Improve justice and reduce crime by understanding the social causes and consequences of crime.
This double degree provides graduates with a comprehensive knowledge of the social causes and consequences of crime and disadvantage; including dimensions of disability, mental health, gender, ethnicity, race, poverty, employment and locality.
Commences Semester 1, 2016
- Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.
- * Estimated tuition fees are based on 2025 rates. Refer to international fees for more information.
- Not all majors/minors and elective options are available at every campus. You should refer to the What Can I Study tab, and the proposed study sequence for your chosen campus and intake for further information.
This double degree provides graduates with a comprehensive knowledge of the social causes and consequences of crime and disadvantage; including dimensions of disability, mental health, gender, ethnicity, race, poverty, employment and locality.
You will gain enhanced skills in a range of specific social and criminology knowledge areas, as well as high levels of literacy and information and communication technology skills, equipping you for work in the human service and/or criminal justice industries.
Within the social work component you will benefit from teaching staff that include practising social workers. You'll also gain valuable practical experience in field education opportunities. The social work component of the program is fully accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers, and prepares professionals to work with individuals, families, groups and communities.
Career opportunities
Graduates are eligible to work in a broad range of industries and roles including mental health, social research, policy development and analysis, organisational management, community development and education, in government, community agencies and private practice. Enhanced employment prospects created by the criminology components of the degree include crime and justice research and policy, youth advocacy and at-risk youth support, crime victim support services, and offender transition-from-prison programs.
Program structure
Program Structure
Social Work courses
Introductory courses (3)
COR109 Torts A
SCS130 Cell Biology
SCS172 Systemic Physiology I
Advanced courses (15)
SCS230 Science Research Methods
SCS235 Torts B
SCS251 Systemic Physiology II
SCS266 Environment, Technology and Sustainability
SCS277 Contracts A
SCS278 Biochemistry
SCS285 Pathophysiology
SCS290 Introduction to Mathematics
SWK301 Mathematics Foundations
SWK302 Contracts B
SWK303 Property A
SWK401 Constitutional Law
SWK402 Corporations and Partnership Law
SWK404 Property B
SWK407 Equity & Trusts
Criminology courses
Introductory courses (7)
CRM101 Civil Procedure
CRM102 Administrative Law
CRM103 Evidence
CRM105 Professional Conduct
JST101 Regulation
PSY100 Learning and Teaching in the Practice Environment
SCS110 Research in Health Care
Advanced courses (6)
CRM202 Leadership in Clinical Practice
CRM204 Qualitative Research: Approaches and Practice
CRM301 Quantitative Research Methods
CRM304 Research Project A
LGL201 Research Project B
SCS225 Research Project C
Elective courses (3)
Select 3 elective courses from either faculty (Arts, Business and Law or Science, Health, Education and Engineering).
Suggested electives include:
CRM201 Research Project F
JST202 Introduction to Economics
LGL202 Discovering Management
CRM203 Marketing Essentials
CRM302 Communication and Thought
CRM303 Exploring Business Research
CRM305 Accounting for Business
CRM306 Introduction to Informatics
SCS286 Business Law and Ethics
SCS295 Project Management
Note: Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.
Total units: 480
Recommended study sequences
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements
In order to graduate you must:
- Complete 3 introductory level (100 coded) required social work courses including COR109
- Complete 15 advanced level (200/300/400 coded) required social work course
- Complete 2 field education placements (SWK301 Social Work Field Education 1 and SWK404 Social Work Field Education 2) in the third and fourth years of the program
- Complete 7 required introductory level (100 coded) criminology courses
- Complete 6 required advanced level (200/300 coded) criminology courses
- Complete 3 elective courses
- Complete no more than 15 introductory level (100 coded) courses in total, including the core course
In order to commence field education placement you must:
- Hold a valid Blue Card, throughout the duration of your program, which is issued by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (CCYPCG). You should allow 12 weeks for CCYPCG to issue the card. Note: students who do not possess a valid Blue Card will be unable to complete the field education component of their program and will be unable to meet graduation requirements
- Have a National Criminal History check (by Queensland Police Service or other state/territory authority)
- Travel to attend field education placements
- Please note, while all endeavours will be made to place students in a given semester, this is not guaranteed and students may need to enrol at a later time should a position in an agency be unavailable in the preferred semester
Program notes
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses)
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations. Not all courses will necessarily include all methods
- As part of your USC program, you may apply to Study Overseas to undertake courses with an overseas higher education provider
- When enrolling, refer to the Study Plan