International Criminology Students

What does Criminology at Melbourne offer you?

The Department of Criminology was the first school of criminology in Australia and remains at the forefront of teaching and research at an international level. We are part of a university community that includes more than 8000 international students from 110 different countries. Melbourne is a beautiful and safe city in which to live and study. The University campus is in the centre of town with great transport, accommodation and entertainment amenities close by.

Learn more about the University of Melbourne experience by reading some profiles of international criminology students, in their own words.

See some photos from the International Student Lunch!

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How and when to apply

Visit the Faculty of Arts International student webpage for details about applications, fees and scholarships.

http://www.arts.unimelb.edu.au/international/

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International student advisor for Criminology

International students studying criminology are advised that Assoc Prof Adam Sutton is the Department of Criminology International Student Coordinator and is happy to meet with international students to discuss issues about their studies..

Annually, the International Student Coordinator calls for a volunteer international student to liaise with him on student issues and to assist in organising the biannual International Student Lunch. In 2006 the student is Ms Monica Perez mperez@ unimelb.edu.au

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International student exchange

The University of Melbourne has formal exchange agreements with the following institutions. These agreements apply to both students at the University of Melbourne wanting to study overseas and to students of partner institutions wanting to study at the University of Melbourne. Find out the details at:

http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/exchanges/goabroad/ex/partners.html

See also the Faculty of Arts International Exchange Program.

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International student profiles

Monica Perez Trujillo

Monica Perez Trujillo comes to the University of Melbourne from Colombia, and after completing a Master of Criminology is now undertaking a PhD in Criminology. Below, Monica answers some questions about her experiences as an international student in the Criminology Department.

Why did you choose to study in Australia?

I considered my options carefully, and realized that Australia offered many of the opportunities I was looking for: a structured but flexible curriculum in a University of high standards and good reputation that would allow me to compete in the labour market at an international level; a style of life that would allow me to combine my studies with work experience if I chose to; and a multicultural city that would make my everyday experience stimulating.

How do feel about the quality of education you are receiving?

The Department of Criminology of the University of Melbourne offers lots of resources for students to gain a deep understanding of criminological issues: a wide collection of written material, very talented and approachable lecturers, continuous opportunities for discussions among students and teaching staff, and frequent academic events that encourage interaction with academics and practitioners from all over Australia and other countries. More importantly perhaps, it offers the possibility of developing teaching skills through tutoring, and participating in research projects on current criminological issues. For me, research assistance has been a wonderful hands-on opportunity for understanding the Australian criminal justice system and the different programs set up for offenders and victims within it.

Is there anything special/unique about the education offered in your field in Australia?

I think the program of Criminology offered in Australia and in particular at the University of Melbourne is genuinely interdisciplinary. It draws from law, psychology, sociology and history (among others) to analyse criminological issues, thus training students to consider several perspectives simultaneously. This is not the case in many of the Departments of Criminology in other countries.

Do you think your Australian course will help you get a job? Why?

The education I have received in the Department of Criminology has fully prepared me to undertake a variety of jobs in my field. I am confident that employers will find my knowledge of criminological issues and my skills in creating and developing projects to be an asset to their organizations.

How does your industry/profession benefit from recruiting graduates of Australian institutions?

Australia has produced many fine scholars in Criminology and I think this is partly due to Australian institutions’ preparedness to invest in innovative approaches. This is certainly a feature that this Department encourages in its students, and that is naturally beneficial to our profession.

What do you like/dislike about studying in Australia?

I really appreciate the emphasis Australian universities place on research and the creation of new knowledge. The University of Melbourne supports you if you have innovative ways to investigate issues and demonstrate that you are fully involved in your project. As an international student, it has also been important to me to know that the University supports intercultural studies and actually finances some of your traveling expenses if you go overseas to collect data.

What accommodation do you have, and how did you organise this?

There were lots of available options, but as I originally came to Australia with my husband with the idea of staying a maximum of 18 months, we decided to find a small apartment next to the university. It took us two days to find what we wanted, because we were clear about the kind of accommodation we were looking for and the budget we had. Because we both started our Ph.D studies and decided to stay for another 3 years, we recently moved to a really nice house a little further from the University, where we have more space. Once you are here, real estate agencies are very helpful. But in general, Internet websites give you a pretty good idea of the kind of accommodation you can get.

How do you find living in Australia? Do you feel ‘at home’?

That’s an interesting question. Melbourne has all the advantages of a small city and at the same time has everything you can possibly want in terms of culture and entertainment, so you can easily connect to the things you have always liked. But to call a place ‘home’ takes a while. It’s only after 8 to 12 months that you understand how people interact (the culture can be quite different from your own), have a good knowledge of your neighbourhood and neighbours, find a group of people that you care about and can share life with. Once you’ve found that, enjoying you everyday life becomes much easier and growing roots becomes natural.

