Students

PICX8089 – Applied Criminology

2021 – Session 1, Fully online/virtual

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Rolando Ochoa Hernandez
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrim or MSecStrategicStudMCrim or MIntellMCrim or MCyberSecMCrim or MCTerrorismMCrim
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit offers an invaluable scholarly perspective to analyse the effectiveness of contemporary criminal justice practice and policies. This unit enables students to develop a criminological understanding of the operation of various facets of the criminal justice system, particularly police, courts and corrective services. Students will critically evaluate crime reduction and prevention strategies currently employed both in Australia and overseas, and will formulate practical and effective solutions to real-world contemporary crime problems. This includes using official crime information and data to present and report on policy outcomes and agendas. Students will be able to critically understand the structure and functioning of the criminal justice system, evaluate criminal justice policies, design and develop crime prevention and reduction strategies.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Critically analyse, evaluate and compare a range of applied criminological practices andpolicies
  • ULO2: Apply a synthesised understanding of contemporary criminology theories to explain the development of criminal issues of domestic or transnational significance
  • ULO3: Employ independent research skills and disciplinary knowledge to evaluate domestic andtransnational criminal issues
  • ULO4: Effectively communicate advanced disciplinary knowledge in both written and oralformats
  • ULO5: Effectively analyse and evaluate national and international criminal justice policy

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participation 10% No Ongoing
Data critique 25% No Friday of week 4 before 11:55pm
Policy Brief 25% No Friday of week 8 before 11:55pm
Essay 40% No Friday of week 12 before 11:55pm

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

In class and online participation. Internal students are expected to discuss relevant topics in class. Every week a series of questions/materials will be posted on the Ilearn platform for external/online students to discuss on the forum. This will be moderated by the unit convenor.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse, evaluate and compare a range of applied criminological practices andpolicies
  • Apply a synthesised understanding of contemporary criminology theories to explain the development of criminal issues of domestic or transnational significance
  • Effectively communicate advanced disciplinary knowledge in both written and oralformats
  • Effectively analyse and evaluate national and international criminal justice policy

Data critique

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Friday of week 4 before 11:55pm
Weighting: 25%

A detailed crtique of a government report (eg. Illicit Drug Data Report). The report is provided by the lecturer and the students proceed to use their analytical skills to provide a well grounded assessment of the report.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse, evaluate and compare a range of applied criminological practices andpolicies
  • Employ independent research skills and disciplinary knowledge to evaluate domestic andtransnational criminal issues
  • Effectively communicate advanced disciplinary knowledge in both written and oralformats

Policy Brief

Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Friday of week 8 before 11:55pm
Weighting: 25%

Student write a policy brief on a policy of their choosing. This is aimed at non-academic audiences and hones their non-academic writing skills.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse, evaluate and compare a range of applied criminological practices andpolicies
  • Apply a synthesised understanding of contemporary criminology theories to explain the development of criminal issues of domestic or transnational significance
  • Employ independent research skills and disciplinary knowledge to evaluate domestic andtransnational criminal issues
  • Effectively communicate advanced disciplinary knowledge in both written and oralformats
  • Effectively analyse and evaluate national and international criminal justice policy

Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: Friday of week 12 before 11:55pm
Weighting: 40%

A major (3,000 word) essay on a topic of the student's choosing is produced.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse, evaluate and compare a range of applied criminological practices andpolicies
  • Apply a synthesised understanding of contemporary criminology theories to explain the development of criminal issues of domestic or transnational significance
  • Employ independent research skills and disciplinary knowledge to evaluate domestic andtransnational criminal issues
  • Effectively communicate advanced disciplinary knowledge in both written and oralformats
  • Effectively analyse and evaluate national and international criminal justice policy

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

  • You should spend an average of at least 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to pre-recorded lectures prior to seminar discussions and reading weekly required readings detailed in iLearn.
  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar sessions and external students are expected to contribute to on-line discussions.
  • Students are required to submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.

 

 

REQUIRED READINGS

  • The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's Library EReserve site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed at the EReserve site.

 

 

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

 

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • All assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site. 
  • Assessment tasks must be submitted either as a PDF or MS word document by the due date.
  • Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.
  • The granting of extensions of up to one week are at the discretion of the unit convener.  Any requests for extensions must be made in writing before the due date for the submission of the assessment task.  Extensions beyond one week are subject to the university’s Disruptions Policy (http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html#purpose).

 

 

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • If an assignment is submitted late, 5% of the available mark will be deducted for each day (including weekends) the paper is late.
  • For example, if a paper is worth 20 marks, 1 mark will be deducted from the grade given for each day that it is late (i.e. a student given 15/20 who submitted 4 days late will lose 4 marks = 11/20).
  • The same principle applies if an extension is granted and the assignment is submitted later than the amended date.

 

 

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • Stated word limits do not include references, bibliography, or title page.
  • Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.
  • If the number of words exceeds the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of he awarded mark for every 100 words over the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).
  • The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.

 

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER

  • Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately (http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html). This process involves all assignments submitted for that unit being reassessed. However, in exceptional cases students may request that a single piece of work is reassessed.

Unit Schedule

1. Introduction to the course themes

2. Evidence-based policy

3. Research and data in criminology

4. Policing

5. The Courts

6. Corrections

7. Alternatives to the CJS

8. The War on Drugs

9. The War on Terror

10. Policing the Powerful

11. Crime Policy in Australia I

12. Crime Policy in Australia II

13. The Future and Finale

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2021.01R of the Handbook