Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice/Bachelor of Laws

Course information for - 2025 entry

Offered at 4 locations

Duration
5 years full-time or equivalent part-time
CRICOS Code
108636M
IELTS
Overall score: 7.0; Individual score of: 6.5
Fees (first year)*
$32000
Start dates
February 2026, July 2026, February 2027, July 2027

Overview

Super-charge your criminology and criminal justice degree with law and you will be ready to launch a meaningful legal career in the justice sector.

This double degree is the perfect combination if you want to be a criminal lawyer specialising in criminal defence and/or prosecution or work in regulatory or policy work in criminal justice areas covering issues such as interpersonal violence, policing, forensic psychology, corrections, and cybercrime.

Wider employment opportunities include working in the areas of anti-corruption, child protection, crime prevention, drugs counselling, forensic science, forensic psychology, human rights, military law enforcement, intelligence and counter-intelligence, regulatory enforcement, youth and juvenile justice, or victim support and advocacy.

  • Top 2% universities worldwide

  • Top 10 Catholic universities globally

  • Top 40 young universities worldwide

Professional experience

You will undertake a 40-hour community engagement associated with the criminal justice sector. You’ll receive intensive training in workplace approaches, practices and more before starting your placement, followed by a debriefing with a clinical education specialist.

You will complete 80 hours pro bono experience (after your first year) as part of your law degree.

Work placement

Pro bono placements are undertaken from the second year of the Bachelor of Law studies. You’ll engage in practical, law related activities, especially on behalf of those who are the most marginalised and disadvantaged in our community. These placements will provide valuable experience in the practical operation of the law. Through community engagement you’ll have the opportunity to reflect upon the capacity of the law to respond to social justice issues involving those who are marginalised and disadvantaged as well as in law reform. You’ll benefit from, develop and reflect upon the values of collaboration, equality, mutual respect and commitment to justice in an ethically-based profession.

Community engagement

The Bachelor of Laws pro bono program provides practical, work-place based experience in a community context.

Accreditation

This double degree is accredited for admission to legal practice in NSW, Qld and Vic, and recognised in other Australian states and territories.

Careers

Career opportunities include:

  • advocacy
  • criminal law
  • defence and/or prosecutions
  • general policing
  • investigations
  • management and/or supervision
  • mediation
  • strategic planning & policy development
  • research


Course details

Course structure

Course map

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Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

Commencing Semester 1

  • LAWS Specified UnitsLAWS104Foundations of Law and Legal Research10 cp
  • Criminology Specified UnitsLCRM101Introduction to Criminology10 cp
  • Criminology Specified UnitsLCRM105Violent Crime and Society10 cp
  • Core Curriculum UnitsCore Curriculum Unit 1See the ACU Core Curriculum page for details10 cp
  • LAWS Specified UnitsLAWS107Introduction to Australian Public Law10 cp
  • Criminology Specified UnitsLCRM104Juvenile Justice10 cp
  • Criminology Specified UnitsLCRM106Introduction to Criminal Justice System and Policy10 cp
  • Human Rights Specified UnitLHRG111Human Rights and Indigenous People10 cp

Prerequisites (Pre:) are other units that you must have passed before enrolling in this unit. 

Incompatibles (Inc:) are units similar to this unit. If you have previously passed an Incompatible unit, you are not able to enrol in this unit.

Graduate statement

Insight

As an ACU graduate you have personal insight founded on an understanding of who you are as a professional, a citizen and a scholar. You embrace change and growth through critical self-awareness and learning autonomy. You are empowered to seek truth and meaning, drawing on the principles of justice, equity, and the dignity of all human beings.

Empathy

As an ACU graduate you value human dignity and diversity. This appreciation is founded on deep reflection, and empathy. You have experience of Indigenous Knowings and perspectives and can engage respectfully when working alongside Australia's First Peoples. You can connect with people and cultures and work with community in ways that recognise the dignity of the human person and all cultures

Imagination

As an ACU graduate you utilise imagination and innovation to solve problems. You critically analyse information from a range of sources to creatively solve practical problems and use critical thinking to make decisions and advance the common good. You appreciate the role of innovation and creative thinking in developing a better future for each person and community.

