Criminology is a study of crime that deals with understanding the root cause of the crime and its effective prevention. Criminology is a sub-branch/discipline of sociology and is a new field in India. Being one of the challenging and engrossing courses, the demand for criminology is increasing day by day. It covers a range of topics from biology, anthropology to psychology. Criminology is a collective of various subjects and is an expanding field.
The increasing crime rates have led to increasing demand for criminologists in the country. To become a criminologist, a candidate needs to have a background in science or arts in their 12th. Candidates with a bachelor's degree in criminology/sociology/psychology are also eligible to apply. Check: Criminology Courses
Graduates can work in NGOs or social organizations that deal with crimes. They can also work for the government in departments that include the judiciary, social reform, or with the police. A candidate with a background in criminology can work at international organizations like the UN, as a Criminology professor in reputed institutions or even in banks to examine fraudulent cases.
Table of Content
2.1 Annual Salary
3.1 Criminologist
3.2 Crime Analyst
3.5 Criminal Lawyer
3.7 Fraud Analyst
- Criminology Jobs: Salaries
- Criminology: Top Recruiters
- Criminology: Advantages and Disadvantages
- Criminology Courses in India
- Criminology: Subjects
- Criminology: Jobs in India
9.1 Mumbai
9.2 New Delhi
9.3 Bangalore
Why study Criminology?
An alarming rate of crime and terrorist threats in India has led this field to emerge at no bounds. Various economic, psychological and social causes are the root cause of a crime.
- Criminologists are trained to analyze these issues so that they can get into the mind of a criminal. Criminologists are not bound to solving crimes alone.
- They play a substantial role in prevention and law/policy-making systems that can evade such situations in the future and curtail crime at the same time.
- Criminology is a blend of subjects like psychology, sociology, law, anthropology, which, thereby, plays a crucial role in critiquing a crime and the criminal.
- Sociology is the study of human behaviour and interaction, psychology, on the other hand, helps understand the psyche of a human being.
Criminology: Salary in India
The average annual salary of a criminologist is between 3-10 LPA. With experience, the salary can go up to 30 LPA depending on the particular job profile.
Annual Salary
Salary based on the job roles are tabulated below:
| Job Profile | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Criminologist | INR 3 lakhs |
| Crime Analyst | INR 5.3 Lakhs |
| Criminology Professor | INR 2.6 Lakhs |
| Forensic Psychologist | INR 4 lakhs |
Experience-wise Salary
Salary based on the experience in the respective job profile is tabulated below:
| Job Profile | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Criminologist | INR 10 lakhs |
| Crime Analyst | -- |
| Criminology Professor | INR 18 lakhs |
| Forensic Psychologist | INR 30 lakhs |
Criminology: Jobs and Scope
India has an alarming crime rate. Also, it is slowly progressing towards rehabilitation sentencing. For a crime-free nation, there is a need to create more jobs for criminology graduates. Below are some major job roles offered to graduates in India.
Criminologist
A criminologist is the most intriguing job profile. This job profile entails learning and analyzing the patterns and activities of a criminal.
- A criminologist directly interacts with criminals by interviewing them. It helps them understand the criminal's psychology and the root cause of the crime committed.
- Criminologists work with the government to reduce the crime rate by suggesting punishments or stringent action for non-punishable crimes.
Crime Analyst
Crime Analyst helps in analyzing the evidence, collecting fingerprints, fluids, and other necessary items that can be used in the laboratory for further analysis.
- A crime analyst must follow the protocol laid out by the authorities. Evidence collection is a meticulous job, and there is no chance of an error.
- Crime analysts are also responsible for generating reporting based on the crime analysis of a specific region. Thus, it requires strong analytical skills.
Criminology Professor
Being a criminology professor is pertinent for candidates that have a knack for teaching and research.
- To become a criminology professor a candidate needs to be thorough in this field of study.
- Criminology must develop a learning environment that piques the interest of the students further.
- Criminology Professors can publish papers in the field.
Forensic Psychologist
The job of a forensic psychologist is nothing but understanding the criminal psyche.
- A Forensic Psychologist helps in analyzing if a criminal has a mental disorder or illness.
- It helps in deducing whether the criminal should be treated for the mental illness or sentenced guilty.
- Forensic Psychologists help the law-enforcing authorities to mitigate crime by analyzing the criminal patterns.
