Outline

Overview

Working closely with supervisors, students produce an original piece of written criminology research, which may include the analysis of data gathered from fieldwork that is applied to relevant literature/s, or the writing of a thesis using secondary sources, which are analysed to produce an original contribution to knowledge.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Sociology and Criminology
Credit points	24
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	FASS4000
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Rebecca Scott Bray, rebecca.scottbray@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Dissertation or thesis	Honours Thesis Honours Thesis	100%	Week 13 Due date: 07 Nov 2025 at 23:59	18,000-20,000	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

The Honours Thesis is prepared in consultation with the supervisor and constitutes a 18,000-20,000 word thesis.

Assessment criteria

80-100: First Class Honours

Knowledge

A student who receives First Class Honours will demonstrate breadth and/or depth of

knowledge of the discipline(s) studied at a very high level, and the ability to place their

work in context, appreciating the implications and broader significance.

Skills

A student who receives First Class Honours will demonstrate:

• advanced or professional skills that equip him or her to function and solve

advanced problems within a profession or discipline under supervision and with

autonomy;

• a very high level of proficiency in the methods, techniques and subject matter

appropriate to the field or fields studied;

• a very high level of skill in the interpretation of results, data and appropriate

information sources;

• a high degree of sophistication in critical analysis and self-evaluation;

• outstanding written and oral expression, organisation, format and documentation;

• where relevant, highly innovative, creative and imaginative thinking; and

• a very high level of cognitive and technical skills to carry out a research project

with considerable independence.

Application of knowledge and skills

A student who receives First Class Honours will demonstrate the application of

knowledge and skills by demonstrating the following characteristics:

• significant independence in thinking and motivation;

• significant evidence of originality and insight;

• comprehensive critical analysis and synthesis at an advanced level;

• a skilful treatment and analysis of unexpected outcomes or inconsistent results,

and/or recognition of some limitation of the methodology, if relevant; and

• a well-developed logical approach to designing appropriate research strategies.

Graduates at this level will demonstrate the capacity to pursue further study, and show

the capacity for independent research at doctoral level.

75-79: Second Class Honours, Division I

Knowledge

A student who receives Second Class Honours, Division I, will have advanced

knowledge in the discipline of study and sound knowledge of the research principles and

methodologies appropriate to the field of study.

Skills

A student who receives Second Class Honours, Division I, will demonstrate:

• advanced or professional skills that equip him or her to function and solve problems

within a profession or discipline under supervision and with independence;

• a high level of proficiency in the methods, techniques and subject matter of the

field studied;

• a high level of cognitive skills to interpret results, data and other information

sources;

• mastery of the modes of expression appropriate to the field of study, enabling fluent

and succinct presentation of knowledge; and

• technical skills to plan a solid research project under supervision and execute it

with some independence.

Application of knowledge and skills

A student who receives Second Class Honours, Division I, will demonstrate the

application of knowledge and skills by demonstrating the following characteristics:

• design and plan a solid piece of research and scholarship;

• critically evaluate and synthesise material; and

• contextualize his or her work within the broader discipline of study.

Graduates at this level will demonstrate the capacity to pursue further study, and pursue

independent research at postgraduate level.

70-74: Second Class Honours, Division II

Knowledge

A student who receives Second Class Honours, Division II will have advanced

knowledge of an area of, or a problem in, a discipline in sufficient depth to understand

the range of scope of a defined topic, have a broad grasp of its theoretical underpinnings

and understand the general range of principal issues facing that area of the discipline.

Skills

A student who receives Second Class Honours, Division II will demonstrate:

• advanced or professional skills that equip him or her to understand problems within

a profession or discipline under supervision and with some independence;

• a broad understanding of the methods, techniques and subject matter of the field

studied and some proficiency;

• advanced cognitive skills to understand the interpretation of results and data and the

ability to apply this understanding with supervision;

• effective skills in the modes of expression appropriate to the field of study; and

• technical skills to contribute to the planning of a research project and to execute it

with direct supervision.

Application of knowledge and skills

A student who receives Second Class Honours, Division II, will demonstrate the

application of knowledge and skills by demonstrating the following characteristics:

• understand and be able to apply methodologies relevant to complex problems in

their area of investigation under supervision and have demonstrated some

independence of thought and autonomy; and

• with the guidance of a supervisor, draw valid conclusions based on investigation,

observation and/or experiment, and understand the scope and limitations of those

conclusions.

Graduates at this level will demonstrate the capacity to pursue further study and after

further research training, demonstrate the potential for independent research.

65-69: Third Class Honours

Knowledge

A student who receives Third Class Honours will have advanced knowledge of an area of

a discipline and understand relevant theory.

Skills

A student who receives Third Class Honours will have:

• skills that equip him or her to understand problems;

• some understanding of the methods, techniques and subject matter of the field

studied;

• cognitive skills to understand the interpretation of results and data with supervision;

• communication skills that are able to articulate a problem and an approach taken to

its solution; and

• technical skills to participate in the planning and execution of a research project

with direct supervision.

Application of knowledge and skills

A student who receives Third Class Honours will demonstrate the application of

knowledge and skills by demonstrating the following characteristics:

• understand and be able to apply methodologies relevant to complex problems in

their area of investigation under supervision; and

• with the guidance of a supervisor, graduates will be able to understand and draw

conclusions based on investigation, observation and/or experiment.

Graduates at this level, after undertaking further research training, will demonstrate the

capacity to pursue further supervised study.

Below 65: Fail

A fail to achieve Honours indicates that the student has not demonstrated the learning

outcomes for any of the classes of Honours available.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The Honours Thesis is due on a set date at the end of semester 2. Any requests for an extension must be made prior to the submission date.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Ongoing	Honours supervision session	One-to-one tuition (1 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 24 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 480-600 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. 1) demonstrate initiative and originality in research in Criminology
LO2. 2) present a logical and persuasive argument, opening up new directions for future research on the issues addressed
LO3. 3) apply appropriate theories and methodologies used in Criminology
LO4. 4) carefully analyse and show detailed understanding of the body of evidence under study
LO5. 5) demonstrate detailed understanding of and, where appropriate, critically evaluate relevant scholarship
LO6. 6) communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely, in appropriate academic style
LO7. complete a thesis

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Criminology Honours first commenced in 2024

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

CRIM4104: Criminology Honours Thesis 2

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links