Criminology

Entry requirements

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Senate.

Every applicant shall

• be a graduate; and
• have attained a satisfactory standard of academic performance; or
• have submitted evidence satisfactory to the Senate of previous training and experience appropriate to the planned programme of study.

If your first language is not English you need to meet our English language requirements as follows: IELTS score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); we also accept a number of other English language tests. Due to COVID-19, we currently accept Duolingo English Test (DET), IELTS Indicator Test, and TOEFL iBT Special home Edition.

Don’t meet the English language requirements? The University of Otago Language Centre English for Otago programme offers a pathway for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students to meet the English language requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Months of entry

February, July

Course content

Criminology is the study of crime and justice in society. The Diploma for Graduates in Criminology enables students to develop a sophisticated understanding of how crime has been defined, researched, represented and governed in different ways across time and space, and in Aotearoa-New Zealand today. We examine a wide variety of different forms of crime and theoretical and methodological approaches to understanding and researching crime. We explore the criminal justice system, victims’ perspectives on crime, and crime in relation to gender, ethnicity, class, media, culture, technology, the environment, and more. Ideal for students planning towards careers in areas such as social work, law, human rights, justice advocacy, the criminal justice system, violence prevention, and victim support, our programme can also serve as a bridge to postgraduate study.

The programme of study consists of papers worth at least 120 points, of which four papers are at, or above 300-level.

Required papers:

• SOCI 103 Crime, Deviance and Social Transformation
• CRIM 201 Crime, Justice and Society
• SOWK 236 The Treaty and Social Services

And at least 72 points from:

• ANTH 327 Anthropology of Money
• GEND 308 Governing Bodies
• GEND 309 Critical Victimology
• GEND 310 Gender, Crime and Justice
• GEND 311 Interventions in Sexual Violence
• HUMS 301 Internship Practicum
• PSYC 325 Psychology in Legal Contexts
• SOWK 304 Kaupapa Māori, and Indigenous Approaches to Social Work
• ANTH 424 The Anthropology of Evil
• LAWS 410 Criminology
• LAWS 417 Criminal Justice

Information for international students

Otago offers students an unrivalled campus experience and a vibrant, social student culture. The majority of Otago’s 21,000 students live, work and play in Dunedin - New Zealand’s only true university city. Otago is home to over 3,000 students, from over 100 countries.

Fees and funding