Criminal Lawyer
A criminal lawyer works on the defence/prosecution of the person implicated for committing a crime.
- A criminal lawyer thoroughly examines the case, deduces results, and then accordingly plans a strategy to fight the case.
- A criminal lawyer needs to dig deep while fighting a case, conduct research, and collect evidence for the same.
- As per the statistics, there are about 20 lakh criminal lawyers in India. India needs more lawyers and not Engineers or doctors, even though the latter is equally important.
Digital Forensic Analyst
The main job of a digital forensic analyst is to retrieve and catalogue digital evidence.
- They need to safeguard the evidence related to the specific crime for the evidence to be admissible in court when required.
- Cybercrime has increased at an alarming rate in India. Thus, these computer forensic analysts play a crucial role in cybersecurity teams.
- They need to preserve the data gathered from cyberattacks or any illegal online activity. The analysts must have computer skills as well as a working knowledge of the criminal investigation.
Fraud Analyst
A Fraud Analyst is hired to report any malicious or suspicious activity in a customer's account, banks, or any financial institution.
- They monitor every transaction and ensure that it doesn't harm the bank or the customer.
- For any suspicious activity found a fraud analyst can suspend the respective account.
- To become a fraud analyst candidates need to have computer skills as well as knowledge of criminal justice.
Criminology Jobs: Salaries
| Job Profile | Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Criminologist | 3-10 LPA |
| Crime Analyst | 4 - 10 LPA |
| Criminology Professor | 4 - 8 LPA |
| Forensic Psychologist | 3 -5 LPA |
| Criminal Lawyer | 3.5 - 6 LPA |
| Digital Forensic Analyst | 2-7 LPA |
| Fraud Analyst | 3-7 LPA |
Criminology: Top Recruiters
Even though there are fewer jobs for Criminology graduates, there are some MNC"s that hire them as Fraud Analyst/ Fraud Prevention Analyst, Cyber Crime Analyst/Digital Forensic Researchers. Given below are few top recruiters in the industry
| UNDP | Digital Forensics Researchers |
| National Institute of Social Defence | Union Public Service Commission |
| FBI | CBI |
| State Police | Central police |
| Private Detective Agencies | Human Rights Agencies |
| NGOs | IB |
| Standard Chartered | Colleges and Universities |
| Amazon | Standard Chartered Bank |
| Cyber Crime Investigation and Research Center | Barclays |
Criminology: Advantages and Disadvantages
Listed below are some pros and cons of criminology
Pros
- A New Field with a Progressive Career: Criminologists have an exciting career wherein they help to prevent crime and also mitigate the same. Criminologists have lucrative career options including jobs in banks, teaching institutions, international organizations, and also with the government.
- Evolving Field: As a criminologist helps in understanding the mindset of a criminal, it thus helps in mitigating crimes and helping society. There are myriad job opportunities for criminologists. From working on projects like UNDP, BPR&D to working in NGOs all are good and lucrative career options for criminologists. Moreover, there is a need to create jobs in organizations like CBI, RAW, judiciary, and so on.
- Impact on Society: Curtailing the crime rate will help make a positive change in society, also free people from an environment of terror.
- Change in our Legal System: With the right education and experience in this field of study, there will be a change in our legal systems too. India is slowly progressing towards rehabilitation sentencing. Adding laws or punishments suggested by criminologists is an impactful beginning to change.
Cons
- Not the Traditional Field of Study: As it is a different course than the traditional field of study like Engineering, medicine, etc., it is yet to be accepted as a reputable and lucrative career option. Nevertheless, we still hope for a positive outcome in the future.
- Average Starting Salary is Low: Even though there are numerous job opportunities for criminologists, the starting salary of 15-20k per month throws many individuals off-guard in pursuing the course. There is an upside that with a gain in experience, criminologists can work with numerous reputable firms.
- Demanding Work: The working environment of a criminologist is, however, extremely challenging. The job of a criminologist demands a sharp focus, long tedious hours, and a challenging work environment with no work-life balance.
