Why Study / Key Benefits

• This degree examines both the causes of crime and the criminal justice responses to crime, giving students a combined understanding of criminology and criminal justice.
• It covers local and global crime, traditional and emerging responses to crime, international criminal justice, and the effect of technology on crime management.
• Students develop skills in understanding the causes and impacts of crime, comparing global crime responses, crime management, technology in crime management, communication and teamwork.
• The programme is designed as a flexible 100% online Swinburne Online qualification, allowing students to study remotely and at their own pace.
• Swinburne reports that 80.6% of its undergraduate graduates found employment within four months of completing their course; this is a general Swinburne undergraduate statistic rather than a specific employment rate for this degree.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The programme consists of 24 units in total: 4 core units, 13 major units and 7 elective units.

Core units:

1. Learning and Communicating Innovative Business Practice — COM10011
2. Introduction to Forensic Psychology — FOR10001
3. Brain and Behaviour — PSY10007
4. Deviance, Difference & Conformity — SOC20020

Major units:

1. Fundamentals of Criminology — CRI10002
2. Policing: Systems and Practice — CRI20001
3. Global Crime — CRI20002
4. Corrections: Systems and Practice — CRI30002
5. Youth Justice and Crime — CRI30010
6. Advanced Topics in Forensic Psychology — FOR30001
7. Introduction to Law — LAW10021
8. Law and Social Science — LAW10022
9. Criminal Law and Process — LAW10024
10. Sentencing — LAW20030
11. Crime and Punishment in the International Context — LAW20031
12. Technological Advances in Dealing with Crime — LAW20032
13. Criminal Justice Capstone Project — LAW30025

Disciplines/Specialisations

The programme does not currently present separate named specialisations on the official online course page.

The main disciplinary areas covered are:

• Criminology
• Criminal justice
• Forensic psychology
• Law
• Policing
• Corrections
• Youth justice
• Crime prevention and management
• International criminal justice
• Technology and crime management
• Criminal justice research

Programme Highlights

• 100% online Swinburne Online delivery.
• 3-year full-time bachelor degree.
• 300 credit points.
• Focuses on both criminology and criminal justice.
• Covers crime from local, global and international perspectives.
• Includes forensic psychology and legal studies.
• Explores policing, corrections and youth justice.
• Examines technological advances in crime management.
• Includes a Criminal Justice Capstone Project.
• Flexible online study designed around the student's schedule.
• Credit transfer and recognition of prior learning can be considered individually.

Career Outcomes

The official Swinburne course page identifies potential career opportunities including:

• Criminologist
• Correction Officer
• Policy Advisor
• Police Officer
• Security Advisor
• Customs and Border Protection Officer.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current course remains listed as Bachelor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, CRICOS 098002K.
• The course is specifically identified as Swinburne Online – Online delivery only.
• The current available online intake is Teaching Period 3 beginning 2 November 2026, with an application deadline of 28 October 2026.
• International students holding an Australian Student visa cannot undertake this entirely online programme while in Australia.
• International students wishing to study this programme online therefore need to study from outside Australia, or otherwise hold a status that does not impose the Student visa study restriction.
• Meeting minimum academic and English requirements does not automatically guarantee admission.
• Credit transfer/RPL is assessed individually.
• 2027 online intake information beyond the currently displayed 2026 intake: Not publicly specified – please confirm with IPU.