Crime and the ways societies and systems deal with it are ever-changing – especially in this technological era. With a Bachelor of Criminal Justice and Criminology/Bachelor of Applied Innovation double degree – unique to Swinburne – you’ll be able to position yourself at the very forefront of this dynamic sector.

In your criminal justice and criminology studies, you’ll learn about the causes of crime and how society – through police, courts, corrections systems and victim support services – responds. You’ll explore local and global criminality, traditional approaches and responses to crime, as well as emerging trends and practices, with a focus on technological and other scientific advances – such as artificial intelligence - which impact the sector.

You’ll then take your invaluable skills and knowledge to the next level through studies in applied innovation. Immersed in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment that draws heavily on real-world experience, you’ll be challenged and inspired to develop transformative solutions to the complex challenges of today and tomorrow.

Develop a strong innovation mindset as you hone leadership potential, sharpen analytical and strategic thinking and embrace a deeper level of human understanding – with the know-how to build a better tomorrow through innovation. You’ll also enjoy access to a broad array of business and industry partners in creating a comprehensive innovation project portfolio.

Upon graduation, career opportunities abound. Work in law enforcement, corrections, rehabilitation, victim support, or policy development. Expand your employability for roles in criminology that require innovation and human centred-design skills.

Course learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course 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.