Criminology Courses in India
Being a relatively new field, only a handful of colleges/universities offer courses in criminology. Listed below are criminology courses and the top institutes that offer this course.
| Course Name | College Name |
|---|---|
| Diploma in Criminology | Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| Diploma in Criminology | Madurai Kamaraj University |
| PG Diploma in Criminology | Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| PG Diploma in Criminology & Police Science | University of Jammu |
| PG Diploma in Criminology & Criminal Administration | Jaipur School of Law |
| BSc in Criminology | University of Pune |
| BSc in Criminology | Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences |
| BSc in Criminology | University of Mysore |
| BSc in Criminology | Osmania University |
| BSc in Criminology | Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University |
| MA in Criminology | Lok Nayak Jayaprakash National Institute of Criminology & Forensic Science |
| MA in Criminology & Police Administration | Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University |
| MA in Criminology & Justice | Tata Institute of Social Sciences |
| MSc in Criminology | Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University |
| MSc in Criminology & Criminal Justice System | University of Madras |
| MSc in Criminology & Criminal Justice Administration | University of Lucknow |
| MSc in Forensic Science & Criminology | Institute of Forensic Science & Criminology, Punjab University |
Criminology: Subjects
Topics covered in criminology are listed below
| Laws of Crime and Minor Acts | Forensic Medicine |
| Cyber Crime | Criminal Psychology |
| Research Methodologies | Laws and Jurisdictions |
| Forensic Science | Police Administration |
| Police Administration and Procedural Law | Penology |
Criminology: Jobs in India
The top criminology jobs available across India are listed below:
Mumbai
| Company Name | Job Profile | Average Monthly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC bank | Cyber Security Specialist | INR 60,000 |
| Accenture | Fraud analyst | INR 24,000 |
New Delhi
| Company Name | Job Profile | Average Monthly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| SBI Card | Fraud analyst | INR 15,000 |
| Barclays | Fraud Analyst | INR 44,000 |
Bangalore
| Company Name | Job Profile | Average Monthly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Fraud Analyst | INR 31,000 |
| JP Morgan | Fraud Analyst | INR 38,000 |
Criminology Jobs in India: FAQs
Ques. How is the work-life of a criminologist?
Ans. A criminologists' daily work encircles interviewing the perpetrators or the victims to understand the factors that led to the crime. A criminologist is responsible for understanding the nature of the crime, its effect on society, and criminal behaviour. During their career, a criminologist is given a chance to delve into different fields.
Ques. Which degree is required to become a Criminologist?
Ans. To become a criminologist candidates must have a Bachelor's or a Master's degree in criminology. Other degree courses that candidates can pursue are sociology, psychology, law, or even anthropology.
Ques. How to become a criminologist in the USA?
Ans. The career path of a criminologist in the USA is as follows: Candidates must complete a 4-year degree in Criminology, following which they can apply for internships or pursue an advanced degree in the course. Some states in the USA also require a criminologist to have a valid license to practice criminology.
Ques. Are Forensic accountants eligible to become criminologists?
Ans. Yes, Forensic accountants are responsible to detect frauds or any other suspicious activities. They are hired by companies in case of fraud or embezzlement. Criminologists analyze crimes of different nature. Forensic accountants know the law, accounting, and finance, whereas criminology is more psychology inclined. There are additional subjects that a forensic accountant might have to learn to become a criminologist.
Ques. What is the difference between forensic criminologists and forensic psychologists?
Ans. A criminologist might have to work with psychologists at some point in time. There is a collaboration between the two. While criminologists specifically work with criminals, forensic psychologists on the other hand work with criminal and civil law. It is an amalgamation of criminal justice and psychology. Psychologists are responsible to judge the criminal justice of a crime, while criminologists assess the criminal nature of the crime using different statistics or records available.
Ques. What is the difference between forensic science and criminology?
Ans. Both the fields deal with crime and criminal justice, however, the two vary in regards to future scope and application. Forensic science deals with methods and tools that can solve and mitigate the crime rate, whereas criminology deals with analyzing crimes.
Ques. Are our law graduates eligible to pursue Criminology?
Ans. Yes, some courses provide a Master's degree in Criminal Justice and criminology both. Candidates can pursue a MA in criminology and criminal justice or an MSc in the same.
Ques. After BSc graduates eligible to become a forensic criminologist?
Ans. Yes, graduates can pursue a Bsc degree in criminology to become forensic criminologists. There are also several diplomas available that candidates might pursue, but the minimum eligibility criteria are to hold a bachelor's degree in the respective field.
Ques. Is Criminology a lucrative career option in India?
Ans. There is a definite demand for criminologists and criminal law in the country. Even though the job opportunities are limited, the aspiring candidates can choose to work in government organizations or with a criminal lawyer.
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