Course

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology and Criminology)

Approved Abbreviation: BSocSc(Psy&Crim)

Western Sydney University Course Code: 1886.1

AQF Level: 7

The Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology and Criminology) combines broad-based studies in the social sciences, a major in criminology and an undergraduate sequence in psychology that is a foundation for anyone wishing to go on to further study to become a psychologist. Psychology is the field of inquiry that uses scientific techniques and methods to understand and explain behaviour and experience. As a profession, it involves the application of psychological knowledge to practical problems in human behaviour. The criminology major affords students the opportunity to study crime and criminal justice in a critical way that stresses social and cultural definitions of criminality and the reactions to it. Areas of focus include criminal justice institutions and practices; the development of criminology as a discipline and its various strands; forms and patterns of victimisation; crime prevention strategies and debates; aspects of juvenile justice; First Peoples and criminal justice; the evolution of prisons and different forms of punishment; law enforcement and surveillance; violence, gender and crime; cultural depictions of crime and contemporary debates in criminology. This degree equips students with the interdisciplinary and specialist skills and knowledge that a new graduate would need on entering the workforce or proceeding to advanced study.

Study Mode
Three years full-time or six years part-time.

Accreditation
This course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) on the basis that it meets all the APAC Accreditation Standards (June 2010) for a three year sequence of study in psychology.

Admission

Students apply for admission to this course directly through WSU Online. Eligibility will be assessed on the basis of a competitive ATAR or equivalent rank (using non-proximate indicators of success) for school leavers and non-recent school leavers.

Course Structure

Recommended Sequence

Full-time

Year 1

Trimester 1

101557

The Individual in Society

101551

Understanding Society

101183

Psychology: Behavioural Science

102039