Launch into a unique career that reflects your passion and purpose. The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Law is a five-year double degree that will provide you with the opportunity to gain valuable qualifications of professional importance to the public sector, criminal justice system, community service, business and legal practice.

In this degree, you’ll develop excellent analytical skills, a capacity for scholarly research, effective oral and written communication skills, and a commitment to personal and professional development, ethical practice and social responsibility. Pairing your study of Law with Criminology and Criminal Justice will allow you to develop an understanding of historical and current issues, including drug policy, sexual and alcohol-related violence, organised crime and Indigenous mass incarceration, from different perspectives. You'll learn about key criminal justice institutions including the police, courts and prison, and their impact on the community.

The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Law double degree program is five years full-time and consists of 40 courses (240 Units of Credit).

Two degrees doesn’t mean double the workload. Each year you’ll complete the same number of units as a single degree full-time study load, eight courses (48 UOC) across three terms. Our three-term calendar allows you the flexibility to tailor your schedule to suit your goals. With two three-course terms and one two-course term per year, you’ll have the time to focus on completing extra-curricular activities on campus or for-credit industry opportunities.

As part of your degree, you’ll undertake hands-on courses that integrate industry experience into your program. You’ll also participate in interactive teaching, group work, and a clinical component in which you’ll work with clients and lawyers at Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC), a fully functioning legal centre that operates out of the UNSW Law & Justice Building.

Full program structure

The Bachelor of Laws will explore all the areas of law you’re required to understand and teach you essential skills such as legal research, reasoning and analysis. Through your core law courses, you’ll comprehensively study all areas of the law, including torts, administrative law, constitutional law, criminal law and contracts. Your law electives will allow you to dive into areas of the law that interest you most, such as human rights, taxation law, commercial law, property law and international law.

The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice brings together interdisciplinary courses designed to explore your interests and investigate a broad range of topics from different perspectives. You'll study courses that bring together knowledge from law, philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, politics, economics, architecture and cultural studies. 

Below is an example of what you could study in a standard five-year, full-time study plan.

First Year

• 3 Law Core Courses
• 2 Criminology Core Courses
• 3 Social Science Core Courses

Second Year

• 3 Law Core Courses
• 2 Criminology Core Courses
• 2 Social Science Core Courses
• 1 Prescribed Criminology Elective

Third Year

• 5 Law Core Courses
• 1 Criminology Core Course
• 1 Social Science Core Courses
• 1 Prescribed Criminology Elective

Fourth Year

• 5 Law Core Courses
• 1 Criminology Core Course
• 1 Social Science Core Courses
• 1 Prescribed Criminology Elective

Fifth Year

• 1 Prescribed Law Elective
• 7 Law Electives

High-achieving students who complete the degree may be eligible to undertake an Honours year. The Honours Program in Criminology provides students with the opportunities to achieve a significant piece of criminological research and graduate well-prepared for a research or policy career.

Go to the handbook

Study Law as a double degree to be a well-rounded graduate prepared for a career practising law or applying your legal mind and skills to other industries. UNSW Law & Justice is ranked 1st in Sydney for employer reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject (Law and Legal Studies), 2023). That’s because we teach our students to think outside the box, so when it comes to your career, employers will seek you out for your critical thinking, persuasive communication, creative problem solving and analytical skills.

You’ll graduate from this degree with two degrees of professional importance, with career opportunities in the public sector, criminal justice, community service, business and law practice. Criminology and Criminal Justice are growing fields with increasing opportunities to create change in communities affected by crime and the social structures and systems that influence and respond to it.

In addition, you may also undertake analytical and research work in a wide range of legal areas such as sentencing and punishment and the social causes of a range of crimes from domestic violence to terrorism.

End-to-end legal Education at UNSW

Completing a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at UNSW is the first step towards becoming a lawyer, followed by Practical Legal Training (PLT). All law graduates in Australia must complete PLT to practise as a lawyer. UNSW’s PLT is the Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice (GDLPP), so you can graduate from one place with all the qualifications you need to launch your legal career.

Step 1 – Complete your Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

Step 2 – Complete your GDLPP at UNSW.

Step 3 – Apply to the Supreme Court for admission to practice.

UNSW Law & Justice students also have the opportunity to fast-track their entry into the legal profession by completing their PLT while finishing their undergraduate degree.

Find out more

Potential careers

• Criminal lawyer
• Policy adviser
• Researcher/analyst
• Attorney-Generals and other government departments
• Crime prevention
• Advocacy
• Law enforcement
• Humanitarian

Our reputation can open doors

Studying at UNSW is about much more than what you learn in the classroom. Through engaging in immersive learning, you’ll become equipped to explore complex ideas required to tackle tomorrow’s big challenges.

The Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Law degree offers a hands-on approach that helps you build your skillset through practical experiences. When you enrol to study this double degree at one of Australia’s top law faculties, you’ll join your peers in a program that is underpinned by an ethos of justice for all.​

Explore ways to think big and form deeper connections with our world. Our award-winning teaching faculty will nurture your passions, purpose & potential and prepare you for a career that will drive positive change beyond borders

UNSW has been named ‘Most Employable University’ by the Australian Financial Review, four years in a row. With on-the-job experience built into the Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Law, you'll graduate with the skills, confidence and connections to launch a successful career in the legal profession.

Graduating from the widely respected Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Law at a prestigious Go8 university like UNSW will open up a world of opportunity that could take you anywhere — Australia and beyond.

Accreditation

Legal Profession Admission Board (NSW)

There are several admission pathways to an undergraduate degree at UNSW including high school qualifications, UNSW Foundation Studies, UNSW Diploma, recognised prior study or university trans

IELTS: 7.0 overall (min. 6.0 in each subtest); TOEFL IBT (Internet Based): 94 overall (min. 25 in writing, 23 in reading, listening and speaking); Pearson (PTE - Academic): 65 overall (min. 54 in each subtest); C1 Advanced Cambridge: 185 overall (min. 169 in each subtest); C2 Proficiency Cambridge: 185 overall (min. 180 in each subtest); UNSW Global University English Entry Course (UEEC): B, Writing C.