Criminal Justice
Restricted/Photo supplied by Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections New Zealand. Photo of a UC field trip to Christchurch Men's Prison for the CRJU302 Prisons and Corrections course.
Qualifications
Overview
Criminal Justice involves understanding the law and psychology behind crime, its causes, and the treatment of convicted offenders.
UC is the only university in Aotearoa that offers you a degree in criminal justice with innovative practical teaching. UC also shares close links with the police and justice sector.
- Learn about the justice system including social and human services, and psychology.
- Examine current policies and identify opportunities for criminal justice reform.
- Take optional courses in topics such as forensic science, linguistics, and financial crime.
UC offers a Certificate in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Criminal Justice, which focuses on criminal law, psychology, and the justice system in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Bachelor of Criminal Justice
See the Bachelor of Criminal Justice for the compulsory courses in the degree.
CRJU101 Introduction to Criminal Justice is an introductory level course designed to engage you with the criminal justice field and to equip you with the basic knowledge and understanding necessary for advanced level study.
Criminal Justice courses at 200 and 300-level cover a range of topics, including sentencing policy and practice, theories of policing and their effects on criminal justice policy, as well as familiarity with the range of police powers of search and arrest. Research essay courses are available at both 200 and 300-level, enabling you to undertake in-depth study of areas of interest in the criminal justice field.
You will be able to look at criminal justice through a wide lens, giving you a strong foundation in understanding how Criminal Justice in society works in Aotearoa and internationally. You will also gain research skills in your area of interest in policing and the justice system.
Some career pathways could include:
- Government including prisons, probation, and parole
- Forensics
- Criminal justice policy and reform
- Public and private investigation.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Criminal Justice.
Contact us
Te Kaupeka Ture | Faculty of Law
Phone +64 3 369 3888
Email law-enquiries@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Level 3, Meremere building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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