Technology, Surveillance and Policing
PostgraduateMAQ-CRIX80222026
Course information for 2026 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 19 July 2026
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 27 July 2026
- Price from
- $4,320
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Technology, Surveillance and Policing
About this subject
On successful completion, a student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the deployment and regulation of surveillance technologies within contemporary policing practices.
- Analyse the legal, ethical, and political dimensions of technology-enabled surveillance across local, national and international contexts.
- Assess the implications of surveillance and predictive technologies for civil liberties, human rights, and community trust. the legal, ethical, and political dimensions of technology-enabled surveillance across local, national and international contexts.
- Examine legal, regulatory, and human rights frameworks that shape surveillance practices in policing across diverse contexts.
- Communicate evidence-based arguments about policing and surveillance to professional and public audiences.
- Formulate ethically informed and context-sensitive strategies for responding to emerging challenges in digital policing and surveillance.
- A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials.
From early CCTV in banks to AI-driven surveillance, technology has long shaped policing. Today, it permeates all aspects of everyday life, from tracking to predicting and influencing behaviour. As law enforcement and offenders harness digital tools, urgent questions arise about power, privacy, and justice in an increasingly monitored world. This unit adopts a critical, practice-informed approach, engaging students with real-world case studies, legal frameworks, and current technologies to explore how surveillance is implemented, regulated, and experienced in contemporary policing. It explores the expanding role of surveillance in policing, from body-worn and in-car cameras to aerial surveillance, facial recognition, and covert monitoring. Students will examine how these tools are deployed in everyday policing, while critically analysing their unintended consequences, including overreach, bias, and privacy violations. The unit also considers the legal and ethical frameworks governing surveillance and the emerging role of AI in law enforcement. Students will critically assess the ethical, legal, and operational dimensions of surveillance and its limits. They will develop the capacity to evaluate the use and misuse of technology by public and private actors and anticipate the challenges and possibilities posed by emerging technologies.
- Case Study Analysis (25%)
- Policy Brief (35%)
- Video Presentation (40%)
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.
Learn more about Macquarie University.
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- QS World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:
- 11
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:
- 9
Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Core
- MAQ-CRI-MAS-2026 - Master of Criminology
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
Others
Pre-requisite- Admission to MCT(OUA) OR MCrim(OUA) OR MCyberSecAnalysis(OUA) OR MSS(OUA) MIntell(OUA) OR GradCertSecStudCr(OUA)
NCCW (2020 and onwards)
CRIM8022 Technology, Surveillance and Policing
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
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.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
PostgraduateMAQ-CRI-MAS