This combined degree program provides students with an opportunity to obtain two degrees of professional importance to the public sector, criminal justice, community service, business and law practice. Career opportunities include criminal justice agencies such as the Attorney-General's department, Police, Prisons; Customs; ASIO; Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts; Australian Bureau of Statistics; and practising as a criminal law barrister. In addition, graduates may also undertake analytical and research work in a wide range of areas from aspects of law such as sentencing and punishment to the social causes of a range of crimes from domestic violence to terrorism.

The program is of five years full-time study leading to the award of the two degrees of Bachelor of Social Science in Criminology and Bachelor of Laws (BSocScCrim/LLB).

Students must satisfy the normal assumed knowledge requirements for entry to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and to individual courses in that Faculty.

The first three years of the program includes the Bachelor of Social Science core program totalling 48 units of credit.

Students must also complete a total of 36 units of credit in Criminology consisting of:

-Two Criminology core courses in the BSocSc Crim program:

-Four approved Criminology-related electives (24 uoc)

These two core courses from the BSocSc Crim program may not be taken by students of the combined Social Science (Criminology)/Law since there are equivalent courses already existing in the Law program.

The Bachelor of Social Science in Criminology component of this degree program will provide students with a coherent program of knowledge about crime, its causes and social construction, the history and operation of crime control institutions, and the outcome of criminal justice policies. In combination with a Law degree graduates will have the very real advantage of not only understanding the law as a lawyer but also understanding how the law operates, its effects and how society responds.

Unit Requirements

Law compulsory courses - 92 UOC
Law elective courses - 56 UOC
Law research project- 2 UOC
Law Total - 150 UOC

BSocSc Core Program - 48 UOC
Criminology major - 36 UOC
A prerequisite course to a Criminology-related elective - 6 UOC
Social Science in Criminology Total - 90 UOC

Total - 240 UOC

Students enrolled in combined law degrees (other than Juris/Law) are not required to complete general education courses.

Honours in Social Science (Criminology)

Students wishing to take the BSocSc Crim program at Honours level must obtain prior approval from the School of Social Science and the Faculty of Law. At least one and possibly two additional years of study are required.

The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) may be awarded with the following levels of Honours:

Honours Class 1
Honours Class 2, Division 1
Honours Class 2, Division 2

The award of Honours in the LLB program is based on two requirements:

1) the Weighted Average Mark (WAM); and
2) satisfactory performance in written research.

1) Weighted average mark

In general terms, students who score a WAM in the top 10% of the graduating cohort in each semester will be eligible for the award of Honours Class 1; students with a WAM in the next 10% will be eligible for the award of Honours Class 2, Division 1; and students with a WAM in the next 10% will be eligible for the award of Honours Class 2, Division 2.
All courses taken towards the Law degree will be taken into account for written research requirements, but only those taken at UNSW Law School will count towards the WAM.

2) Satisfactory performance in written research

To demonstrate “satisfactory performance in written research” a student must complete one long substantial piece or three shorter substantial pieces of research writing in their program. In particular, a student must attain at least a credit grade either in LAWS 2423 Research Thesis (8 uoc); or (16 uoc); or in each of three (3) research papers of at least 3000 words each, taken in any three (3) courses in the LLB program.
At the time of enrolment in courses in their final semester, students who have demonstrated satisfactory performance in written research must submit an approved Honours Nomination Form to the Honours Committee detailing the basis upon which the research requirement has been met, and the course or courses in which the requisite grades were attained. If a student has not met the Honours research requirement before the end of their penultimate semester, he or she must notify the Honours committee of the LLB courses in which they propose to meet the requirement before the census date in their last semester.

Failures and Academic Misconduct

In no circumstances will a student be eligible for the award of Honours if he or she has

(a) failed more than one course in the LLB program;
(b) been found guilty of plagiarism or serious misconduct on more than one occasion.

See Program 4790 for Academic Rules relating to the Bachelor of Laws component of this combined degree program. A direct link is given below:

Bachelor of Laws 4790

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Students who find they are unable to complete the combined degree may apply to transfer to the single BSocScCrim degree program with credit for all courses completed.