Criminology colleges in India

Almost every day in the newspapers or news channels, we hear crime stories. With the increasing crime rates, demand for criminologists has also grown substantially not only in India but also around the globe. These professionals not only expertise in deciphering the causes and effects of criminal activities but help to build strategies for crime prevention.

Students must be wondering, ‘What is Criminology?’. Well, Criminology is a subject that includes the scientific study of crime and criminal behaviour such as disclosure, causes, legal aspects, control, rehabilitation, etc.

Often people consider Criminology to be the same as Forensic Science and Criminal Law. However, this is not the case. Forensic Science focuses on the scientific study of tracing evidence while Criminology includes psychological study of criminal behaviour. Criminal Law is the study of laws that determines what activity constitutes a crime while Criminology studies crime and criminal activity.

To pursue a degree in Criminology, students must have either Arts or Science background. There are many Criminology colleges in India that offer undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma-level courses. Candidates can also pursue a PhD in Criminology. Students can also pursue certificate courses in Criminology for six months offered by the agencies. There are also specialised courses in Criminology for law graduates.

In India, there are around 24 Criminology Colleges in India. Some of the Criminology institutes in India include Pondicherry University, Karunya Institute of Technology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, University of Mysore, Patna University, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (NICFS), Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Vinayaka Institute of Management & Technology, Osmania University. For Criminology courses, students must have the following skillsets:

• Analytical skills
• Data collection skills
• Crime techniques
• Criminal behaviour
• Research skills
• Communication skills

Here are some public, private and public-private Criminology colleges in India that are listed on Shiksha. The location of these colleges and course fees are also mentioned in the table below:

Criminology courses Admission Eligibility Criteria

For admission to Criminology courses, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• For degree level programmes, candidates must have completed Class 12 from a recognised board or university
• For admission to postgraduate programmes such as MA or LLM, candidates must have passed a bachelor’s degree from any recognised university

Criminology courses in India

Criminology courses are offered from diploma to doctoral level. Some of the Criminology courses that students can pursue at degree-level, postgraduate-level, etc and as follows:

Certificate courses

• Certificate course (Forensic Science)

Diploma courses

• Diploma in Cyber Crime)
• Diploma in Forensic Science and Criminology
• Diploma in Criminology & Penology

Degree-level courses

• Bachelor Degree in Forensic Science and Criminology

Postgraduate courses

• Masters in Forensic Science and Criminology
• Masters in Forensic Science and Criminology Research
• Master of Science (M Sc) in Criminology
• Master of Arts (MA) in Criminology & Criminal Justice
• Master of Legislative Law (LLM) in Criminal Law & Criminology
• Master of Legislative Law (LLM) in Crimes & Torts
• Master of Legislative Law (LLM) in Criminal Law

Postgraduate diploma courses

• Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Science and Criminology

Criminology Career Growth & Prospects

There are plenty of opportunities for professionals after pursuing Criminology courses. Students can make their career as a crime investigator, counsellor, medical investigator, social worker, rehabilitation specialist, policy maker, or join police forces and law enforcement agencies. Students work in organisations such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Women (NCW), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D). Some of the job profiles after pursuing Criminology courses are as follows:

After completing the course, candidates can work in the government and private sector. The salary of a Criminologist ranges approximately between Rs 3 and 4 lakh per annum.

Criminology courses Mode of Study

Students can pursue full-time and distance Criminology courses. Around 22 Criminology colleges in India offer full-time courses while two colleges offer distance or correspondence courses. Here is the list of some Criminology colleges that offer full-time and distance courses:

Full-time Mode of Study

Some of the colleges that offer full-time courses are given below:

 Distance Mode of Study

The graph below highlights the total number of colleges full-time and distance mode of study:

How affordable is studying Criminology courses in India?

Based on the pie chart given below, it can be estimated that around 50% of colleges have course fee below Rs 1 lakh. Some of these colleges are given below:

• Pondicherry University
• Maharaja's College, University of Mysore
• University of Madras, Institute of Distance Education
• Directorate of Distance Education, Madurai Kamaraj University
• Patna University

Around 8% Criminology colleges in India have a fee structure that ranges from Rs 1-2 lakh. Some of the colleges are given below:

• Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences
• University of Mysore

Criminology Entrance Exams in India

The entrance exam for admission in Criminology courses listed in Shiksha is IPU CET. Scores of law entrance exams such as AILET, LSAT, AP LAWCET, TS LAWCET are also accepted by colleges for Criminology courses along with Law. However, certain universities/colleges/institutes conduct their own entrance tests for admission to Criminology courses.