Postgraduate studies in criminology and criminal justice provide a pathway to professional advancement for those working in these fields. The courses are designed to provide an overview of criminological theory and research, the workings of the criminal justice system and allied organisations, insight into key policy debates and an understanding of research methods.
The courses introduce social and psychological explanations of crime, as well as contemporary debates in criminological theory. Beyond the core elements of the course in policing, community development, crime prevention, law and behaviour and social science research methods you will have the opportunity to study electives from criminal justice, research practice, policing, corrections and crime prevention.
Career Outcomes
Graduates from this course typically pursue careers in criminal justice-related fields, including crime prevention, community development, security, policing, corrections, family services, law, justice administration and policy, customs, mental and community health, local government, military services, and criminal justice research organisations.
Eligibility
Students must have completed an undergraduate degree, or in exceptional circumstances applicants may apply for entry based on their work experience in a criminal justice related field. In these circumstances, the applicant must supply evidence of relevant professional registration or vocational experience in a criminal justice related field. Such applicants, who will normally have worked in middle management positions for a minimum of 5 years, will be required to provide references from their employers supporting their application for admission and attesting to their ability to complete the course. In these cases, the Course Convenor will make the final decision and must be satisfied as to the applicant's ability to complete such a course of study.
Students who have completed a Bachelor of Criminology or Criminal Justice, or equivalent, need to complete Stream A.
Students who have completed a degree in another discipline need to complete Stream B.
All interested students should speak to Griffith University to determine their eligibility for this program.
How to Apply
This course is restricted. Students are required to apply and be approved by Griffith University before they can enrol in units through OUA.
Applications for the Graduate Certificate or Master of Criminology and Criminal Justice are due two weeks prior to the close of enrolment.
Please complete the application form below.
-
Read information requirements
-
Select to apply for one or more courses listed on the application form, taking note
of the eligibility criteria for each course. If you want to apply for a (restricted)
course with a different university, you'll need to submit a separate application
from the relevant course page.
-
Read all parts of the application form in advance:
Receive a faster response by ensuring you have all the required information ready
before you start.
If you have a web account, sign
in first to pre-fill personal details we already have for you on record.
If you do not have a web account, you'll need to register one within the
application form. Once you've registered an account, you'll then be signed
in. From here you can choose to complete your application and submit it,
or save and return to it later.
Completing this application should take 15 to 20 minutes.
-
Need help completing your application? Contact us:
If in doubt about any of the information required to support your application, the
more information you can provide the better. If you have any academic queries
including how to request credit transfer, contact Griffith University directly.
For all other enquiries, contact us.
-
Next steps:
After submitting your application, you should receive a confirmation email containing
a copy of your application for your records.
Your application will be assessed within 2-4 weeks, and if further information is
required, we will contact you. Once your application has been assessed, we will
be in touch via email to notify you of the outcome. At the latest this will be
one week after the closing date for applications.
If, after submitting your application, you wish to change your
preferences or submit an additional document, please email apply@open.edu.au. Include your full
name as it appeared on the application.
-
Prepare supporting documents
-
Check that you have all the required documents, according to individual course
requirements and your personal circumstances, specifically:
- Your curriculum vitae - required for entry into postgraduate courses
only.
- Certified
copies of academic transcripts - required in most cases but check course
eligibility rules.
- A letter of recommendation from your employer on company letterhead -
recommended for entry using work experience.
- Certified legal documentation - if you have changed your name e.g. a marriage
certificate, deed poll name change certificate.
- Certified legal documentation - if you need to correct an error in your date of
birth e.g. a birth certificate.
- English language test results - if your courses were not predominantly in
English e.g. IELTS
or equivalent test results.
- Official translations of any documents not in English.
A "certified" copy is a copy bearing the recognised mark of a Justice of the Peace,
Commission of Oaths or declarations, Public Notary or a Solicitor.
-
Create an electronic copy of your attachments:
For each certified document, scan and save it on your computer. Save your curriculum
vitae to your computer, then get ready to upload all documents in the form.
Do not send original documents as they will not be returned.
Then submit your application in one of two ways:
Award Requirements
To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice Stream A students must complete one core unit (double unit) and two electives for a total of three units (including one double unit).
To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice Stream B students must complete two core units and two electives to a total of four units.
Recognition of Prior Learning / Credit
RPL/Credit may be awarded according to Griffith University policies and applicants are encouraged to contact the course coordinator for further information.
Registering in this Course
OUA students should notify Griffith University of their intention to graduate with the award of Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice in the final year of their studies.
Recommended Study Pattern
There are two streams in the postgraduate Criminology and Criminal Justice courses according to the discipline studied in the undergraduate degree.
Stream A
Students who have completed a Bachelor of Criminology or Criminal Justice or equivalent should select units from Stream A and complete one core unit MCCJ7005 (double unit) plus two electives from the list below.
Stream B
Students who have completed a bachelor degree in another discipline should select units from Stream B and complete the two core units MCCJ7001 and MCCJ7028 plus two electives from the list below.
Related Courses
This course sits within a group of courses, giving you the flexibility to study towards different levels of qualification. The courses are listed from the highest to the lowest qualification.
