A career in law, criminal justice or policing

Ready to take a stand for those who need it? To help empower, represent and protect the vulnerable as you work with people from all backgrounds?

Then you’ve come to the right place.

Make a difference with a career in – at the university with the highest undergraduate employment rate in Australia.

At Charles Sturt, we have leading bachelor’s degrees across law, policing and criminal justice.

Law / criminal justice degrees

Bachelor of Laws – kickstart your career in the legal profession

Bachelor of Criminal Justice – create change for communities

Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Criminal Justice – a double degree for maximum impact

Policing and public safety degrees

University Certificate in Workforce Essentials – the first step to your NSW Police career

Associate Degree in Policing Practice – the course you do to become a police recruit

Bachelor of Policing and Public Safety – a complete degree to become a police officer

And they are all backed up by Australia’s highest graduate employment rate. That’s right, Charles Sturt grads get jobs faster after completing their course than students from any other uni.

What can I do with an undergraduate law degree?

With our Bachelor of Laws you can make an impact in government, not-for-profit or private enterprise roles. As a skilled law professional you’ll be able to work at the heart of regional communities, drive advocacy and improve access to legal representation. You could work for government or a not-for-profit addressing human rights, environmental law, or native title and Indigenous affairs. Work in commercial law or legal aid. And with further study, you can take your career to the next level as a solicitor or barrister.

The even better news is that when you start your career with an undergraduate law degree from Charles Sturt, you’re going to be in demand. When 99% of our undergrads find jobs in their field, you know you’re setting yourself up for career success.

Why study law?

For Charles Sturt Bachelor of Laws graduate Amber Jennings, making a difference in regional communities has always been her goal.

“I have always dreamt of becoming a rural lawyer and this course is making it a reality. Growing up in a rural and regional area I was drawn to the Bachelor of Laws as it’s the only law course with a special focus on rural and regional issues.”

Charles Sturt law student Matthew Allen will use his law degree to take a stand for justice.

“Studying law means I’ll be able to stand up for people and fight for justice in ways others can’t. As a lawyer you’re very privileged to be able to dispute legal issues on behalf of those who are stuck in tough situations or find the legal system confusing or intimidating. We can fight for them and for fair outcomes. Justice shouldn’t be based on how much money you have or whether you’re able to understand the legal system. It should only be based upon what is right and what is wrong.

Join the NSW Police Force

Want to be a police officer? Here are the steps you’ll need to take to join the NSW Police Force.

Fulfill academic requirements
Complete your police application
Undergo background checks
Pass physical and medical checks
Interview with the NSW Police Force
Get assessed for ranking and eligibility

Charles Sturt University is the official provider of education to start you on the journey to become a police officer in NSW. And we have a set of courses, so you can decide how much you want to take on as your first step.

You can start with the 8-week University Certificate in Workforce Essentials. then you could progress to the Associate Degree in Policing Practice, or sign up for the Bachelor of Policing and Public Safety to get a three-year degree.

Criminal justice careers

Help to address some of society’s most complex social problems and work closely with communities.

At Charles Sturt you’ll have the opportunity to study a range of areas of the criminal justice system. So you can find the ideal start for your career in policing, juvenile justice, corrections, youth advocacy, and working with refugees. You could choose to work with offenders, victims or families, welfare organisations, corrections, or state or federal policing.

Advocate in criminal justice

Charles Sturt Bachelor of Criminal Justice graduate Dillion Van de Wint found her calling while on work placement.

“Criminal justice is a bit of an umbrella course. There’s a bit of sociology, psychology and criminology. It was really broad and helped me to navigate what I found interesting and what I could choose as electives. I did work placement with a Bathurst organisation called Young Mob. Doing work placement there really shaped what I wanted to do – it strengthened that I wanted to work with kids.”

“Now I mostly work in the youth refuge. We work as advocates for children or young people who find themselves homeless or soon-to-be homeless and we try to work with their families and the community to find them somewhere stable to stay. A typical day is working in the refuge and a lot of the time we do living skills with the children. We do case plans with them, help them cook and clean, take them to school and help with their homework. We try to provide a homely environment and create a safe place for them.”