What advice would you give people who are considering studying in Australia?

To establish from the beginning what it is they want from their experience. To give themselves the time to feel comfortable with the city, the country and its people. To take the opportunity to explore and enjoy all that is different from their own culture. To be patient with themselves regarding the adaptation process: it is sometimes difficult and it takes time. To make friends with other international students: nothing is more soothing than sharing your difficult experiences with others and finding ways to solve ‘adaptation’ problems.

Were you given any credit for previous study when starting your Australian program?

Yes, given that in my country of origin most academic degrees take 5 years to complete and involve a research component, I was given 50 points credit out of a 200 points degree. In practical terms, it reduced 2 years of studying to 18 months, and lowered the fees I had to pay for the course.

Would you consider further study in Australia?

I have. I completed my Masters Degree in Criminology in June 2005, worked as a research assistant for 6 months, and came back to the department to do my PhD Studies. I was awarded the Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and a Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship. I am currently on the first year of my Ph.D., and I’m thoroughly enjoying my studies and my life here.

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Marcus, Honours Graduate from Singapore

Since young I've always been fascinated with crime-related stories. Surprisingly, when I was serving National Service in Singapore, I was posted to the Singapore Police Force rather than the army.  The experience strengthened my determination to enter criminal justice fields, and naturally, when I learned of the opportunity to study Criminology at the University of Melbourne, I hopped on.

The Criminology course has trained me to view the Criminal Justice System from a broader perspective, and it certainly enabled me to see crimes from a purely law-enforcement angle to include offenders and victims oriented perspectives as well. 

For my honours thesis, I decided to incorporate my training in psychology and explored the issue of the fear of crime against the elderly in view of the ageing population. I am now a manager at Singapore's Probation Services Branch under the Ministry of Community Development and Sports.  My main job portfolio includes overseeing staff training, finance, and managing our resources and facilities.  At the same time, I am also the gazetted Probation Officer to 5 juvenile offenders at this time.  The knowledge gained through the criminology course, as well as the work-placement in the 4th year have really prepared me well.  Much thanks to the staff of the Criminology Department!

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Simon, PhD Graduate from the United Kingdom

I studied law as my first degree in Edinburgh and then went on to take a Diploma in Legal Practice, and train for two years as a solicitor. I qualified in 1999, worked for a year as a commercial litigator and then decided to get back into academia. I took the M.Phil in criminological research at Cambridge in 1999-2000 and then in 2001 came over to Melbourne to start a PhD.

I am now in the final year of my PhD. My research is into the international market in looted antiquities, which involves an investigation of the shape and structure of that market, and how we can best hope to regulate it. You might well wonder how I got into that subject. Sometimes I wonder myself. I came over to Melbourne intending to research gender and crime, but my supervisor, Prof Ken Polk, soon had me hooked on art crime with tales of his Indiana Jones-style explorations into thefts of artefacts from temples and suchlike.

Melbourne Uni has been a nice place to be a research student. You can supplement any scholarship you might get with as much or as little teaching as you want, so although it's sometimes tough to live the good life on a student budget, you are unlikely to find yourself financially bereft. Printing and photocopying are free (within reason) which is something of a blessing to UK students who are used to having to pay for these. You really need your own computer, as there aren't enough computers in private offices to go around, but other than that the facilities are pretty good in comparison to what many PhD students at other universities have to put up with.

Importantly, the uni has several good sources of funding for PhD students, both in terms of general scholarships which pay fees and provide a living stipend, and those which provide funds for overseas research. Thanks to these sources of funding, I have just returned from the main fieldwork phase of my research which took me to New York, London, Geneva, Thailand and Hong Kong. This commitment on the uni's part to funding the international research of students means that if you can demonstrate that your research needs to be done somewhere other than Melbourne there is every chance you will be able to go there. This opens up fantastic opportunities for students.

Melbourne is a very easy place to settle into. Everyone in the criminology department is friendly and helpful, and other than their bizarre enthusiasm for aussie rules football, most Australians are (contrary to popular belief) quite civilised. The stereotypical tinny-swilling aussie who sports a bad mullet, a red checked lumberjack shirt, bleached eighties-throwback holey jeans and drives a ute does indeed exist, but is dubbed a 'bogan' by trendy Melburnians, and roundly laughed at. On the subject of beer, it should be noted that it is taken in half pint 'pots' in these parts, which makes for many more trips to the bar per sitting than the average international drinker will be used to. This exercise, however, helps to work off the calories ingested daily by the nation in the form of a diet of pies, which incidentally are excellent. I came over here knowing nobody but now have many good friends, a nifty yellow VW Beetle (pictured) (and incredibly cheap by British standards), an enviably bookish lifestyle, and a fiancée to boot! I could never have predicted that getting out of law and into criminology would have lead to such a huge change in my enjoyment of life. A PhD in Melbourne is not only a great way to spend three years; you never know where it might take you…