Criminology is the study of crime, criminality and criminal justice systems, focussing on criminalisation as a process, the causes of crime, the social context of offending, crime prevention, systems of social control, and the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders. Crime is an issue that governments and communities face every day. The meaning of justice and the best way to respond to crime and criminality are the subject of ongoing passionate debate in the media, in parliaments, in court rooms, and in communities, locally and globally. A broad spectrum of criminal offending exists (from shoplifting to sex offending, through to crimes against humanity), with an equivalently broad range of institutions and practitioners seeking to reduce crime and respond to those whose lives are most affected by it.
Criminologists critically analyse the policies, practices, systems, culture and relationships of key stakeholders (from an individual level to a societal level) to improve understanding, advance the evidence base, and develop new initiatives and agendas for change. Criminological research can result in advances in understanding and interventions for individuals or groups, as well as seeking to resolve important international issues, such as eco-global crime, with the potential to affect current and future generations.
Students can combine what they have learned in criminology with the knowledge and skills they have acquired from studying units in other disciplines, such as sociology, law, psychology, social work, counselling, government, science or environmental studies. Different combinations of qualifications and skill sets can open up access to new job opportunities, for example, combining criminology with psychology may enable a graduate to pursue work in forensic psychology.Graduates can pursue careers and employment opportunities in a variety of fields.
| Fields of Work | Examples of carers or potential employers |
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| Corrections |
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| Courts and Criminal Justice |
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| Law Enforcement, Security and Intelligence |
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| Health and Human Services |
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| Government and Leadership |
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Our staff are passionate about teaching criminology. They have a reputation for high-quality research and publications, as well as professional connections with agencies and practitioners working at the coalface. Our criminology teaching program has two key strengths – we are national leaders in the area of applied criminology pertaining to juvenile and adult offenders; and we have an international reputation as key proponents of eco-global criminology, an area of research and scholarship that deals with issues of social and environmental justice.