The Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) is the first degree of its kind in Aotearoa, combining multidisciplinary academic study with a strong vocational focus.
Criminal Justice studies take a 360-degree look at the criminal justice system and its processes, including governance, enforcement, rehabilitation, and improvement. The degree draws together UC’s expertise in criminology, sociology, developmental and behavioural psychology, policing, criminal law and procedure, and human services.
Christchurch, New Zealand
36 Months
NZ$ 32,150
IELTS: 6 TOEFL: 80
The Bachelor of Criminal Justice requires 360 points:
The degree takes 3 years of full-time study, or can be studied part-time for up to 10 years.
First year
In the first year all courses are compulsory, to a total of 120 points (with another 15 points of 100-level compulsory courses usually taken in the second year).
Second year
In the second year you will take either 75 or 90 compulsory 200-level points. The difference in points depends on whether you take CRJU202 Criminal Law and Procedure (15 points) or LAWS202 Criminal Law (30 points). The remaining 15 or 30 points at 200-level will be selected from the prescribed list of courses.
Third year
At third year there are 45 points of compulsory courses, with a choice of 60 points at 200 and 300-level from the prescribed list. A final 15-point course at 200 or 300-level can also be completed from the list, or from courses in any other degree at UC.
Double degrees
It is possible to combine a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree with other degrees, such as the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, or Bachelor of Science.
The BCJ is a multidisciplinary degree that includes study across different subject areas and options to select topics of interest, including criminal behaviour, rehabilitation, human ethics, and many more.
See ‘How do I plan my degree?’ above for an example degree structure diagram.
Compulsory courses
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
These courses are completed during the second and third years of study.
The BCJ does not require a background in any specific subject at secondary school and is open to anyone with entry to the University.
APPROVED ENGLISH TESTS |
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS |
IELTS |
Academic with an average score of 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking |
TOEFL iBT |
Total minimum score of 80, with at least 19 in reading, writing and listening. Please note UC only accepts TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date, not MyBest scores. |
TOEFL PBT |
With a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5 |
CCEL EAP |
Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade |
CAE or CPE |
minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking |
Pearson Test of English (Academic) |
PTE with an overall score of 46 and no PTE communicative skills score below 36 |
NZCEL |
Level 4 - Academic endorsement |
FluentIQ |
Overall mark of 8/10 with nothing less than a 7 being scored in a single category. |
LanguageCert |
B2 Communicator (LRWS) overall with High Pass |
NZAPA |
English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment Level 2 (with no skill lower than Level 1) |
This is an indicative fee - total tuition fee will be dependent on your course selection (banded) - $ 32,150