Course Overview

About This Course

Human rights advocacy has never been more important. Human rights is a highly significant and swiftly growing field of domestic and global research and practice within law, criminal justice, history, philosophy and politics, and this cross-disciplinary degree is aimed at committed altruists who want a specialist qualification preparing them to be leading human rights advocates of the 21st century. The criminology and criminal justice component explores the causes of antisocial behaviour and builds the knowledge and expertise needed to make a valuable contribution in the criminal justice sector, covering the complex causes and impact of crime and the legal and social policies that keep us safe, with studies in forensic psychology, forensic science, cybercrime, border protection and biosecurity, and understanding violence and trauma. The double degree takes five years full-time or equivalent part-time and requires 400 credit points: 180 credit points on the criminology and criminal justice side, including a community engagement unit, and 220 credit points on the human rights side drawn from arts and humanities units, theology and philosophy units, Thomas More Law School units, human rights electives and 20 credit points of University Core Curriculum. For the criminology and criminal justice component students undertake an 80-hour placement associated with the criminal justice sector, with intensive training in workplace approaches and practices beforehand and a debriefing with a clinical education specialist afterwards. The course is offered at ACU's Brisbane, Melbourne, North Sydney and Strathfield campuses; in Sydney, law and criminology units are taught at North Sydney while most arts and philosophy units are taught at Strathfield.

Where You Can Study

Available Locations

Melbourne

1200 Mair St, Ballarat, VIC 3350

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Student Information

Fees & Entry by Student Type

Tuition Fee

AUD $18,024

Duration

5 years full-time or equivalent part-time

Intakes

Semester 1 intake: Beginning March 2027 (Applications open August 2026) | Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Beginning August 2027 (Applications open April 2027)

Study Mode

Full-time or part-time

Eligibility

Entry Requirements

General Requirements

Domestic students

An applicant must comply with ACU's Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
Subject prerequisites by state:
- New South Wales: Assumed knowledge: 2 units of English (any) (Band 3)
- Queensland: Prerequisites: English (Units 3 & 4, C)
- Victoria: Prerequisites: Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English as an Additional Language (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL
Indicative ATAR: 60.00 (Brisbane), 60.00 (Melbourne), 60.00 (North Sydney), 60.00 (Strathfield).
Applicants who have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above are assigned a new selection rank reflecting their study level, duration and grade point average, and prior study or relevant work experience may attract credit or recognition of prior learning.
ACU also assesses applicants on recent secondary education, prior VET study, and work and life experience.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2027 Admission.

International students

International applicants need the equivalent of an Australian Year 12 Certificate and must meet the same subject prerequisites listed above.
Applicants must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy, including ACU's English Language Proficiency requirements.
International students completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (either outside or in Australia), an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, or a New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 3 must apply for admission through their local Tertiary Admission Centre (TAC) and are assessed on their performance in those studies (i.e. their ATAR or equivalent).

Career & Study Pathways

Where this takes you

Career Opportunities

Graduates can pursue careers in:
• NGOs, both domestic and international
• Advocacy: domestic and international advocacy, humanitarian services, disaster relief, policy development, volunteer co-ordination
• Social services: human services provision, public health, economic development, policy development
• Policy advising
• Reintegration consulting
• Police (state, territory or federal)
• Immigration and border protection
• Community corrections
• Communications: foreign news reporting/correspondence, investigative journalism, research

