Program Overview

Foundation Studies prepares you for a successful transition to degree-level study, providing a pathway to the first year of study of a bachelor’s degree at Murdoch University.

This course is suited to you if you:

• Need an entrance qualification for Murdoch University
• Want to accelerate your university preparation after Year 11, or equivalent
• Want to change your degree stream after Year 11, or equivalent

Course Structure
For Foundation Studies you will complete eight units over two study periods, studying a combination of core and elective units. The units you will undertake will be determined by your chosen degree. All students must complete the two English units and at least one unit from each Discipline Group.

Each unit of study builds concepts from an introductory level through to university entrance level. The units are designed to develop your learning techniques as well as bridging gaps in your unit knowledge.

• English
  • Essential Australian Studies
  • Introduction to Academic Communication
• Mathematics
  • Introductory Mathematics
  • Mathematics for Science
• Science and Technology
  • Information Technology for Academic Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
• The Arts
  • Introduction to Media
  • Media Production
• Business and Legal Studies
  • Accounting
  • Management
  • Economics

Leading to: Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Examine crime from a range of perspectives – including law, sociology and psychology – as you learn how to reduce and prevent crime, and help both victims and offenders in the criminal justice system. Explore how the mind works, why people commit offences, and what can be done to rehabilitate them. You’ll have the option to specialise in Legal Studies, Criminal Behaviour, Crime Science or White Collar and Corporate Crime.

By combining your criminology degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, you’ll build your expertise in the social and developmental areas of psychology, and complete a unit in Family Relations and Social Development. You’ll examine leading-edge research and practical applications to explore how we make sense of ourselves.

Major: White Collar and Corporate Crime
This Criminology major is the only course of its kind in Australia – and it could change the way you think about the world and big business.

White collar and corporate crime has an impact on many people. You’ll take a new approach to big business as you examine case studies like the Volkswagen fuel emission case and learn about embezzlement, insider trading, environmental crimes and more. Explore what causes criminal behaviour by a person or organisation and how these behaviours can be prevented.

Gain valuable research, technical and communication skills as you conduct your own case research. Plus, learn how to investigate digital crime scenes using cyber forensics to detect criminal activity.

You’ll develop a broad range of professional and personal skills, including the ability to think critically and creatively, apply knowledge and information, and communication effectively.  In addition, you will learn to take an evidenced based approach to your chosen field of work using data and analytics.

3 reasons to study White Collar and Corporate Crime at Murdoch

• Graduate with a unique degree only offered at Murdoch.
• Work with local, national or international organisations on real projects as part of our work integrated learning program. Some of our students have interned with the WA Police in the Evidence Based Policing Unit.
• Follow in the footsteps of other Murdoch students who have worked on real cold cases and travelled overseas to work with governments in post-war zones.

What you’ll learn
Build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your career or study goals. Here are some of the things you’ll learn:

• Policing and crime prevention
• White collar crime
• Cyber forensics and IT
• Server environments and architectures
• Criminal behaviour