phd criminology deakin

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Criminology

Help make the world a safer place – study criminology at Deakin to discover the causes of crime and how it can be prevented. With the perfect balance of theory and practical learning you will explore a number of disciplines, including psychology, sociology and history.

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Find a criminology degree

Deakin provides specialised study for students seeking a career in the criminal justice system. Our teaching takes a unique and highly relevant approach to understanding security, surveillance, terrorism and policing, providing you with the necessary skills for a successful career in criminology.

Undergraduate

Undergraduate (your first degree).

An undergraduate degree is generally completed between two to four years, depending on the pattern of study and any recognition of prior learning you may have. Associate degrees, bachelor and bachelor with honours are all undergraduate degrees.

Postgraduate

Postgraduate (further study).

A postgraduate qualification can be undertaken by students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or possess significant, demonstrable work experience. Postgraduate courses include graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, masters and PhDs, as well as specialist programs for industry professionals.

Looking for a criminology degree that will prepare you for the workplace?

Graduate with on-the-job experience and a transferable skillset that can be applied to any industry.

Long-term industry partnerships

Our criminology courses are designed in conjunction with professional bodies, including Victoria Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. So you can be confident the knowledge and skills you gain will be highly relevant to your future career.

Practical learning opportunities

Set yourself apart when you graduate with invaluable on-the-job experience. Our work-integrated learning opportunities enable you to apply your skills in real-world settings.

Transferable skills to make an impact

Criminology students develop strong analytical, research and communication skills, which are transferable to almost any industry. You will gain the confidence to tackle complex social issues and make a positive impact on the world's challenges.

Start your journey with Deakin College

Take the first step towards your dream degree at Deakin College. Based on campus, Deakin College provides a supportive and smooth pathway to a world-class degree at Deakin University. Successfully complete the Diploma of Communication and transition directly into a second-year bachelor degree.

Top professional roles in criminology

Employment in public administration and safety is projected to grow 8.8% by 2033.* Get ahead with Deakin – we will help you build your network within the community and industry.

• 7,600 new jobs for police
• 6,700 new jobs for intelligence and policy analysts
• 2,900 new jobs for social professionals (such as criminologists).

Enjoy a world-class education

90.8% of Deakin undergraduates find jobs within four months of completing their course. ^

Deakin is the best choice you can make if you are looking to challenge the status quo and understand the world in a more critical way.

Taylor, Australia

Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Arts (Honours)/Doctorate of Philosophy (Criminology)

World-class teaching

Deakin’s industry-shaped courses and practical, real-world approach to learning will prepare you to be adaptable across the jobs of the future.

Strong industry connections

Gain a competitive advantage from our strong industry connections. Leaders from industry sit on our advisory board to collaborate with staff and ensure our courses reflect real-world best practices.

Leading the way

Deakin delivers one of the most established and forward-looking criminology courses in Australia.

Why study in Australia?

Safe, welcoming and diverse, Australia is one of the most popular destinations for students around the world. Discover what it’s like to live and study in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

#1 university for student support

Coming to Australia to study can be the adventure of a lifetime. From orientation and welcome sessions to academic support and social activities, we are here to support you every step of the way.

Cost of studying in Australia

Make your dream of studying at university in Australia a reality. Learn how university fees work, how to calculate and pay your fees and discover international scholarship opportunities.

Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. For more information, visit our list of sources . * 2023 Employment Projections - for the 10 years to 2033, Jobs and Skills Australia. ^ Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023, Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), based on domestic undergraduates in the labour market finding employment 4–6 months after course completion.

Get help or contact Deakin

Our friendly advisers are available to speak to you one-on-one about your study options, support services for international students and how we can help you study at Deakin in Australia.

Phone: +61 3 9918 9188

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Which best describes you?

Domestic student

• an Australian citizen;
• an Australian permanent resident;
• an Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder;
• a New Zealand citizen.

International student

• a temporary resident (visa status) of Australia;
• a permanent resident (visa status) of New Zealand;
• a resident or citizen of any other country, intending to study on a student visa.

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Explore why crime occurs

Study criminology at deakin.

• One of the most established courses in Australia
• Learn from pioneering and innovative industry experts
• Graduate with skills to tackle criminal justice issues

Download our study guide now to see how our practical criminology courses can fast-track your career

Our criminology courses are designed with Victoria Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Thank you for downloading our guide

Explore Criminology at Deakin.

By submitting this form, I agree to Deakin University's Privacy Policy and that a representative from Deakin may contact you by email, phone and SMS in relation to your enquiry and to provide you with further information about its programs.

You can confidently choose Deakin

Deakin’s online courses are recognised by industry, recommended by your peers and will make you a highly sought-after graduate.

of universities worldwide⁵

60,000+

ONLINE STUDENTS

#1 Victorian

UNIVERSITY FOR COURSE SATISFACTION¹

Award-winning

UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICE²

Are you ready for a successful career in criminal justice?

Find out which criminology course is right for you.

Find your course

Associate Degree of Arts

Guaranteed pathway entry

Is the Bachelor of Criminology your dream course but you don't quite meet the entry requirements? Deakin's Associate Degree of Arts offers a guaranteed study pathway to help make your career goals a reality.

Smaller class sizes

giving you better access to teachers in your first year. Support services available to you whenever and however you need it.

University can be a challenge, which is why we’ve designed a course that offers you a supported learning environment and a guaranteed pathway into Deakin’s Bachelor of Criminology.

⸻⸻⸻⸻

You’ll complete units from the Bachelor of Criminology while studying the Associate Degree of Arts.

