Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice/Bachelor of Laws

This is a five-year double degree that pairs a law qualification with a social-science degree focused on crime, justice and community. You graduate with two awards: a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice. The law side covers the subjects every Australian law degree must include, contracts, torts, criminal law and procedure, property, equity, constitutional law, administrative law, evidence and civil procedure, plus legal research, ethics and professional responsibility. The criminal and community justice side looks at why people offend, how the justice system responds, what works in rehabilitation and crime prevention, and how community organisations, police, courts and corrections fit together.

How the degree is structured

Western Sydney University runs its academic year in semesters, with most units worth 10 credit points. You accumulate credit points across the five years until you meet the requirements of both awards. Core law units are prescribed; the criminal and community justice component includes core subjects in criminology and justice plus electives you choose from a pool. Because this is a double degree, the two sets of requirements are integrated so you do not repeat overlapping material, that is how five years covers what would otherwise take longer as two separate degrees.

Law degrees in Australia commonly finish with a capstone unit in your final year, where you work on a substantial research or applied project. This double degree also uses work-integrated learning: placements with community legal centres, courts, government agencies, police or community organisations, and clinical legal education units where you work on real files under supervision. Those placements are what turn classroom doctrine into the practical judgement employers look for.

Skills you build

You learn to read legislation and case law closely, research a legal problem, write advice and submissions, interview clients, negotiate, and argue a position. From the criminal and community justice side you add program design and evaluation, policy analysis, and an understanding of how social disadvantage, mental health, drug use and housing intersect with offending. Graduates can explain a legal issue to a client who is frightened or angry, and can explain a justice policy to a government department that wants evidence it works.

Who this suits

It suits someone who wants to practise law but is also drawn to the criminal justice system and the community side of it, legal aid, community legal centres, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, police prosecutions, corrective services, youth justice, or policy work. It also suits people who want to work in justice-adjacent roles where a law degree is useful but admission as a solicitor is not the only goal. Admission to practise in Australia requires completing an accredited law degree plus practical legal training or a supervised traineeship, and meeting the requirements of the relevant admitting authority; check the current requirements with the Legal Profession Admission Board in the state where you intend to practise. International applicants need to meet the university's English requirement and the Department of Home Affairs Student visa English threshold. While studying, a Student visa generally allows work of up to 48 hours per fortnight, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 084733A. Confirm all details, including English scores and admission requirements, on the official page.

• Solicitor or barrister (after completing practical legal training and admission)
• Legal officer in a government department or statutory authority
• Prosecution officer or policy officer in a Director of Public Prosecutions office
• Legal aid lawyer or community legal centre solicitor
• Police officer or police prosecutor
• Corrective services or youth justice officer
• Court registrar or court services officer
• Crime prevention or community safety officer in local government
• Policy analyst in justice, corrections or social services portfolios
• Case manager or program officer in a community organisation working with offenders or victims
• Compliance or investigations officer in a regulator
• Researcher or advocate in a criminal justice non-government organisation

Australian employers in these fields include state and federal government agencies, courts and tribunals, police services, corrective services, legal aid commissions, community legal centres, not-for-profit justice organisations, and private law firms. Some roles require admission as a lawyer; others value the legal training without requiring it.