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Study online through Open Universities Australia. Explore all degrees, subjects and short courses now.

Develop a strong understanding of Australia’s criminal justice system, including law enforcement, crime policy, the courts, and custodial and community corrections. Explore the motivations and consequences of criminal behaviour, along with questions of social justice, ethics and law reform.

Get to know Australia’s criminal justice system. You’ll study crime, punishment, corrections, and policing. Take a look at crime through a social lens and explore human behaviour. Electives include cyber crime, human rights, and professional placement.

Bachelor of Criminology and Justice

Study Criminology and Criminal Justice On Demand with UniSA Online and take full control over your study. Access support seven days a week, plan your study to fit around your life, view learning resources 24/7, and log in to the interactive online environment anywhere, any time and on any device. Designed and delivered by industry experts and criminal justice specialists, this 100% online degree will give you the practical skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact on people and society. You’ll be equipped to examine crime and justice through an interdisciplinary lens, with an advanced understanding of the causes and effects of crime, how criminal justice systems could be enhanced, the importance of advocacy for victims and offenders, and how outcomes for vulnerable groups could be improved. Graduate with a highly sought after skillset applicable to a range of careers, ready to make an impact in a challenging and complex field.

Lock in your understanding of the criminal justice foundations of law enforcement, courts and corrections. Consider social factors and psychology. Explore contemporary issues like cybercrime. Study under experienced academics with industry backgrounds.

Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Psychology and Policing

Psychology of Investigative and Legal Processes

Psychological Contributions to Understanding Crime

Psychological Explanations of Criminal Behaviour

Mental Health, Psychology and the Criminal Justice System

Crime and Mental Health

Understanding Victims and Offenders

Risk Assessment and Management in Forensic Mental Health

Mental Disorder and Crime

Crime and Deviance

This subject provides an overview of the various areas within the criminal justice system in which frontline workers come across people with mental disorders. It examines the way in which the criminal justice system (including police, court, and correctional staff) deals with individuals with mental disorders. In particular, the subject focuses on the identification and treatment of individuals with mental disorders; relevant processes and decision-making in different elements of the criminal justice system; examining contemporary approaches to definitions, diagnostic tools, notions of criminal responsibility and fitness to stand trial; and the use of psychological knowledge, theory, and research to guide reflective practice and build personal, professional resilience.

Investigate how police, courts, and corrections interact with people with mental disorders. You’ll use psychological theory to explore mental health issues that youth, Indigenous people, and women face in the system. Learn the symptoms. Build resilience.

Previously named &quot;Psychology of Crime&quot;, this course is designed to complement Crime, Society and Culture. This subject addresses the question &quot;What is it about individuals and their experiences that produce criminal behaviour?&quot;. Psychologists are concerned with how an individual’s biological make-up, personality, upbringing, current circumstances and so forth produce criminal behaviour. The unit examines criminal behaviour in terms of nine theoretical perspectives: evolutionary theories, genetic theories, biobehavioural theories, psychodynamic theories, trait theories, behavioural theories, social learning theories, development theories, and environmental theories. The unit also examines the implications of these theories for three areas criminology: the functioning of the criminal justice system, crime prevention, and the rehabilitation of offenders.

Delve into scientific theories that explain why people become criminals. You’ll explore links between criminal behaviour and personality, upbringing, and more. Use this knowledge in crime prevention and offender rehabilitation.

This subject will provide an introduction to psychology and law. The progression of lecture topics in this subject will roughly follow the course of an investigation and trial of a criminal case, covering issues such as eyewitness memory; false memories; police interviewing techniques; deception detection; and juror decisions. Throughout the subject, the focus will be on how psychological science can (a) help us understand various aspects of the legal system, and (b) help to improve important processes in policing and courtroom trials.

Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology concerns the application of psychology to the understanding and operation of legal and criminal justice systems. Theories and knowledge from a broad range of domains can be applied within forensic contexts. This subject of study demonstrates how knowledge from the domains of biological, cognitive, developmental, social and personality, and mental health psychology have been successfully employed to address forensic questions and issues. Students are presented with an introduction to key areas of forensic psychology and major theories of crime are offered and evaluated. Societal constructions of criminality and the changing nature of criminality are examined. Psychological explanations of crime are applied to contemporary issues and appraised. Potential limitations of psychology within forensic settings are explored.
Please Note:  If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/students/essentials/rights/academic-integrity/aip/" target="_blank">Academic Integrity module</a>.

Untangle the ‘why’ behind crime by better understanding the perpetrators psyche. You’ll consider how elements such as biology, personality and mental health impact are at play. Get an introduction to forensic psychology and major theories of crime. 

