Why Study / Key Benefits

The Graduate Certificate in Forensic Behavioural Science is designed for professionals who want specialised knowledge and skills for working with forensic populations and in forensic settings. The course introduces forensic practice, legal systems and procedures, offending behaviour, and violence risk assessment and management. It is offered through Swinburne's Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science in collaboration with the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare).

Key benefits include:

• Specialised introduction to forensic behavioural science.
• Understanding of forensic legal frameworks and professional practice.
• Foundations of violence risk assessment and management.
• Development of evidence-based forensic practice skills.
• Study of offending behaviour, mental disorder, trauma, difficult personalities and violent behaviour.
• Opportunity to progress through Swinburne's nested Graduate Diploma and Master of Forensic Behavioural Science.
• Flexible online delivery for eligible offshore international students.
• Content designed for professionals already working, or intending to work, with forensic populations.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

Students complete 50 credit points consisting of three compulsory units and one elective.

Core units:

1. FBS80001 – Core Skills in Forensic Practice
   • 12.5 credit points
   • Introduces fundamental professional skills and practices required in forensic settings.
2. FBS80002 – Fundamentals of Criminal Law Process
   • 12.5 credit points
   • Covers fundamental criminal-law processes and their relevance to forensic practice.
3. FBS80003 – Principles of Violence Risk Assessment and Management
   • 12.5 credit points
   • Introduces fundamental principles involved in assessing and managing violence risk.

Students choose one 12.5-credit-point elective from the available options, including:

• FBS80004 – Advanced Violence Risk Assessment and Management
• FBS80005 – Mental Disorder and Offending
• FBS80006 – Working with Difficult Personalities in the Forensic Context
• FBS80009 – Trauma and Offending
• FBS80011 – Understanding Interpersonal and Other Types of Violent Behaviours
• FBS80013 – Working in Corrections and Youth Justice
• FBS80015 – Development, Developmental Disability and Offending
• FBS80017 – Understanding Sexually Violent and Harassing Behaviours.

Disciplines / Specialisations

The Graduate Certificate does not have formal majors or specialisations.

Its principal disciplinary areas are:

• Forensic behavioural science
• Forensic practice
• Criminal law and legal processes
• Violence risk assessment and management
• Mental disorder and offending
• Corrections and youth justice
• Trauma and offending
• Developmental disability and offending
• Interpersonal and violent behaviour
• Sexually violent and harassing behaviour
• Forensic professional practice.

Programme Highlights

• Postgraduate qualification focused specifically on forensic behavioural science.
• 50 credit points.
• Three core units plus one elective.
• Online delivery.
• One-year part-time structure.
• Available to offshore international students.
• Collaboration between Swinburne's Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science and Forensicare.
• Covers both behavioural-science and legal/forensic practice perspectives.
• Provides a pathway into the Graduate Diploma and Master of Forensic Behavioural Science.
• Swinburne reports that 83.5% of students found employment within four months of graduating; this is a university-published outcome and is not a guarantee of employment for an individual graduate.
• Swinburne's course page also reports a top-250 global psychology subject ranking based on the Times Higher Education World University Ranking by Subject 2023. This is a university/subject-level ranking, not a ranking of this specific Graduate Certificate.

Career Outcomes

Swinburne identifies potential career outcomes including:

• Behaviour support officer
• Employment consultant
• Case worker
• Forensic clinical specialist.

The qualification can also provide relevant professional development for people already working with:

• Forensic populations
• Offenders
• Corrections
• Youth justice
• Forensic mental health services
• Behavioural-support services.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The most important current points for international applicants are:

• The current course code is GC-FBS.
• The programme is currently offered online.
• International students must be studying outside Australia for this online international offering.
• It is not available to international students who are already in Australia on a Student visa.
• 2027 start dates are 1 March and 2 August.
• Current application deadlines are 24 February and 28 July 2027.
• Applicants need a relevant bachelor's degree or five years of relevant work experience.
• Applicants must provide a 500–750 word suitability statement.
• Work-experience applicants must provide documentary evidence of their employment.
• Credit transfer and RPL are assessed individually.
• The course is part of a nested pathway to the Graduate Diploma and Master of Forensic Behavioural Science.

International Student Visa Requirements

This qualification has an important visa limitation.

The course is online and is currently available to offshore international students studying outside Australia. Swinburne explicitly states that it is not available to international students in Australia who hold a Student visa.

Therefore:

• An applicant studying this qualification from India or another country outside Australia does not obtain an Australian Student visa merely to undertake this online course.
• An international student cannot use this particular online GC-FBS enrolment to study in Australia on a Student visa.
• If the student wants to physically study in Australia on a Student visa, they would need an eligible full-time, on-campus course rather than this online qualification.