The first Monash University student is set to graduate from the Victoria Police Academy, as part of a groundbreaking initiative between Monash University and Victoria Police that enables students to become a police officer while attaining a criminology degree.
The Bachelor of Criminology and Policing is the only course of its kind in the state and delivers an innovative pathway that means students considering a career in the police force who also want to get a university education no longer need to choose between the two.
Monash student Jonathan Bingley, who will become the course's first student to graduate from the force's Glen Waverley academy later this year, said it offered the best of both worlds. The 23-year-old switched from a straight criminology degree in 2022.
"I have always wanted to be a police officer – but I also wanted to do uni. I thought it was a really good opportunity,'' Mr Bingley said.
The mentorship provided was especially valuable while coupling policing training with a criminology degree and provided a better understanding of the impact and importance of what police do.
"It's a great building block for the fundamentals of policing,'' he said.
Under the initiative students completing Monash University's three-year Bachelor of Criminology and Policing train to be a police member at the academy in their final year.
At the same time they complete their remaining Monash units, gaining not only a criminology degree but becoming a qualified police officer. Students receive a Diploma of Policing as they complete on-the-job training at Victoria Police.
Mentors from both Victoria Police and Monash University are provided to support the student's study. This includes assistance with preparation for Victoria Police's recruitment process. "There are specific policing units that really help you understand the issues in the community. It gives you the ability to broaden your understanding of what policing is," Mr Bingley said.
Dr Matt Maycock, Director of the Bachelor of Criminology and Policing degree, said the partnership meant students who are interested in joining the force but still want a university education no longer need to make a choice between study and work.
"Having a criminology degree is helpful for future police officers, providing them with an understanding of the social factors that influence crime and the impact on the community," Dr Maycock said.
"Students can apply the strategic knowledge of crime and justice from their Criminology Degree to real life scenarios once they join the police force."
