Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice/Psychology (Honours)

The Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice/Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is designed for students who want to improve social progress and outcomes for people interacting with the criminal justice system. This is a new criminology and psychology degree which combines interdisciplinary study with UNSW’s leading research. UNSW is the highest-ranking institution for criminology research in NSW (ERA Ratings, 2018)​. You’ll graduate with two of UNSW’s most highly regarded bachelor’s degrees preparing you for a successful career in a growing sector with projected job growth well into the future.

In this innovative degree, you will gain a real-world perspective into crime, deviance, social control and the legal system, along with an understanding of the brain, cognitive and decision-making processes and mental health. Address contemporary social problems, including victimisation, juvenile justice, drug-related harm, community safety, Indigenous justice, environmental harm and state crime.

In this degree you’ll conduct psychological research to understand the mechanisms which impact complex human behaviours that you can draw on in your degree and future roles. By merging two degrees in complementary areas, you’ll graduate with a more holistic understanding of crime and human behaviour while gaining skills and knowledge to achieve better social outcomes.

Recognised experts

The Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice is the highest-ranked Crime and Criminalisation program in Australia while UNSW is ranked 2^nd in Australia for Psychology (Edurank 2024 & QS World University Rankings 2024). Our top-ranking degrees are strengthened by our pioneering research: UNSW is the highest-ranking institution for criminology research in NSW (ERA Ratings, 2018). The School of Psychology is well known for its research, many of our staff are internationally renowned in their respective fields, many are Fellows of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences.

Career services for law and justice

You can experience professional career settings before you even finish your degree. Through visits to courts and prisons, you’ll get a real-world perspective on the criminal justice system. UNSW Law and Justice students also benefit from the faculty’s dedicated in-house careers service that positions graduates competitively to secure a rewarding job when they complete their degree. You can also choose to complete Work Integrated Learning as an elective and a capstone course “Criminology in Practice” to get career-ready.

New degree with contemporary issues in focus

This double degree is being launched for the first time in 2025. The program of study is designed by in the field, leading researchers, existing practitioners, academics and industry bodies to ensure your education is relevant to the current demands of the sector and you’ll be ready for the jobs of today, and tomorrow.