Master of Science [M.Sc] (Forensic Sciences) Course Admission, Eligibility, Fees 2021-2022

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M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences is a 2-year full-time post-graduate course which is divided into 4 semesters. Forensics is a method used to determine what happened before, during, and after a crime. Students can choose to focus on one area of forensics, such as Biology or Cyber Security, relevant to the sort of criminal activity to detect. The course may also involve an advanced study of Psychology for understanding a criminal’s mind.

Risk analysis is a major skill taught in a forensics program, which students can apply both in life and job. Some other skills needed in eligible candidates for the course would be attention-to-detail and critical thinking, analytical observation, and an eye for detail, which are useful in every facet of life. These skills help students solve problems, critically analysing the many consequences of a single act.

The course prepares students to detect dicey situations where a crime may occur, such as cyber security, towards preventing digital attacks before they can happen. Even handwriting-analysis can be used in marital counselling and to help someone choose a career path.

Some popular television shows also hire forensics experts to craft believable scenes and situations. There are multiple universities and colleges offering Forensic Science degrees. The course prepares candidates for professional roles in Forensic Science, such as police or forensic practice, the criminal or civil judicial system or research. They can develop command, control, and management skills that will enable them to present expert evidential incident reports to the court of law.

Also, the course aims at developing:

candidates’ knowledge and understanding of advanced laboratory analytical methods applied to forensic investigation.
ability to choose the most appropriate analytical techniques for forensic investigation
ability to use a wide range of advanced analytic apparatus to evidential standards.

The average annual course fee in India ranges between INR 20,000 and 2 lacs, depending upon the institute offering the course. The average annual salary offered in India to successful postgraduates of the course ranges between INR 2 and 10 lacs, depending upon the candidate’s expertise in the field.

Top Colleges for Master of Science [M.Sc] (Forensic Sciences)

M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences: Course Highlights

Tabulated below are some of the major highlights of the course.

Course Level	Post Graduate
Duration	2 years
Examination Type	Semester system
Eligibility	Bachelor’s degree in science or equivalent qualification
Admission Process	Counselling after qualification of entrance examination
Course Fee	INR 20,000 to 2 lacs
Average Starting Salary	INR 2 to 10 lacs

M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences: What is it About?

M.Sc. in Forensic Science is designed for both graduate students and forensic practitioners. The course aims to build in students both theoretical knowledge and practical application of the key aspects of forensic science. Enrolled students are initially taught the fundamentals of Forensic Biology and Forensic Chemistry that underpin much of the laboratory analysis associated with forensic investigations.

Subsequently, the recovery and processing of a variety of evidence types found at crime scenes are studied in detail, as is the evaluation and presentation of that evidence in legal contexts. The course affords students access to extensive modern facilities with state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories. Upon completion of the course, students are needed to undertake a research project towards developing research skills in a diverse range of projects, both within the university, and through external placements.

Top Institutes Offering M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences

Some of the top institutes offering the course in the country with the corresponding locations and fees charged by the respective colleges are listed below.

NAME OF INSTITUTE	CITY	AVERAGE ANNUAL FEES
Lovely Professional University	Jalandhar	INR 1,98,000
Lovely Professional University	Chandigarh	INR 1,98,000
SGT University	Gurgaon	INR 3,00,000
Amity University	Gurgaon	INR 1,89,000
Chandigarh University	Chandigarh	INR 1,70,000
Galgotias University	Greater Noida	INR 1,01,000
Gujarat University	Ahmedabad	INR 30,000
GD Goenka University	Gurgaon	INR 1,40,000
Banaras Hindu University	Varanasi	INR 1,60,000
Maharshi Dayanand University	Rohtak	INR 20,274
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University	Lucknow	INR 1,01,000
Maharaja Agrasen University	Solan	INR 1,50,000
Kurukshetra University	Kurukshetra	INR 1,04,000

Eligibility for M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences

Minimum eligibility criteria for M.Sc. in Forensic Science course may vary across institutes. Primarily, the criteria include:

Bachelor’s degree in science/ engineering / pharmacy/ medicine, obtained from a recognized university.
A minimum aggregate score of 60% at the level of graduation.