Quality & Recognition

Accreditation & Migration

Academic Regulator

TEQSA

Accreditation Status

Accredited

Course Content

Units of Competency

All Units104 units

LCRM101

Introduction to Criminology

LCRM104

Juvenile Justice

LCRM105

Violent Crime and Society

LCRM106

Introduction to Criminal Justice System and Policy

LCRM107

Introduction to Research for Law, Human Rights and Criminal Justice Studies

LCRM108

Criminal Law for Criminology & Human Rights Studies

LCRM109

Public Law for Criminology & Human Rights Studies

LCRM201

Introduction to Forensic Psychology and the Law

LCRM202

Police Studies

LCRM203

Introduction to Forensic Science and the Law

LCRM206

Victimology

LCRM207

Corrections and Rehabilitation of Offenders

LCRM301

Researching Criminology

LCRM302

Customs, Border Protection and Biosecurity

LCRM305

Cybercrime

LAWS111

Indigenous Peoples and International Law

ECON225

Economics of Crime and Punishment

LCRM208

Green Criminology

LCRM209

Crime, Media & Popular Culture

LCRM211

Arrest and Detention

LCRM212

Terrorism

LCRM213

International Criminal Law

LCRM303

Criminology Research Project

LCRM311

Corruption and White-Collar Crime

LCRM312

Mental Disorder and Criminal Justice

LHRG306

Human Rights Advocacy

LCRM313

Restorative Justice

LCRM307

Issues In Ethical Policing

LCRM306

Criminal Justice Ethics

LAWS110

Of Civil Government and Indigenous Peoples

LAWS202

Comparative Legal Systems

LAWS216

Native Title Law and Practice

LAWS217

Philosophy of Law and Justice: Indigenous Peoples

LAWS215

Housing and Rental Law

LAWS312

International Study Tour

LAWS318

Indigenous Knowledge and Intellectual Property

LAWS319

Oceans and Land Law: Just Terms

LAWS407

International Human Rights Law

LHRG106

Human Rights and Business Regulation

LHRG111

Human Rights and Indigenous People

LCRM304

Community Engagement

HIST106

Australian Indigenous Peoples Past and Present

SOCS101

Global Society and Change

HIST251

Human Rights in History

POLS213

Security, Terrorism and Human Rights

SOCS300

Power Wealth and Welfare: Social Issues and Policy

POLS309

World Politics and Justice

PHIL104

Introduction to Ethics

PHIL202

Justice, Authority and Human Rights

PHIL225

The Ground and Nature of Rights

PHIL324

Human Rights: Contemporary Moral Issues

PHCC102

Being Human

PHCC104

Ethics and the Good Life

PHCC106

Making Sense: Practical Reasoning for Life and Career

THCC100

Revolutionary Values: Christianity in History

THCC101

People Matter: Catholic Social Thought

TPCC100

Life and Meaning: Imagining Ourselves through Art and Cinema

PHCC201

The Origins of the Sciences and Contemporary Challenges

THCC200

Justice in the World: Catholic Social Ethics in Global Perspective

THCC202

Sacred Land: Australian Indigenous Spiritualities and Catholic Thought

TPCC201

Ecology and Justice

TPCC202

Conflict, Violence and Peace-making

LHRG103

Legal Institutions and Human Rights

LHRG106

Human Rights and Business Regulation

LHRG207

Human Rights and Criminal Justice

LHRG203

Australian Human Rights Law and Policy

LHRG303

International Humanitarian Law

LHRG306

Human Rights Advocacy

LAWS312

International Study Tour

LAWS215

Housing and Rental Law

DVST101

Humanitarian Work and Aid

DVST200

Refugees and Forced Migration

GEOG214

Sustainability: The Global Challenge

GEOG216

Climate Change: Past, Present and Future

GEOG217

Political Geography: Borders, Migration and Conflict

GEOG310

Sustainable Cities and Communities

HIST115

Global History: Six Degrees of Separation

HIST208

Fascism

HIST214

Immigrants and Refugees in Australian History

HIST231

Women in History

HIST256

War and Peace

HIST257

To Protect or Punish? Childhood and Youth in History

HIST267

Diasporas and Journeys: Migration in World History

HIST327

Settler Colonies in Indigenous Lands

LHRG106

Human Rights and Business Regulation

LHRG211

The Australian Constitution and Human Rights

LHRG311

Intellectual Property and Human Rights

PHIL201

Issues in Bioethics

PHIL204

Knowledge, Rationality and Scepticism

PHIL215

Early Modern Philosophy

PHIL224

Ancient Greek Philosophy

POLS211

The Dragon Awakens: China and the New World

POLS214

The Nature of Democracy

POLS216

Populism in the 21st Century: From Brexit to Trump and Beyond

POLS217

Religion and World Politics

POLS218

Authoritarianism in the 21st Century

POLS219

Post-Colonial and Non-Western Politics

SOCS202

Culture: Rights, Representation, Resistance

SOCS207

Meaning of Life: Researching Qualitatively

SOCS209

Race and Ethnicity: Australian and Global Perspectives

SOCS239

Sociology of Gender and Sexuality

SOCS243

Global Health

SOCS302

People Count: Researching Globally with Quantitative Methods

THEL215

All Roads Lead to: Mapping Laudato Si' and UN Sustainable Development Goals

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What fields of study does this dual degree cover?

The Bachelor of Human Rights/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice covers two fields of study: Studies in Human Society (under the Society and Culture broad field) for the first qualification, and Criminology (also under Society and Culture) for the second qualification.

How long does this dual degree take to complete?

The course has a duration of 260 weeks as listed on the CRICOS registry.

Does this course include a work component?

Yes, the course includes a work component of 5 hours per week over 16 weeks, totalling 80 hours of work-integrated learning.

How much does the course cost for international students?

The estimated total course cost for international students is AU$189,520, based on ACU's published international tuition rate of $4,738 per 10 credit point unit for the 400 credit points required.

At which campuses is this course available?

This course is available at four campuses: Australian Catholic University's North Sydney Campus (NSW), Strathfield Campus (NSW), Brisbane Campus (QLD), and Melbourne Campus (VIC), all of which are owned and operated by the provider.

Application

How to Apply

Three simple steps to get enrolled

Step 01

Enquire

Click "Enquire Now" and tell us a little about yourself. It's free and takes 2 minutes.

Step 02

Submit Documents

Our team will guide you on exactly which documents to prepare and submit.

Step 03

Get Enrolled

Receive your offer letter and confirm your enrolment. Welcome to the course!

Course Snapshot

Salary, careers & skills

Typical Salary

Entry-level (0-2 years)AUD $50,000 to $65,000 per year

Early Career (2-5 years)AUD $65,000 to $85,000 per year

Mid-Level (5-10 years)AUD $85,000 to $105,000 per year

Career Paths

Police OfficerIntelligence AnalystPolicy Officer – Crime and JusticeCorrections OfficerYouth Justice Worker

Key Skills

Critical analysis of crime theories and criminal behaviourResearch design, data collection, and quantitative/qualitative analysisPolicy evaluation and evidence-based policy developmentUnderstanding of Australian criminal law and the justice systemRisk assessment and offender management frameworks

Full Course Overview

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Bachelor of Human Rights/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

About This Course

Available Locations

Fees & Entry by Student Type

Entry Requirements

Where this takes you

Accreditation & Migration

Units of Competency

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Apply

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