Criminology

“When I took the unit 'Crime and Society' with Dr Joe Clare, it was really interesting: my preconceptions that I had around what crime is, who the criminal is and how crime interacts with society, versus the facts - what it is in reality - and learning that I found really thrilling.”

--Tamara, current student

• Boosts analytical, critical, problem solving skills and project management.
• Regarded highly by future employers in wide range of sectors: business, law, government, semi-government.
• Leads to higher earnings and better career advances.
• Increases admission chances of highly-sought graduate degrees domestically and internationally, including the Juris Doctor and the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

The world has a lot of room for improvement, but all those challenges won't fix themselves. What they need is new talent, new perspectives and new drive. What they need is you.

Here are five courses that will give you the tools and experience you need to get out there and make a difference. 

You’ve seen Walter White go from bumbling chemist to successful drug lord. You’ve gawped as Dexter’s mixed crime fighting with serial killing. And you’ve probably watched Villanelle finish off another target with nothing but a hairpin and a smirk.

But could you spot a psychopath in real life?

1. It's interdisciplinary and varied: in the Criminology major you'll take units from a wide range of areas, including Law, Psychology, Finance, Anthropology and Sociology, Geography and History.

2. It's fascinating: learning about crime and criminal law is interesting. From understanding the criminal justice system to tracking the history of crime and punishment in Britain, you'll be constantly surprised and intrigued along the way.

3. It's practical: whether you're majoring in Criminology itself, or taking it as a second major, it works well in combination with Psychology, Law and Society and History in particular.

4. It's well regarded by employers: you'll develop the capacity to think critically, integrate theory and research to practice, and communicate effectively in written and oral forms, all of which are excellent skills to have upon graduation.

• An understanding of the breadth of issues in contemporary criminology and the criminal justice system.
• How to critique crime and criminal law.
• Transferable creative thinking, teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Professor Harry Blagg teaches criminology in the UWA Law School. He has a national and international reputation as a leading criminologist specialising in Indigenous people and criminal justice, young people and crime, family and domestic violence, crime prevention, diversionary strategies, policing and restorative justice.

"When I tell people I majored in Criminology, the first thing they often say is, 'Like SVU?' Contrary to popular belief, the Criminology major doesn’t entail dusting a crime scene for fingerprints, nor sitting down to chat with the likes of Hannibal Lector. However, I will say that the degree has been extremely eye-opening and compelling in its own right."

Follow Ava through a day in her life as a criminology student.

Interested in forensic anthropology? Find out how forensic investigators solve crimes. 

"I’m committed to evidence-based decision-making for emergency first responders and focused on using administrative data to make prevention-focused policy and practice decisions."

Dr Joe Clare coordinates the Criminology major. A criminologist, award-winning lecturer and researcher at the UWA Law School, his research interests include body-worn cameras by WA police, crime prevention, and academic misconduct.

Employers seek graduates with a breadth of knowledge from multiple complementary areas. Have you considered taking a second major to increase your skills and experience?

Criminology pairs well with these other majors:

• Anthropology and Sociology: study culture, social behaviours and systems of meaning in human societies
• Law and Society: pair a knowledge of crime with a holistic understanding of legal systems. 
• Psychology in Society: analyse the science behind why people do what they do 

The UWA Law School is ranked in the top 100 law schools in the world (QS 2021, THE WUR 2021). You will join and contribute to 90 years of excellence: we were the first law school established in WA and the fifth oldest in Australia.

Our graduates include a Prime Minister, a Governor of Western Australia, State Ministers, Justices of the Supreme Court of WA, a Young Australian of the Year, Rhodes Scholars, and more.

While we have a long and proud history, we're also a closely-knit, creative and progressive Law School, fostering critical thought, ethical scholarship and practice, a deep connection to our Indigenous past and present, and supportive student culture based upon wellbeing and inclusion.