Introduction to Criminology
UndergraduateMAQ-PICX10302025
Define crime and its causes. Peer into the criminal mind and the worlds where criminals dwell. You’ll study criminology theories and their use by criminologists. Look at laws for crime control and find out what happens when they’re broken.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Introduction to Criminology
About this subject
On successful completion of this subject, you will be able to:
- Evaluate how societies come to define crime and the critical implications of such understandings on institutions of criminal justice.
- Identify and distinguish between key criminological theories and their practical implications.
- Analyse and demonstrate critical understanding of how social categories of gender, race and class impact experiences of crime and its responses.
- Research and locate different academic sources and express judgement about their validity.
- Engage in informed criminological discussion with practitioners, academics and peers
- A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials.
This subject introduces students to the discipline and study of criminology, including a broad overview of key developments, theories and practical implications. The intention is to situate criminology, and its various strands, within its particular social, political and intellectual contexts and to outline some of the key approaches associated with the field. Specifically, the unit is concerned with three broad and interrelated questions: 1) What and how societies define crime and harm in a particular way? 2) How theories of crime attempt to explain why certain people offend and certain crimes are committed? 3) What are the social responses to crime and how do institutions of criminal justice engage in mechanism of crime control?
- Essay (50%)
- Annotated Poster (20%)
- Quizzes (20%)
- Participation (10%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
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- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 11
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 10
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Other requirements -
Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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