Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice / Law

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of New South Wales

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Law at University of New South Wales is a dynamic five-year double degree designed for students who want to understand crime, justice, law, and social change from both legal and social science perspectives. Campus: Kensington Campus, Sydney, Australia — students study within UNSW’s highly regarded Law & Justice faculty while gaining practical experience through legal clinics, industry engagement, and real-world criminal justice case studies.

The program suits students who are passionate about criminal law, public policy, social justice, human rights, policing, or legal advocacy. Across the degree, students build strong analytical, research, communication, and legal reasoning skills while studying areas such as criminal law, constitutional law, criminology, social sciences, justice institutions, and policy reform.

Curriculum Structure

First Year

In the first year, students establish foundational knowledge in both law and criminology while developing essential academic and analytical skills. Courses such as Foundations of Law, Crime and the Criminal Justice System, and Introduction to Social Research introduce students to legal reasoning, criminal justice institutions, and the social causes of crime. Students also begin exploring how law interacts with society through interdisciplinary social science subjects.

Second Year

Second-year study deepens students’ understanding of legal systems and criminological theory through a combination of core law and criminology courses. Subjects including Criminal Law, Crime, Politics and the Media, and Indigenous Perspectives in Criminal Justice help students examine contemporary justice issues, policy debates, and the social impacts of crime. Students also continue building research and policy analysis skills relevant to government and legal careers.

Third Year

By third year, the program becomes increasingly practice-oriented and intellectually advanced. Students undertake intensive law studies in areas such as Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and The Criminal Trial, while criminology studies focus on specialised topics like Violence and Victimisation and Psychology and Law. This stage strengthens advocacy, legal interpretation, and critical policy evaluation abilities.

Fourth Year

Fourth year combines advanced legal training with critical criminology perspectives and applied learning experiences. Students continue studying complex legal areas while exploring subjects such as State Crime and Human Rights, Restorative Justice, and Public Health and Corrections. Many students also engage in practical experiences through interactive teaching, group projects, and community-focused legal work connected to the Kingsford Legal Centre.

Fifth Year

The final year gives students the flexibility to tailor their degree through specialised law electives aligned with their career interests. Students may explore areas including Human Rights Law, International Law, Commercial Law, or Taxation Law while refining professional legal skills and preparing for graduate employment or further study. The program concludes with strong practical, ethical, and research capabilities suited to both legal practice and justice-sector careers.

Focus areas

Criminal law, criminological theory, justice policy, policing, courts and corrections, human rights, social justice, legal research, constitutional law, restorative justice, public policy, psychology and law, Indigenous justice, cybercrime, organised crime, and legal advocacy.

Learning outcomes

Graduates develop advanced legal reasoning, critical thinking, policy analysis, ethical decision-making, advocacy, communication, and interdisciplinary research skills. Students gain the ability to analyse criminal justice systems, evaluate legal and social policy, conduct independent research, and apply legal knowledge to real-world justice issues.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The Law component of the degree satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia, subject to completion of Practical Legal Training (PLT). Students also benefit from experiential learning opportunities through the Kingsford Legal Centre and work-integrated learning placements with justice agencies and community organisations.

Reputation (employability rankings)

UNSW Law & Justice is recognised as one of Australia’s leading law faculties, and the university promotes the criminology program as ranked #1 in Australia for Criminology and Criminal Justice (EduRank 2024). The degree combines strong employability outcomes with career preparation through mentoring, professional development programs, legal clinics, and industry-linked learning opportunities

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice / Law at University of New South Wales develop practical legal and criminological skills from the beginning of the degree through real client work, advocacy experiences, research projects, and community engagement. The program combines classroom learning with hands-on clinical legal education, allowing students to apply legal theory to real-world criminal justice and social justice issues while working alongside practising solicitors, researchers, and community organisations.

UNSW’s strong focus on experiential learning is especially visible through the Kingsford Legal Centre, criminology research institutes, mooting competitions, and policy-focused projects that help students graduate with industry-ready legal, analytical, and communication skills:

