What Now? Perceptions and Expectations of Career Preparedness among Criminology Students in Australia

Criminology degrees in Australia lead to multiple post-graduation pathways, but little is known about the relationship between career aspirations and preparedness, or which learning experiences are associated with greater career clarity, and occupational knowledge. This article draws from an anonymous online survey of 430 undergraduate criminology students in Australia. It examines whether respondents considering four common careers—law enforcement, public service, victim advocacy, and policy—reported different levels of career clarity and self-perceived occupational knowledge when controlling for their participation in six key vocation-oriented learning activities, socio-economic status, current employment status, and other demographic controls. Students considering a career in law enforcement reported higher levels of career knowledge and skills, while students considering careers in the public service, or victim advocacy reported lower levels of self-perceived occupational knowledge and career clarity. Only one learning activity remained positively associated with our career preparedness variable: completing industry-engaged projects.