ATS1421 Understanding crime
Faculty of Arts
ATS1421 Understanding crime is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 at Caulfield and Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1
- Caulfield, Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS1421
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS1421
No unit lists ATS1421 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: ATS1281
Overview
In the unit, you will consider crime as a social phenomenon and map key theoretical frameworks that have been advanced to explain crime and deviance. You will engage your 'criminological imagination' to understand the causes of crime, and significantly, which people are most likely to come into contact with the Criminal Justice System. Various criminological theories which advance an understanding of crime and criminality underpin the range of topics presented in this unit. These perspectives interface with real world scenarios, demonstrating the links between ‘theory’ and ‘reality’ and the applicability of key theorists in the 21st century. To further your understanding of Criminology’s potential to drive change, this unit is underpinned by a social justice perspective, focusing on humanitarianism and human rights.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | Flexible |
| First semester | Clayton | Flexible |
Assessment
- Analytical exerciseExercise30%
- Analytical exerciseExercise30%
- Presentation15%
- DiscussionDemonstration5%
- Exercise20%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
explain the key definitional and methodological challenges associated with the study of crime;
- 2
describe the features of key criminological theories;
- 3
apply criminological theories to real world situations, both local and global in nature;
- 4
evaluate the strengths and weakness of key criminological theories.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages students in actively applying their knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Learning resources
Required resources
This unit requires access to a laptop that meets minimum specifications (https://www.monash.edu/esolutions/students/bring-your-own-device-byod). Free specialist software is available via MoVE (https://www.monash.edu/learning-teaching/innovation/learning-technologies/move).
The unit will use specific software applications. Instructions will be given to students on how to access and install relevant software.
Where it fits
ATS1421 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Jasmine McGowan
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Jasmine McGowan
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS1421?
ATS1421 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS1421 offered?
In 2025, ATS1421 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield and Clayton.
How much work is ATS1421?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS1421 have an exam?
No. ATS1421 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS1421?
ATS1421 is part of Criminology.