Clinical Legal Education : Students can participate in the Kingsford Legal Centre clinics, where they work on real legal cases under the supervision of practising solicitors. Students interview clients, conduct legal research, draft affidavits and court documents, prepare submissions, and attend court proceedings.
Community Law Clinics : UNSW offers Community Law Clinics and Employment Law Clinics where students assist clients dealing with domestic violence, discrimination, employment disputes, debt matters, criminal law issues, and victim compensation cases.
Moot Courts & Advocacy Training : Students develop courtroom advocacy and legal argument skills through mooting competitions hosted by the UNSW Law Society. Mooting involves presenting oral arguments before experienced judges while strengthening legal writing and research abilities.
Research-Driven Learning : The School of Law, Society and Criminology integrates criminology research with practical justice-focused learning. Students engage with areas such as police powers, dispute resolution, environmental law, and criminal justice reform through research-led teaching.
Industry & Community Engagement : Students work with community organisations and justice-sector professionals on law reform submissions, policy campaigns, and legal outreach initiatives connected to local communities and social justice advocacy.
Group Projects & Presentations : Criminology students collaborate on research presentations and applied justice projects, including showcase projects connected with the UNSW Centre for Criminology, Law and Justice.
Real-World Client Interaction : Through evening advice sessions at Kingsford Legal Centre, students assist with public legal enquiries and observe solicitor-client interactions in professional legal environments.
Legal Research Facilities : Students have access to UNSW Law & Justice facilities, including dedicated law libraries, legal databases, research collections, collaborative study spaces, and moot court environments designed for legal training and advocacy preparation.
Specialised Institutes & Centres : The degree is supported by research centres and institutes connected to criminology, justice reform, and legal policy, helping students explore areas such as human rights, criminal justice systems, and social inequality.
Professional Skills Development : Students strengthen interviewing, negotiation, ethical decision-making, legal drafting, public speaking, and policy analysis skills through simulated and real legal practice experiences embedded throughout the program.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice / Law at the University of New South Wales are equipped for careers that combine legal expertise with a deep understanding of crime, justice systems, and public policy. The double degree develops highly transferable analytical, advocacy, communication, and research skills, allowing graduates to work across legal practice, government, criminal justice agencies, policy development, and social justice organisations. Typical career pathways include criminal lawyer, policy adviser, intelligence analyst, prosecutor, legal consultant, compliance officer, researcher, and justice-sector professional.

UNSW further strengthens graduate employability through dedicated career support, practical industry engagement, and professional legal training opportunities:

Exclusive Career Service : UNSW Law & Justice offers a dedicated in-house careers service that supports students with employability workshops, clerkship preparation, CV reviews, networking events, mentoring programs, and interview coaching tailored specifically for law and justice students.
Industry Placements & Internships : Students can undertake Work-Integrated Learning placements with organisations such as NSW Police, Corrective Services NSW, Department of Justice, Youth Justice, and community-based NGOs supporting justice-involved individuals.
Professional Legal Pathway : The Law component satisfies the academic requirements needed for admission to legal practice in Australia. After graduation, students complete Practical Legal Training (PLT), and UNSW also provides its own Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice (GDLPP), allowing students to complete their end-to-end legal education within the university.
Employment Reputation : UNSW Law & Justice is ranked #1 in Sydney and #13 globally for employer reputation in Law & Legal Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026), reflecting the strong standing of UNSW graduates among employers worldwide.
Graduate Employability Recognition : UNSW has been recognised as Australia’s “Most Employable University” by the Australian Financial Review for multiple consecutive years, highlighting the university’s strong graduate outcomes and industry readiness focus.
Median Graduate Salary : According to QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey data for Law & Paralegal Studies graduates at UNSW, the median full-time salary for recent graduates was approximately AUD $80,000 within months of graduation, above the national average for the field.
Research & Industry Networks : Students benefit from connections with UNSW institutes and centres including the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice (CCLJ), Australian Human Rights Institute, Gendered Violence Research Network, Kirby Institute, and National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. These networks expose students to contemporary policy, research, and justice-sector collaboration opportunities.
Long-Term Career Flexibility : The combination of criminology and law allows graduates to move across multiple sectors throughout their careers, including legal practice, government policy, intelligence and security, corrections, corporate compliance, advocacy, academia, and international organisations.
Graduation Outcomes : Graduates leave the program with practical legal experience, policy analysis capabilities, research expertise, and advocacy skills developed through clinics, internships, mooting, and real-world justice engagement. This multidisciplinary profile makes graduates highly adaptable in both public and private sector environments.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this double degree, students may continue into postgraduate legal or research qualifications such as the Juris Doctor (for international legal progression), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Criminology, Master of Public Policy, or specialised postgraduate studies in human rights, international law, cybercrime, or criminal justice reform. High-achieving students may also pursue Honours or research degrees such as a PhD in Criminology, Law, or Social Policy, leading to careers in academia, advanced policy research, or senior government advisory roles.