This course explores the intersections between law and psychology. Examine the role of psychology in criminal justice processes, focusing on policing and the court system. Cover a broad range of topics such as investigative psychology, deception, eyewitness research, expert evidence, and jury and judicial decision making. Please note that the course will at times cover topics which you may find disturbing. If you suspect that an aspect of the course will be emotionally challenging for you, please contact a member of the teaching team, who can direct you to appropriate support resources. UniSA Online’s 10-week short courses give you the flexibility to upskill in a certain area, stay current with developments in your field, diversify your knowledge, or even explore a new direction in your career – without having to commit to the time and cost of a full university degree.  Delivered 100% online, you’ll be able to study where and when it suits you. Access online academic and student support seven days a week, fit study around work and life commitments, view learning resources 24/7, and log in to the interactive online environment anywhere, any time and on any device. This is a third-year course from UniSA Online’s Bachelor of Psychological Science and Sociology degree. Please note: you are responsible for completing any relevant prerequisite courses before enrolling in this course.Should your course have an exam it will be scheduled for Australian Central Standard Time or Australian Central Daylight Time, depending on the time of the year.

Psychologists have assisted the work of the police in a number of ways and this subject of study introduces applications of psychology to police operations. Topics covered include false confessions and testimony, police interviewing, facial recognition, and eyewitnesses and error. The rise of evidence-based policing has encouraged psychologists to work closely with the police on developing practices that are grounded in empirical research, and this approach will be critically assessed. Police officers frequently experience work related stress and ways in which psychologists can assist officers in responding to stress are also examined. Students will be provided with an overview of the opportunities and limitations of police-psychology collaborations. The need for a pragmatic approach underscores this subject of study.
Please Note:  If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/students/essentials/rights/academic-integrity/aip/" target="_blank">Academic Integrity module</a>.

Learn how psychology can help police. You’ll dive head-first into false confessions and testimony, interviewing, facial recognition, eyewitnesses and human error. Beyond prosecution, learn how psychologists can assist police in times of stress.  

Although associations between crime and mental illness have a long history, the relationship is complex and contentious. Problem areas include media representations and social constructions of violent offenders, methodological and conceptual inconsistencies, and limited appreciation of the heterogeneity of mental health issues. This subject of study aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the evidence concerning the crime-mental health relationship. Factors other than mental illness that may be associated with violence and general criminality are explored, as are ethical challenges relating to this area. Particular mental disorders most often linked with criminality are examined and the relevant evidence is evaluated. Based on the content of this subject of study, students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical challenges and provide recommendations for best practice for both empirical research and policy.
Please Note:  If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/students/essentials/rights/academic-integrity/aip/" target="_blank">Academic Integrity module</a>.

Delve into the complex relationship between crime and mental illness. Examine links between offending, violence, mental disorder, and substance abuse. Get critical with an evidence-based approach that separates media representations from actual research.

This subject examines strategies for changing criminal behaviour. The interventions explored in the subject are most frequently observed within the correctional system in both custodial and community settings; however, programs utilised in other sectors of the criminal justice system (i.e. police, courts) and in affiliated social service organisations are also included in the course where forensic populations are their target treatment group. The subject draws on psychological principles and research evidence, linking theories of crime causation to foundations of behaviour modification and propensity-reducing interventions. A review of specific programs is presented, although the focus of the subject is on the overarching design principles associated with positive client outcomes.Assessment details will be advised at the beginning of the subject offering.

Draw on psychological principles and research to identify strategies to change behaviour within the correctional system. Probe specific rehabilitation programs used in both in community and institutional settings to question the rehabilitation ideal.

Interventions for Correctional Clients

Some people are more likely to commit particular crimes than are other people. Some people are more likely to become victims of crime than are other people. This subject of study explores variables that relate to victims and offenders. Serial victims and serial offenders are examined. Sexual crimes, violent crimes and family violence will be spotlighted and evidence relevant to victims, offenders and the decisions that they make will be assessed. Students will explore the methodological challenges associated with researching victims and offenders, and consider how the research evidence can translate to good practice within criminal justice contexts.
Please Note:  If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/students/essentials/rights/academic-integrity/aip/" target="_blank">Academic Integrity module</a>.

Understand why some people are more likely to commit particular crimes than others, and why certain citizens are more likely to be victims of these crimes. Cover sexual crimes, violent crimes and family violence in particular. 

The subject offers a broad overview of the major theories and approaches to the study of crime and deviance. It provides a survey of diverse and competing interpretations of criminal and deviant acts, the situations and contexts within which crime and deviance are defined and take place, and the explanations put forward for the causes and consequences of deviance in society. The subject encourages students to think critically and practically engage with the key questions and colourful issues that criminologists face, including why and how some behaviours and subcultures are regarded as deviant or criminal and others are not. Each theoretical perspective is vividly illustrated throughout the subject with contemporary applications in topical lectures and tutorials. For example, the subject may cover topics like youth crime and youth gangs, sex work and sexuality, crimes of the marginalised and the powerful, terrorism and counter-terrorism, as well as analysing the dynamic impact of stigma, moral panics and social control on individuals and society.

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