Impact

As an ACU graduate you recognise your responsibility to work for social justice and a sustainable world founded on a commitment to human dignity and the common good. You lead change through respectful collaboration and effective communication of ideas to diverse peoples, groups and communities in local and global contexts. You are empowered to positively impact your profession and the community.

AQF framework

Double Bachelor - Bachelor/Bachelor - AQF Level 7

Entry requirements

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy that includes meeting minimum ATAR requirement.

International applicants must meet the English Language Requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites at year 12 level, or equivalent:

StatePrerequisites
New South Wales

English (Standard) (Band 3) or English as an Additional Language (EAL) (Band 4)

Queensland

English (4, SA) at year 12 level

Victoria

Units 3 and 4 – a study score of at least 30 in English as an Additional Language (EAL) or 25 in any other English.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission.

Adjustment factors

If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.

Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.

Learn more about adjustment factors

Inherent requirement

There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.

Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you

Pathways

Further study

A student who has completed at least 120 cp of LAWS units of the degree with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 5.75 may be eligible for Admission to the Bachelor (Honours degree).

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

A student who achieves an Honours at a minimum level of Second Class Division A (Distinction average) may be eligible for Admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Meeting the eligibility requirements for admission is not in itself a guarantee of admission. The candidate’s potential to undertake research, the quality and feasibility of the research proposal, the availability of appropriate supervision and the referee’s reports will all be taken into consideration.

A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must comply with the Higher Degree Research Regulations.

Fees

Course costs

  • Unit fee: $4000
  • Average first year fee: $32000
  • Estimate total cost: $160000

The Tuition fees quoted above are for commencing students in the current year who undertake a normal full-time load. The Unit Fee is based on a 10cp unit. Fees are reviewed annually.

Tuition fees for continuing students may increase by up to 3 percent each year for the minimum duration of the course as provided on your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE). Students who continue to study beyond the minimum duration will have the relevant annual commencing rate applied to their fees for subsequent study periods.

Payment options

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.

Explore your options

Scholarships

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.

Search our scholarships

How to apply

International applicants

Blacktown

Apply through UAC

UAC code

Direct application

Apply now

Staff Profile

Dr M Ehteshamul Bari

Senior Lecturer, Thomas More Law School

Dr M Ehteshamul Bari is a Senior Lecturer in Law & the Higher Degree Research Coordinator in the Thomas More Law School at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). He served as the Acting Deputy Dean of the Thomas More Law School at ACU from November 2020 to January 2021. Prior to joining ACU, Dr Bari held full time academic positions at Macquarie University, at Deakin University where he was also the Director of Deakin JD Program, and at the University of New England. He did his PhD in Law from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia in 2015 on an International Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship.

Dr Bari's primary research expertise lies in the areas of constitutional law, human rights law, Asian law and public international law and he has published extensively in these areas in highly regarded scholarly outlets.

Dr Shannon Dodd

Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Thomas More Law School

Shannon Dodd is a Lecturer in Criminology in the Thomas More Law School, at Australian Catholic University. Her research background includes examining issues in Australia’s correctional system, including the use of body-worn cameras by custodial officers, people with disability in prisons, public support for the release of offenders on parole, and the increasingly punitive trajectory being taken in Australia with respect to offenders on bail and parole. Her research has also focused on the affective dimensions of public views, exploring how different emotions and mechanisms of emotion management may impact public views of criminal justice issues.

Shannon’s recent research has focused on the impact of enhanced compassion in judicial sentencing remarks on public punitiveness and criminal justice spending preferences, and the imprisonment of people with disability. In 2022, Shannon was also awarded funding from the Queensland Government to design and deliver an intervention aimed at young people in Townsville who steal cars to joyride.

Shannon’s research has been published both in Australia and internationally, in journals including Criminology and Criminal Justice, British Journal of Criminology, and International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology.

Before her academic career, Shannon was a solicitor in private practice.

 

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