The 17 students, from Runshaw College in Lancashire, UK are in Australia for 10 days and have been mostly in Sydney.

Course director for Bachelor of Criminal Justice Charles Sturt University Rosemary Woolston helped coordinate the visit to Goulburn after she learned they were studying serial killers, and in particular Goulburn Supermax inmate Ivan Milat.

Milat was jailed in 1996 for the killing of seven backpackers between 1990 and 1992. Their bodies were discovered in the Belanglo State Forest.

"They have come out on a study tour and are here for 10 nights. They have been mostly visiting the prison system in Sydney," Ms Woolston said.

"They got in touch with me to say they would be keen to learn more about the criminal justice system in NSW."

Ms Woolston organised a bus to bring the students to Goulburn, after visiting The Belanglo State Forest, site of the infamous backpacker murders carried out by Milat, where the students will organise their own tutorial session at the memorial at the forest.

MS Woolston knows the area well. She was a NSW police officer for 20 years and then she worked as Head of School at the NSW Police Academy for about 15 years.

While in Goulburn, the students undertook quick tour of the NSW Police Academy.

They also visited the Goulburn Courthouse, where Magistrate David Williams gave them a talk and Police youth liaison officer senior constable Barbara Beard discussed policing with juvenile offenders with the group.

"This visit is being facilitated by the NSW Police Academy and also the goodwill of people in the community, such as Bernadette Hilton, senior constable Barbara Beard and Magistrate David Williams," she said.

Runshaw College Criminal Justice program leader Peter Lamb said the trip through the Southern Highlands and to Goulburn would provide context to the student's studies.

"We have a serial killer module as part of the curriculum and Ivan Milat is one of the case studies on that module," Mr Lamb said. 

"The size of the forest was surprising and where the monument was is quite far in. 

"The visit today links directly in with our studies and here at the courthouse we are comparing the criminal justice systems between the UK and Australia, particularly in relation to juvenile justice."