Fundamentals of Criminology
30 hours face to face + blended
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn, Online
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
This unit provides students with an overview of the discipline of criminology through a presentation of both the major theoretical models as well as the application of these models to a variety of criminal justice settings. Students will learn the breadth of the field of criminology as well as the importance of theoretical models when developing research and programming within the criminal justice system.
Requisites
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Winter
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
23-June-2025
03-August-2025
03-August-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-June-2025
Census date
04-July-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
18-July-2025
Results released date
19-August-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Discriminate among various sociological and psychological theories of crime and criminal behaviour
- Determine how criminological theories inform and influence policy responses to crime
- Analyse and critique major criminological theories with regard to particular types of criminal offence
- Employ foundational learning and academic skills, including research competencies and critical thinking
- Examine Indigenous knowledges, experiences and standpoints in relation to crime and its explanations
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
---|---|---|---|
Online Lecture |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
On-campus Class |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
Unspecified Activities Various |
7.50 | 12 weeks | 90 |
Specified Activities Various |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
---|---|---|---|
Live Online Class | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
---|---|---|---|
Essay Plan and Bibliography | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Quiz | Individual | 20% | 1,2 |
Research Essay | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Content
- What is crime?
- What is criminology?
- The Australian criminal justice system
- Measuring and reporting crime
- Classic theories of crime (classicism; biological positivism; the Chicago School)
- Crime and Society: Anomie and Strain
- Social and self control
- Victimology
- Young people and crime
- Feminist Criminology
- Crimes of the powerful & White Collar Crime
- Green Criminology
- Critical Criminology
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.