Students

CRIM2002 – Transnational Crime

2026 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and Lecturer
Lara Palombo
lara.palombo@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
B312 Level 3, 25 WW
Email me: Lara.Palombo@mq.edu.au
Online Tutor
Zainul Swaleh
zainul.swaleh@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40 credit points at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The spread of transnational crime is one of the most significant challenges facing governments around the world today. For all its benefits, globalisation has opened new avenues for criminal enterprise to expand across traditional domestic borders, creating new challenges for global security, risk governance and crime control. Traditionally crime has tended to be - and largely still is - viewed as a security concern within nation states. By contrast, this unit examines how crime has evolved through the globalising process, creating global and regional instability. Moreover, many state responses to crime, such as illicit drugs, wholly fail to address to systemic, global networks that underpin the trade. Across this unit, students will evaluate a variety of transnational criminal issues, from drug trafficking to people smuggling, money laundering to counterfeiting, and will examine the regional implications of for national and transnational security. In many instances, as students will discover, underpinning civil conflict and terrorist organisations are crime networks. Engaging with these debates will enable students to think beyond traditional, state-based crime, and better understand the global challenges and preventative strategies required to combat transnational crime.

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: Identify and communicate issues related to transnational crime drawing on knowledge from criminology, law and the social sciences.
  • ULO2: Assemble and critique scholarly literature relating to concerns of transnational crime, security and governance.
  • ULO3: Evaluate policy responses to trends in transnational crime.
  • ULO4: Identify the impact of transnational crime on global security, ecological sustainability, and justice.

General Assessment Information

 

  • 1-Annotated Bibliography: The research from the annotated bibliography contributes to the development of the Infographic. 
  • 2-Infographic: Students will produce an infographic (one poster) on a case study drawn from a unit topic. This will be accompanied by a written description and evaluation of the issue. 
  • 3-Policy Brief: Students will research and write a policy brief on a selected case study drawn from a unit topic. 

Short Extensions apply in this unit for all tasks:

  • https://connect.mq.edu.au/s/article/Short-Extensions-How-they-work-and-what-you-need-to-know

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm.

A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (including essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. 

Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration.

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER:

 Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/appeals/grade-appeal

 

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Annotated bibliography 25% No 28/08/2026 Individual Yes Open
Infographic Poster 35% No 28/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Policy brief 40% No 05/11/2026 Individual Yes Open

Annotated bibliography

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 28/08/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will complete an annotated bibliography on a transnational crime issue, drawing on themes explored in the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assemble and critique scholarly literature relating to concerns of transnational crime, security and governance.

Infographic Poster

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 28/09/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will create an infographic poster on a transnational crime issue, accompanied by a written description and evaluation of their findings.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and communicate issues related to transnational crime drawing on knowledge from criminology, law and the social sciences.
  • Identify the impact of transnational crime on global security, ecological sustainability, and justice.

Policy brief

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 05/11/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will write a policy brief on a matter relating to transnational crime.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and communicate issues related to transnational crime drawing on knowledge from criminology, law and the social sciences.
  • Evaluate policy responses to trends in transnational crime.
  • Identify the impact of transnational crime on global security, ecological sustainability, and justice.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS 

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to tutorials, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in Ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments. 
  • External students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities. All students are expected to attend lectures or listen to recordings of weekly lectures in ECHO360. 
  • In most cases students are required to attempt and 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 electronic copies can be accessed through Leganto. Electronic copies can also be accessed through the library. 

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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.06 of the Handbook