Course Outline

CRM201 Criminal Profiling & Intelligence

Course Coordinator:Kelly Hine (khine@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Criminal profiling is a useful tool to understanding criminal behaviour and motivations. This course provides students with an understanding of criminal profiling and intelligence-led investigations. Students will critically examine the different types of criminal profiling and learn about intelligence-led practices including intelligence-led policing, risk assessments, and best practices for preventing repeat offenders. Through case studies and practical exercises, students will apply their knowledge and develop their profiling and intelligence skills.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Asynchronous online learning material 1hr Week 1 11 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Face-to-face tutorials 2hrs Week 1 11 times
Online
Learning materials – Asynchronous online learning materials 1hr Week 1 11 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Live online tutorials 2hrs Week 1 11 times

Course Topics

Example topics include:

  • Introduction to Criminal Profiling 
  • Current Approaches to Criminal Profiling
  • Profiling Place and Crime Scenes
  • Profiling Victims
  • Profiling Offenders
  • Profilers
  • Case linkage
  • Intelligence
  • Intelligence-Led Policing
  • Intelligence-Led Courts and Corrections
  • Recidivism and Prevention
  • (all topics may contain mature content)

Mature Content

Drug Use, Nudity, Sex/Sexual references, Violence, Coarse Language, Adult themes

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Explain and critique criminal profiling and intelligence approaches and practices Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
2 Debate ethical and practice challenges associated with criminal profiling and intelligence Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
3 Apply scholarly writing, research, and reference practice Ethical
4 Develop and support their own arguments using evidence-based research and critical analysis Knowledgeable
Empowered
Ethical

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Not applicable

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Tutorial/learning materials will include quizzes for early feedback.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Case Study Individual 35%
1250 words
Week 6 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Case Study Individual 40%
2000 words
Week 11 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Examination - Centrally Scheduled Individual 25%
1 hour
Exam Period Online Test (Quiz)
All - Assessment Task 1:Victimology Report
Goal:
The goal of this assessment is for students to demonstrate their understanding of criminal profiling
Product: Case Study
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Students are required to complete the task using Cadmus.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Students will be assessed on their knowledge of profiling, strength of their arguments, and application of scholarly writing and practice
1 2 3 4
Generic Skills:
All - Assessment Task 2:Intelligence Report
Goal:
The goal of this assessment task is for students to demonstrate their understanding of intelligence, develop and support their own arguments using evidence-based research, and apply scholarly writing and practice.
Product: Case Study
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Students are required to complete the task using Cadmus.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Students will be assessed on their knowledge of intelligence, strength of their arguments, and application of scholarly research, writing, and practice
1 2 3 4
Generic Skills:
All - Assessment Task 3:Exam
Goal:
In this task, you will demonstrate your knowledge of the course concepts.
Product: Examination - Centrally Scheduled
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Students are required to complete the task using Cadmus
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Correct answers to examination questions
1 2 4
Generic Skills:

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Not applicable

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: