Graduate Certificate of Criminology

2024 Deakin University Handbook

Year

2025 course information

Award granted Graduate Certificate of Criminology
Deakin course codeA504
Faculty

Faculty of Arts and Education

CampusThis course is only offered Online
OnlineYes
Duration

Trimester 1: 1 year part-time

Trimester 2: 1 year part-time

Course Map - enrolment planning tool

This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025.

Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.

CRICOS course code0102047 Burwood (Melbourne)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition

The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Studying the Graduate Certificate of Criminology gives you a solid base of knowledge in crime and criminal justice. Begin to approach criminal behaviour, crime policy and prevention from a different angle, applying your learnings to further study or directly in the workforce.

Are you ready to start building your own network of industry connections?

Deakin's postgraduate criminology courses are designed with input from a variety of industry partners and relevant stakeholders including police, policy and regulatory agencies so you can be confident that the skills you develop studying Deakin's Graduate Certificate of Criminology will be relevant to your future or existing career.

You'll push the boundaries of the way we currently look at justice and creatively examine areas of ongoing and emerging criminological concern. Get ready to engage and debate pressing issues of local, national and global concern.

Your core subjects will focus on crime and innovative justice and criminological policy and criminal justice practice. You can also choose elective units, allowing you to create a degree built for your unique career goals. Your elective unit options include:

  • Critical Criminology Theory
  • Public Criminology and Criminological Knowledge
  • Challenges to Democratic Governance
  • Human Rights in World Politics

While the course is conveniently offered on our premium online learning platform, there are also opportunities to engage in practical learning. During the course, you can utilise Deakin's cutting-edge immersive learning environments to experience lively and engaging content.

Career opportunities

As a graduate, your deeper understanding of crime and criminal justice will be in high demand by agencies focused on specific areas of the community. If you're already in the workforce, you'll be prepared for roles that require advanced knowledge, ensuring you're capable of making well-rounded decisions that will positively impact lives.

Once successfully completing this course, you'll also be eligible to apply for the Master of Criminology - a further step in the right direction to becoming a senior criminological expert.

With a Graduate Certificate of Criminology, you can confidently apply for roles as a corrections officer, case manager/worker or specialist adviser and explore a variety of areas, including:

  • anti-corruption agencies
  • correctional facilities and prisons
  • community services
  • criminology research
  • government agencies
  • intelligence and security services
  • sociology and youth work
  • state and federal police

For more information go to DeakinTALENT.

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Pathways

Students who successfully complete this course would meet the entry requirements and therefore be eligible to apply for admission into the A704 Master of Criminology (or similar).

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities Use advanced and integrated knowledge of criminological scholarship to review and analyse key issues in the definitions, history, causes, harms and prevention of different types of crime and criminal behaviour within Australia and internationally
Communication Communicate the findings and analyses of criminological theories, concepts and their application to real-world contexts, in a broad range of written, oral and digital formats, to different audiences associated with or engaged in criminological activities
Digital literacy Employ a broad range of digital technologies to communicate types and forms of crime and appropriate prevention responses to a diverse range of audiences, including the public and individuals and groups associated with or engaged in criminal justice policy and practice
Critical thinking Exercise independent and critical judgement to organise, synthesise and evaluate complex theoretical approaches to defining and explaining crime and criminal behaviour in order to make recommendations to improve current policies and practices that address crime and criminal behaviour
Problem solving Analyse differing perspectives and approaches to preventing and responding to crime and criminal behaviour in a variety of contexts and employ creative problem solving skills to investigate complex problems in a systematic manner as well as to generate creative, contextually aware solutions to those problems
Teamwork Collaborate productively in teams to research and evaluate explanations for and responses to complex issues in crime and criminal behaviour in a variety of national and international contexts
Global citizenship Analyse and respond to criminological issues, in domestic, regional and international contexts, as a reflective scholar and practitioner, taking into account cultural and socio-economic diversity, social and environmental responsibility and adherence to professional and ethical standards in a variety of contexts

Approved at Faculty Board March 2020

Course rules

To complete the Graduate Certificate of Criminology students must pass 4 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate: 

  • DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
  • 2 credit points of core units
  • 2 credit points of course electives

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary. 

Note:

  • This course is part-time only.

Course structure

Core Units

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin

ACR701Crime and Innovative Justice

ACR703Critical Criminological Perspectives

Course Electives

Plus 2 credit points of electives from:

ACR704Public Criminology and Criminological Knowledge

ACR705Digital Surveillance, Law Enforcement and Civil Liberties

ACR707Populism and Policing Futures

ACR709Global Crime, Prevention and Responses

AIP781Political Communication: Public Watchdog Or Propaganda Machine?

AIR726Human Rights in World Politics

AIR732Terrorism in International Politics


Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, and their study discipline or your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.