• RMIT

14 July 2009The management and control of crime and criminal offenders is a rapidly growing employment area in Australia. RMIT already runs leading-edge programs for people intending to work in supervisory or management positions in fields such as policing (state and federal), customs, courts, correctional agencies, security and other areas involving the criminal justice system.

The rapid growth of this sector is reflected in the public debate about complex issues such as international terrorism, detention of asylum seekers, erosion of civil liberties, border protection and quarantine, sentencing guidelines, advances in forensic science and detection, transnational cooperation, internet crime prevention, community safety, and so on.

RMIT University has extended its course offerings in criminal justice administration to take account of the industry’s need for graduates with advanced skills and knowledge who can add value to the field as critical thinkers, reflective practitioners, social researchers and policy advisors.

The Master of Social Science in Criminal Justice Administration is designed to prepare future leaders in the local, national and international justice field. This program responds to the industry’s expressed need for postgraduates who can deal with criminal justice process and practice issues at an advanced level and who wish to develop their career paths as independent researchers, cultural innovators and enterprising leaders.

Why study Criminal Justice Administration?

The program will be of particular interest to criminal justice managers and those aspiring to management responsibilities. The program will also attract the attention of people with an informed interest in criminal justice from a variety of other fields – legal and dispute studies, social work, psychology and social science. The central purpose of the program is to generate knowledge and develop skills that directly contribute to contemporary workplace practice, policy development and reflective analysis.

The Master of Social Science (Criminal Justice Administration) will complement your professional experience as a manager, specialist or operational officer in a criminal justice agency. Successful completion of the Master degree will equip students with a range of research methodologies appropriate to their area of specialisation. They will be prepared to undertake research and higher-level employment in a variety of fields—criminal justice, corrections, governance, human security, and so on. Graduates will have a repertoire of skills and knowledge, a capacity for independent work and thought and a strong commitment to social justice.

Special features of the program

RMIT University’s Master program in Criminal Justice Administration offers a unique blend of theory and practice, with the close involvement of experts from various criminal justice agencies and opportunities to undertake work in the field. This combination of theory and practice follows consistent requests from industry representatives for postgraduate programs that combine social theory and applied research to real issues.

The coursework will take advantage of the direct contributions of experts from various criminal justice agencies and students will have opportunities to undertake work in specialist fields of their choice. The Minor Thesis will be supervised by internationally recognised academics and industry leaders. The Master program therefore unfolds within a culture of practical learning, emphasising the needs of the workplace and the wider community, constantly connecting the local to the global without losing sight of the important principles of social justice and harmony. The eventual work in research, policy analysis and development will therefore have a firm basis in theory and practice, within an ongoing network of practitioners in the field.

General information is available at Postgraduate Study at RMIT

Duration

The Masters program incorporates the Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate qualifications.

• Masters: one and a half years full-time or three years part-time
• Graduate Diploma: one year full-time or two years part-time
• Graduate Certificate: six months full-time or one year part-time

The program uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches, including:

• explore contemporary issues;
• case studies that apply and test critical knowledge;
• syndicate and industry workshops that enhance integration and collaboration;
• online courses that provide the flexibility to integrate study with professional, family and lifestyle commitments; and,

• original, supervised research in relevant field of expertise.

Pathways

Gaining credit for previous study or experience
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and credit transfer are ways that RMIT recognises applicants' skills and knowledge gained through formal and informal education and training, work experience, and/or life experience (including volunteer work; committee responsibilities; family duties, hobbies).

Career Prospects

The Master of Social Science (Criminal Justice Administration) is a postgraduate qualification that assists managers or entry-level employees in the fields of justice, policing, customs, corrections and the courts to enhance their careers through a mix of criminology, law and management. The qualification has also assisted students who have backgrounds in diverse areas and who wish to work at senior levels in the field of Criminal Justice Administration.

Outstanding graduates of this program have been employed in management positions across a range of specialised areas, such as:

• Security management;
• Social research;
• Courts management;
• Law enforcement and policing;
• Juvenile justice;
• Customs;
• Forensics;
• Private security firms;
• Corrections counselling;
• Office of the DPP;
• Child protection;
• Fraud investigation; and,
• Prisons administration.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants must have a recognised university qualification and/or appropriate experience and demonstrated capacity to pursue study at a postgraduate level..

Click here for further information.

Application Procedures

Timely applications for postgraduate coursework programs are due by:
10 November each year (Semester 1)*
31 May each year (Semester 2/Midyear entry)*

* Note: Applications will continue to be accepted until all places have been filled. You are encouraged to lodge your application early.
Future students may enquire through Info Corner (formerly the Office for Prospective Students) at any time.

Apply via:RMIT direct application form
Info Corner (formerly the Office for Prospective Students)
330 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Tel. +61 3 9925 2260
Email: study@rmit.edu.au
www.rmit.edu.au/programs/enquiries.

Click here for further information.

Fees

Fees for 2009:Master: A$10,560 per year full-time.

The prices quoted are total program prices at 2009. Tuition fees are subject to annual adjustment and are not fixed for the duration of your study. Changes to fees are applied from 1 January each year. Further information is available at: www.rmit.edu.au/programs/fees/highered/fullfees

Programs by coursework are offered on a Fee Paying Places (FFP) basis. A limited number of coursework programs and all honours programs have Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) (previously HECS).

Fee Paying Places (FPP)
FPP students are required to pay the complete cost of their program. FPP fees vary according to each program.

Students offered a FPP maybe eligible for the FEE-HELP (FEE-Higher Education Loan Program) scheme, which enables eligible fee paying students to obtain an interest-free loan up to a maximum value of $80,000 from the Commonwealth Government to pay all or part of their tuition fees.

For further information: www.goingtouni.gov.au

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP)
A CSP is jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government and the student. In 2009, the fees will range between $4,162 and $8,677 per year for a standard full-time program. The exact cost varies according to each course.

Calculating tuition costs for Commonwealth supported students

Postgraduate Coursework Commonwealth Supported Equity Places
RMIT has a limited number of government subsidised Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) in full-fee postgraduate coursework programs for applicants who meet entrance and equity criteria. Instead of paying full-fees either upfront or with a FEE-HELP loan, the CSP Equity place allows students to complete their program as a Commonwealth supported student in a subsidised place with a choice of up-front, partial up-front or deferred payment options.

For further information: www.rmit.edu.au/equity

Record spend on RMIT scholarships
RMIT University will spend more than $60 million on student scholarships over the next five years. RMIT has many scholarships and funding opportunities to offer students.

Further information is available at RMIT Scholarships

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Program Structure

Students can enrol in the Master directly with exit points at Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma level.

New Human Security electives

Security is most commonly understood to mean protection from harm or the absence
of threats and is traditionally associated with military affairs and the work of law enforcement agencies. Human security is a concept that places emphasis upon the social origins of national and global security concerns and the complex inter-relationships between local and global human security challenges in the 21st century. A suite of postgraduate electives addresses this critical human dimension of security and advances the argument that durable security can be achieved only through a broad spectrum of approaches, ranging from traditional deterrence to negotiation, ethical diplomacy, economic justice, peace building and reconciliation.

These electives are:

• Nuclear Deterrence;
• The Ethics of Intervention;
• Global Crime; and,
• Peace Building and Reconciliation.

The following program structure(s) are linked to this program.

Contact Details

Ms Michele Ruyters
Program Coordinator
Tel. +61 3 9925 2537
Email: michele.ruyters@rmit.edu.au

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