage of all students
(A) Higher education study (includes a bridging or enabling course) 0 0%
(B) Vocational education and training (VET) study 0 0%
(C) Work and life experience (admitted on the basis of previous achievement not in the other three categories) 0 0%
(D) Recent secondary education:    
Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR (regardless of whether this includes the consideration of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points) <5 <5
Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR) N/A N/A
Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor (e.g. special consideration, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement) 0 0%
International students 0 0%
All students <5 100%

Notes:
“<5” – the number of students is less than 5.
N/A – students not accepted in this category.

Interested in the Bachelor of Criminal Justice and Criminology / Bachelor of Applied Innovation?

From state-of-the-art facilities to opportunities to engage with industry – this course is designed with your future in mind. Let's get started.

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