Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Social Science School
CRIM7000 provides an overview of the major approaches to understanding criminal behaviour, and how these approaches help us understand and respond to particular crime problems. This course focusses on issues such as: What is criminology? What is crime? How much crime is there in Australia? Who is at most risk of being a victim of crime? How do we measure crime? What are the major approaches to explaining crime? What can inhibit criminal behaviour? How does participation in crime change over the life-course? How might criminological knowledge impact the prevention of crime and the development of crime and justice policies?
This course is designed to broadly survey how we study criminal behaviour, provide insights into different issues studied in criminology, and prepare students (by introducing foundational concepts) for more advanced study in cybercrime.
CRIM7000 provides an overview of the major approaches to understanding criminal behaviour, and how these approaches help us understand and respond to particular crime problems.
During this course we will focus on issues such as:- What is criminology?ﾠWhat is crime?
- How much crime is there in Australia?ﾠWho is at most risk of being a victim of crime?ﾠHow do we measure crime?
- What are the major approaches to explaining crime? What can inhibit criminal behaviour? How might crime change over time?
- How might criminological knowledge impact the prevention of crime and the development of crime and justice policies?
This course is designed to broadly survey how we study criminal behaviour, provide insights into different issues studied in criminology, and prepare you (by introducing foundational concepts) for more advanced study in criminology.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course provides a general introduction to the field of crimininology, and serves as a pre-requisite for advanced criminology courses in the School of Social Science.ﾠAs an introduction, this course does not assume prior knowledge of criminology or social science.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CRIM1000
Course contact
School enquiries
Student Enquiries School of Social Science
Level 3, Michie Building (09), St Lucia campus, The University of Queensland.
Monday-Friday, 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm.
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This is a postgraduateﾠcourse and as such, engagement with students and course staff is critical for setting students up for success.
Students enrolled in CRIM7000 will have live face-to-faceﾠlectures that are timetable on campus. Face-to-face tutorials will be offered most weeks of the semester.ﾠ
Students are required to actively participate in tutorial workshops and lectures. There are multiple options for participation and these will be explained in the lecture in week 1.
All lectures will be recorded and made available online. Tutorials are not recorded.ﾠ
Please refer toﾠUQ Public Timetableﾠfor the most up-to-date timetable information.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to provide students with an overview of the nature of crimeﾠin Australian and international contexts.ﾠ It will provide a thorough grounding in the various criminological approaches to understanding the causes of criminal behaviour and will examine the major methods for measuring crime, as well as the dominant theoretical perspectives in the field of Criminology.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the measurement and distribution of crime
LO2.
Understand major theories and concepts that relate to the causes of criminal behaviour
LO3.
Have an appreciation for the evolution of criminological thought
LO4.
Undertake independent library research utilising academically relevant sources
LO5.
Manage information from a wide range of media, including academic sources
LO6.
Understand and identify ethical issues and limitations in criminological research
LO7.
Review, assess and synthesise theory and policy
LO8.
Develop a reasoned, academically informed argument
LO9.
Produce assessment that is clear and structured
LO10.
Demonstrate an understanding of the sociological nature of crime and criminal justice practices
LO11.
Appreciate social diversity and inequality and understand their impact on the behavior and the treatment of individuals and groups.
LO12.
Work collegially alongside fellow students
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Annotated Bibliography | 30% |
26/08/2024 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Theory Application Case Study | 40% |
4/11/2024 4:00 pm |
| Reflection | Tutorial Blog Entries | 30% |
1/08/2024 - 30/08/2024 12/09/2024 - 25/10/2024
To be submitted at the end of each tutorial. |
Assessment details
Annotated Bibliography
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
26/08/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L09, L11
Task description
The annotated bibliography as set out for CRIM7000 has two primary objectives. First, to provide you will critical skills around finding good quality, respectable, and legitimate resources to help build your arguments. Second, to draw attention to the inherent biases in the way in which academic literature is cited.
The Assessment Task Sheet, marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
AI Use: Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI in each instance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
Turnitin links will be configured to permit early submission of assessment items. Students will have the opportunity to submit draft assignments to Turnitin prior to submission of the final assignment in order to review similarity index content and to improve academic writing practice in accordance with UQ Academic Integrity policies.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your course coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension through your student portal on my.UQ.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS team via AskUs.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.
A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.
Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.
In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.
Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.
Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Theory Application Case Study
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
4/11/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07, L08, L09
Task description
The field of criminology is about finding ways we can explain why people offend, or why people choose not to offend. The aim is to find explanations that can be applied to different kinds of situations, people, and crimes. This task asked you to take a look at a depiction of crime/criminal and think about how our criminological explanations shed light on understanding their behaviour. This is a critical skill for anyone moving forward to move advanced criminology courses.
The Assessment Task Sheet, marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
AI Use: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
Turnitin links will be configured to permit early submission of assessment items. Students will have the opportunity to submit draft assignments to Turnitin prior to submission of the final assignment in order to review similarity index content and to improve academic writing practice in accordance with UQ Academic Integrity policies.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your course coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension through your student portal on my.UQ.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS team via AskUs.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.
A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.
Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.
In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.
Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.
Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Tutorial Blog Entries
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
1/08/2024 - 30/08/2024
12/09/2024 - 25/10/2024
To be submitted at the end of each tutorial.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L08, L09, L10, L12
Task description
Tutorials in CRIM7000 are designed for you to develop your skills as scholars that have implications for your success beyond this course. Evidence suggests that taking time to reflect on what you learn increases the ability for you to transfer this knowledge and use/reuse it in future courses/employment. Taking time to reflect on what we do each class helps you make these connections and supports your success in this course.
The Assessment Task Sheet, marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
AI Use: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
See Blackboard for your Blog entry site
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Blog entries are based on tutorial activities. If you do not go to the tutorial then you cannot complete the respective blog entry.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/
UQ Assignment Writing Guide: Steps for writing assignments - my.UQ - University of Queensland
Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.
Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
There is a textbook and a series of readings required for this course.ﾠ The textbook (Akers et. al. 2021) is available from the university bookshop, available for digital download (the quickest and least expensive version of the text), and at the UQ Library. All other required reading will be made available on Blackboard free of charge to all students.ﾠ
Other useful sources of information are as follows:
Study skills,ﾠassignments and referencing:
Burdess, N.ﾠ1991.ﾠHandbook of Student Skills for the Social Sciences and Humanities.ﾠSydney: Prentice-Hall.
Marshall, L. & Rowland, F.ﾠ1993.ﾠA Guide to Learning Independently.ﾠBuckingham:ﾠOpen University Press.
Williams, L. & Germov, J.ﾠ2001. Surviving First Year Uni. Sydney:ﾠAllen and Unwin.
School of Social Science Assignment Writing Guide (under "Student Resources" at www.socialscience.uq.edu.au)
APA (American Psychological Association) 6th ed. UQ Library "How To" Guide at http://www.library.uq.edu.au/training/citation/apa_6.pdf
Databases for locating research materials on criminology:
CINCH
Sociological Abstracts
Social Sciences Index
AGIS
InfoTrac
ﾠ
Selected journals in criminology:
American Scoiological Review
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology
British Journal of Criminology
Crime and Delinquency
Criminal Justice Review
Current Issues in Criminal Justice
Criminology
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency
Justice Quarterly
Law and Society Review
The Journal of Sociology
Theoretical Criminology
Selected websites with information on crime and justice:
Australian Institute of Criminology (www.aic.gov.au)
Australian Law Reform Commission (www.alrc.gov.au)
Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department (www.ag.gov.au)
Crime and Misconduct Commission (www.cmc.qld.gov.au)
New South Wales Bureau of Crime Staitsics andﾠResearch (www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/bocsar)
Queensland Courts (www.courts.qld.gov.au)
Queensland Government departments (www.qld.gov.au/html/pathways.htm#departments)
Queensland Law Reform Commission (www.qlrc.qld.gov.au)
U.K. Home Office (www.homeoffice.gov.uk)
U.S. Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov)
The Vera Institute (www.vera.org)
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Lecture: What is Crime & Criminology? Introduction to course and basic concepts. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L10 |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2 Lecture: How do we measure and study crime? What are the major ways that criminologists learn about crime and criminality? Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L06, L10, L11 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1 Introduction to Assessments and the Semester 2 Tutorial Program. Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L07, L09 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Lecture: Who are the Criminals? The correlates of age, sex, race and class and crime. Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L06, L10, L11 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2 Critical thinking and Using AI in your Assessments. Learning outcomes: L02, L07, L09, L12 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4 Lecture: The Neighbourhood and Crime How are our communities organised to prevent or promote crime? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L08 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3 Introduction to Case Study Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L09, L12 |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5 Lecture: Peers and Gangs PART 1 How are we influenced by our peers and other associations? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L07, L10 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4 Tutorial Case Study Activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L09, L12 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6 Lecture: Peers and Gangs PART 2 How do the principles of "learning" help us understand how criminal behaviour is learned or unlearned? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L07, L10 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5 Referencing and talking about Ethical AI Learning outcomes: L04, L05, L06, L09, L12 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7 Lecture: Poverty and Crime PART 1 How does inequality in our society help us understand crime? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L06, L07, L10, L11 |
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8 Lecture: Poverty and Crime PART 2 Can the strains/stressors that we experience as individuals help us understand why people offend? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L06, L07, L10, L11 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6 Tutorial Case Study Activities. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L09, L12 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9: Families and Schools PART 1 How do our parents and teachers influence behavior? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L06, L07, L08, L10 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 7 Tutorial Case Study Activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L09, L12 |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-semester break |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Lecture: Families and Schools PART 2 How are we socialised to behave in different ways? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L07, L10, L11 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 8 Writing Basics and Academic Writing Style. Learning outcomes: L05, L07, L08, L09 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Lecture: Power and the Law PART 1 Does how we are labeled make a difference to criminality? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L07, L10, L11 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 9 Tutorial Case Study Activities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L09, L12 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lecture: Power and the Law PART 2 Who gets to decide who and what is criminal? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L07, L10, L11 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 10 Assessment Consults Learning outcomes: L04, L07, L08, L09 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 13 Lecture: What can you do with a criminology degree? Course summary and conversations about the utility of criminological education and skills and where you might go next. Learning outcomes: L05, L06, L10, L11 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.