Bachelor of Psychology / Bachelor of Criminology - Legal Studies (Dual Degree) Murdoch University - Perth Campus, Australia

Examine crime from a range of perspectives – including law, sociology and psychology – as you learn how to reduce and prevent crime, and help both victims and offenders in the criminal justice system. Explore how the mind works, why people commit offences, and what can be done to rehabilitate them. You’ll have the option to specialise in Legal Studies, Criminal Behaviour or Crime Science.

By combining your criminology degree with a Bachelor of Psychology, you’ll gain an understanding of what makes people think, feel, and behave the way they do, and you’ll examine leading-edge research and practical applications to explore how we make sense of ourselves. A Bachelor of Psychology is your first step towards becoming a registered psychologist, and an excellent foundation for pursuing a career in a wide variety of fields.

3 reasons to study a combined degree in Criminology and Psychology at Murdoch

•  Build your network from within our Law, Psychology and Criminology disciplines, making use of our strong ties to the Western Australian legal, psychology and business community.
• Choose from a range of majors, including Crime Science, Legal Studies or Criminal Behaviour.
• Five-star rating and #1 university in Western Australia for skills development in psychology by the Good Universities Guide 2024.

What you’ll learn

Build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your career or study goals. Here are some of the things you’ll learn:

• Criminal behaviour
• International and transnational crimes
• Psychological science
• Cultural psychology
• Psychology and law

Major: Legal Studies
If you’re looking for an exciting career and the chance to make a difference, a major in Legal Studies within the field of criminology could really take you places. You’ll examine the Australian legal system and the way it shapes our society through a range of issues such as human trafficking, white collar crime, and legal responses to systemic disadvantage.

Law transcends all industries. Find out how the law interacts with other areas, taking units in criminology as you study the foundations of business law and other areas of the law.

You’ll learn about dispute resolution and have the opportunity to develop your own dispute resolution skills through role play and interactive activities. You will learn a variety of dispute resolution processes including negotiation, conciliation, mediation and arbitration.  

You will investigate the interactions between law, crime, frameworks in societies and the various social grouping within society.

3 reasons to study Legal Studies at Murdoch

• Challenge the way you think about the world as you explore the legal system and how it shapes society.
• Learn to produce high quality and persuasive communications (for example research reports, court reports and policy reports) so you are job ready when you graduate.
• Learn from respected experts in their field who often appear in the media to share their insights on current events and issues.

What you’ll learn

Build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your career or study goals. Here are some of the things you’ll learn:

• Structure, foundation and history of the Australian legal system
• Criminological research methods
• Alternative dispute resolution
• International and transnational crimes
• Law, justice and social policy