Bachelor of Human Rights/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Course information for - 2025 entry

Offered at 4 locations

Duration
5 years full-time or equivalent part-time
CRICOS Code
111438B
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

Human rights advocacy has never been more important.

Human rights is a highly significant and swiftly growing field of domestic and global research and practice within law, criminal justice, history, philosophy and politics. This new cross-disciplinary Bachelor of Human Rights degree will be attractive to the committed altruists who want a specialist qualification that will prepare them to be the leading human rights advocates of the 21st century.

Our Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice explores the causes of antisocial behaviour and develops the knowledge and expertise you’ll need to make a valuable contribution in the criminal justice sector. By studying this degree, you’ll understand the complex causes and impact of crime, and the legal and social policies that keep us safe. The course includes studies in forensic psychology, forensic science, cybercrime, border protection and biosecurity, understanding violence and trauma. 

 Studying a Bachelor of Human Rights/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice will prepare you for a rewarding career in human rights and in the criminal justice sector, both in Australia and globally. 

You can also study the Bachelor of Human Rights or the Bachelor of Human Rights/ Bachelor of Laws.

  • Top 2% universities worldwide

  • Top 10 Catholic universities globally

  • Top 40 young universities worldwide

Professional experience

For the criminology and criminal justice component of this double degree you will undertake a 40-hour placement 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.

Careers

Graduates can pursue careers in:

  • NGOs, both domestic and international
  • advocacy: domestic and international advocacy, humanitarian services, disaster relief, policy development, volunteer co-ordination
  • social services: human services provision, public health, economic development, policy development
  • policy advising
  • reintegration consulting
  • police (state, territory or federal)
  • immigration and border protection
  • community corrections
  • communications: foreign news reporting/correspondence, investigative journalism, research 

Course details

Course structure

Course map

Open all

Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

Commencing Semester 1

  • LCRM107 Introduction to Research for Law, Human Rights and Criminal Justice Studies 10 cp
  • Criminology Specified UnitsLCRM101Introduction to Criminology10 cp
  • Criminology Specified UnitsLCRM105Violent Crime and Society10 cp
  • Thomas More Law School Specified UnitsLHRG103Legal Institutions and Human Rights10 cp
  • LCRM109 Public Law for Criminology & Human Rights Studies 10 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

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.

International applicants must also meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

StatePrerequisites
New South Wales

Assumed knowledge: 2 units of English (any) (Band 3)

Queensland

Prerequisites: English (Units 3 & 4, C)

Victoria

Prerequisites: Units 3 and 4 a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 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

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

Brisbane

Apply through QTAC

QTAC code

Direct application

Apply now

Staff Profile

Dr Bill Swannie

Lecturer, Thomas More Law School

Bill Swannie is a Lecturer at the Thomas More Law School. His areas of expertise include human rights law, anti-discrimination law, legal theory, media law and international law. He has taught at Victorian law schools since 2013.

Previously, Dr Swannie was Principal Lawyer at a community legal centre, associate to a Vice President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and a government lawyer.

Dr Swannie has received several awards for teaching including a citation for programs that enhance student learning. His research is published in leading Australian law journals.

Dr Swannie is a member of the editorial board of the Alternative Law Journal, a member of the Australian Discrimination Law Experts Group, and on the management committee for the Law and Society Association of Australian and New Zealand. He is a member of the Wellness for Law network and has a particular interest in student wellbeing.

Dr Shannon Dodds

Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Thomas More Law School

Shannon Dodd is a senior 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 impacts of imprisonment for 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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