Bachelor of Criminology

Available online or on campus

Deakin delivers one of the most established and forward-looking criminology courses in Australia. Learn from pioneering and innovative, industry experts. Bridge theory with practice with work-integrated learning opportunities. 

2,900 new jobs

for social professionals which include criminologists

Deakin is the best choice you can make if you are looking to challenge the status quo and understand the world in a more critical way.

Taylor McCaw

Bachelor of Criminology graduate

Combined criminology courses

Expand your career opportunities

A combined course lets you pursue complementary studies in both degrees while exploring particular areas of interest to you. Combined courses also let you complete both courses more quickly than completing one degree followed by the other.

6 combined courses

to choose from. Complement your criminology studies by pairing with another degree including: business, cyber security, laws, arts, forensic science and psychological science.

With Deakin’s range of double degrees, it’s an incredible opportunity and an even better course structure, with lecturers who truly want to see you succeed.

Millie Taylor

Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Laws

Want to see more? Download to explore our courses.

Diverse careers in justice

Employment in Public Administration and Safety is projected to grow 8.8% by May 2033.³ Diverse and challenging careers include criminologist, policy advisor, crime trend analyst, crime researcher and more. Strong analytical, research and communication skills means criminology graduates have a distinct advantage in private organisations.

Our interactive learning platform brings the classroom to you

Study online and take full control over how you study. You can study online and on-campus, too.

Flexible online learning

Our flexible degrees let you continue your career while you study. You can learn at your own pace, when and where it suits you, without compromising quality or support.

of Deakin students found studying had a  positive impact on their career.   4

of graduates say they’d  recommend  studying at Deakin to family, friends or colleagues. 4

Where could a criminology degree take you?

A single or double degree in criminology opens up diverse employment opportunities. Our recent criminology graduates share their advice and experience.

I chose to study at Deakin because of the flexibility it encourages. I could take my degree at a slower pace with part-time study or could accelerate my degree through Deakin’s trimester system and have my degree completed in a shorter amount of time.

Trent Jansz

When I first started at Deakin, I was a kid who had lofty ideals of changing the world but no idea how to start. Deakin helped me ground those ideals without feeling silly for having them in the first place.

Vanessa Brown

Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Psychological Science

I worked for Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) as a Family and Carer Advocate during my final year of uni. Once I graduated I worked interstate as a caseworker in Youth Justice and am now a Team Leader.

Graduate ready for the jobs of tomorrow

You can confidently choose Deakin - for the past 40 years we’ve been perfecting distance and online learning.

Premium online study

Join our community of students  and discover why we’re in the top 1% of universities worldwide. 5

Supported learning

Learn via a  premium interactive platform  with Australia’s highest rated tech support. 6

Ready to launch a career you love?

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What’s it really like to be a criminologist?

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Your understanding of criminology was likely shaped through the fast and exciting world of pop culture. Shows like Criminal Minds and NCIS have often portrayed the criminologist as a gun wielding, crime fighting protagonist.

In reality, the field of criminology remains incredibly diverse, defined by multidisciplinary insights and collaboration. A career in criminology investigates the factors that cause criminal behaviour and how crime can be prevented within wider society.

Dr Diarmaid Harkin, lecturer in criminology at Deakin University, has conducted a number of studies into community policing policy in Scotland. To provide a glimpse into the mysterious world of criminology, we speak to him about what it really is like to be a criminologist.

Want a career in criminology? Get started now.

Is a career in criminology as glamorous as pop culture has presented it?

‘Certain perceptions exist about criminology and can often be confused with forensics. Consequently it is not as glamorous as many might anticipate, but every bit as interesting as people imagine! Working on topics varying from terrorism and cybercrime to national drug policy makes the job endlessly fascinating.’

What qualifications are required to become a criminologist? 

‘Criminologists come from many different fields and are defined more by subject matter rather than required expertise. Criminology is often referred to as a ‘rendezvous subject’; a varied combination of topics ranging from sociology, law and politics. Therefore, criminologists are inherently inter-disciplinary and generally have many skill sets.’

What would a budding criminologist look like?

‘A PhD graduate in criminology would be coming off a three to four year period spent working on one major project. During this time, they may have also worked on several other projects as a research assistant or collaborator. This allows them to develop expertise within a given field or topic.’

'Working on topics varying from terrorism and cybercrime to national drug policy makes the job endlessly fascinating.' Dr Diarmaid Harkin, Lecturer in criminology, Deakin University

What are some challenging aspects of being a criminologist?

‘The challenges facing criminology are the challenges facing most academic disciplines: time and funding. Within criminology, a fine balance exists between doing research we are passionate about and research that society needs. There are always more questions to be asked and more answers to be found, but only so much time and opportunity.’

What career paths does criminology provide? 

‘Criminology can prepare students and graduates for several different pathways. Obviously, there are a number of jobs in law enforcement, including work in victim support services or offender rehabilitation and reintegration. There are also opportunities to work in policy strategy, determining how society can best deliver safe communities.’

How has technology impacted the role of the criminologist?

‘Technology has a massive impact on crime, justice and criminology. Official crime data suggests that most offenses are on the long-term decline including, murder rates, assaults and robbery. However, with the rise of the digital age, cyber offenses are on a steady increase while the scale of cyber offending is escalating. In the future, technology-facilitated offending will impact the role of criminologists and the topics they study.’

What has been the most memorable part of your job?

‘Doing research allows you to meet a lot of new people and gain insights into fascinating corners of the criminal justice system. For instance, I have recently been granted access to specialist cybercrime units in two different Australian states. This is a great opportunity to analyse and understand how criminal justice functions within society.’

Lecturer in Criminology, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University

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