M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences: Admission Process

The merit list for admission to the course is usually prepared on the basis of the candidate’s performance in a relevant qualifying examination and entrance exam. General weightage is given to both the score obtained in the entrance exam, and to the score obtained in the last qualifying examination.

The round of written test is often followed by subsequent rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

Latest Master of Science [M.Sc] (Forensic Sciences) Admission Alert

M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester - wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated below.

Semester I	Semester II
Forensics techniques	Finger prints impressions
Physical instrumental methods	Questioned documents
Biological instrumental methods	Forensic chemistry
Forensic photography	Forensic toxicology
Practical	Practical
Semester III	Semester IV
Forensic physics	Forensic physics
Forensic biology	Forensic chemistry
Forensic serology	Forensic ballistics
Recent advances	Forensic photography
DNA isolation	Finger print analysis
Practical	DNA profiling
-	Practical
-	Dissertation

M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences: Career Prospects

Forensic Toxicology, Forensic Biology, and Crime Scene Investigation have always had career scope. Forensic Speech Science deal with analysing voice samples using spectrogram, recording, and machines to help identify the speaker. Some voice recordings are permissible as evidence in the court of law in anti-corruption and other criminal offences. The ability to work with experts from other allied fields like Social Science, Psychology, and Statistics is a must, since job profiles largely depend on one’s area of specialisation. Such postgraduates work in both government and private agencies, hospitals and laboratories.

Many corporates hire such postgraduates as document experts, and in areas such as:

anti-terrorist operations
protection of human rights and environment
mass disaster management
cyber-crime investigation
consumer and intellectual property rights.

Some of the top professional avenues for such post graduates are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

M.Sc. in Forensic Sciences Average Salary

JOB POSITION	JOB DESCRIPTION	AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Corrections Officer	County Correctional Officers are often civil service workers who supervise and closely monitor jail or correctional facility inmates and the facility itself. They watch over both those who are awaiting trial and those who have already been convicted and are serving their sentence. County Corrections Officers are often required to work nights and weekend shifts. They may also be members of labour unions depending on the locality.	INR 3,37,000
Customs Agent	A Customs Inspector works in the Department of Homeland Security ensuring domestic security against terrorism, inspecting travellers and commercial transport, and enforcing trade regulations. Also, they work with local and federal law enforcement agencies. They inspect and identify potential threats, with sound judgment and critical decision-making skills for interviewing, checking for illegal substances and prohibited foreigners. Some may be trained as dog handlers or be proficient in a foreign language.	INR 5,40,000
Forensic Psychologist	Criminal Forensic Psychologists are highly trained professionals, they typically hold a doctoral degree in their field, though a Master's degree may be sufficient in some cases. Psychologists must be licensed and certification is preferred. They are responsible for providing psychological expertise when required by the criminal justice system.	INR 7,70,000
Compliance Officer	The first duty a Tax Compliance Officer performs in a case is ensuring the accuracy of any credits and deductions a taxpayer has claimed. Often while examining this information, Tax Compliance Officers detect tax problems at the federal, State and local levels. If someone want to claim or payment is determined to be inaccurate, they help and contact the taxpayer. They give advice and pursue legal action if the taxpayer doesn't follow the necessary procedures.	INR 3,33,000
Coast Guard	During the enlistment process, they are required to pass physical exams and background checks that include credit and criminal histories. Some prospects must earn a score of at least 45 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, Arithmetic. They must possess proficiency in science, mechanical comprehension, and object assembly. Some enlisted members generally serve for eight years, though part of their contract could include inactive service. This is an honourable role where the government retains the right to call members back within the contractual period.	INR 6,00,000