Course Title: Introduction to Criminology

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Introduction to Criminology

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

SOCU2291

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2020,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 2 2023,
Sem 1 2024

SOCU2291

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face or Internet

Sem 1 2018,
Sem 1 2019

SOCU2291

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Internet

Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019

Course Coordinator: Joseph MacFarlane

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2328

Course Coordinator Email: joseph.macfarlane@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 37.4

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

In this course, you will consider a range of leading contemporary theoretical explanations of crime and its genesis, which draw from a variety of disciplines including classical philosophy, positivist science, human biology, psychology, sociology, economics, and politics. The main focus this course is not so much with the nature of crime itself, but with the ways in which people come to conceptualise the criminal act, create theories based on their conceptions, and influence social policy based on the implications of their theories. In short, this course focuses on ’thinking about crime’. Substantive applications will range from personal/domestic and street crime to white-collar crime in Western societies. 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes 

In course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  1. Critically analyse, synthesise and reflect on complex theories, principles, philosophies and recent developments in the justice sector, both locally and globally, to extend and challenge knowledge and practice
  2. Use appropriate ethical ideas and reflective practice skills in addressing situations and problems in justice 


Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Compare leading approaches to criminology, their shortcomings, and policy implications
  2. Identify analytical and critical capacities in assessing criminology-based theories
  3. Deconstruct the ways in which a variety of orientations can have extraordinary and far-reaching effects on social policy measures


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be engaged in learning that involves a range of activities online such as recorded lectures, online activities and individual research. 


Overview of Learning Resources

Resources will be available through the Canvas student portal, myRMIT, and RMIT Library resources. You will have the opportunity to contribute collectively to class resources by sharing your own research findings and sources with your peers. 

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. 

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. 

Assessment Tasks 

    Assessment Task 1: Case Study, 20% CLO1 – CLO3 

    Assessment Task 2: Essay, 40%, CLO1 – CLO3 

    Assessment Task 3: Tests, 40%, CLO1 – CLO3 

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 

If you have a long term long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions