Diploma in Criminology

The Diploma in Criminology is an important stepping-stone to achieve your career and study goals. Students who undertake this diploma can gain credit for up to the first year of study and articulate into the second year of the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at ACU, or exit with the Diploma in Criminology as a standalone qualification. Not only does the diploma have lower entry requirements than ACU's bachelor degrees, it also helps you develop the skills needed to succeed in more advanced tertiary study, and it provides domestic students with a Commonwealth supported place (CSP-funded). ACU supports you from start to finish, whether you have just finished Year 12 or finished years ago, with smaller class sizes, tailored support as you transition to university study, and a range of student services.

To complete the Diploma in Criminology, a student must complete 80 credit points of specified units over one year full-time or equivalent part-time, with all units delivered in multi-mode. The eight units cover academic literacy in law and criminology, introduction to criminology, violent crime and society, the criminal justice system and policy, juvenile justice, human rights and Indigenous people, research methods, and public law. It is an AQF Level 5 qualification with Semester 1 and Semester 2 entry; students enrolling in professional terms can only study at the Townsville Leadership Centre. Students who complete the diploma may also apply for entry into the Bachelor of Laws, and it may provide a pathway into double degrees pairing Criminology and Criminal Justice with Human Rights, Laws or Psychology, with credit given for the same units completed in the diploma.