COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Psychological Science and Criminology at ACAP University College is a three-year full-time degree, or up to eight years part-time, consisting of 24 units across levels 100, 200, and 300. This interdisciplinary program combines core elements of psychology and criminology to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of criminal behaviour and the psychological principles behind human actions. In the first year, students are introduced to foundational topics such as psychological science, theoretical criminology, and social diversity through units like Psychology: History, Science and Application 1, Foundational Psychological Processes, Crime and the Media, and Diversity and Justice. These subjects lay the groundwork for more advanced study and build critical thinking and analytical skills. The second year progresses into more detailed content, including cognition, biological bases of behaviour, lifespan development, penology, innovative justice, and drugs and crime. These units deepen students’ knowledge of both psychological processes and criminal justice systems, highlighting how these areas intersect in real-world contexts. In the final year, students explore advanced topics such as individual differences, abnormal psychology, forensic psychology, and social and community psychology. Units like Victimology and Indigenous Peoples and Justice provide a critical view of justice issues affecting vulnerable populations. Students also engage with applied psychological science, focusing on how theories are implemented in professional settings. The course concludes with a forensic psychology unit and an advanced criminology unit, preparing graduates to work in roles across corrections, youth justice, mental health, rehabilitation, and legal support. With its dual emphasis on psychological science and criminological practice, the program equips students with a strong foundation to understand, prevent, and respond to criminal behaviour, and is a clear pathway for further studies toward psychology registration or careers in the justice system.