BA Criminology: Course, Syllabus, Fees, Colleges, Syllabus, Scope

BA in Criminology is an undergraduate degree course of 3-year duration. The course deals with the study of crime, behavioural deviance, behavioural science related to crime, criminal justice administration and other related topics. Students who have a keen interest in the field of criminology and want a professional career in this field can pursue BA in criminology right after completing the school education. The BA in Criminology is the perfect foundation for a long term career in the field of police services, prison administration, law, judiciary and social sciences.

Bachelors of Arts in Criminology, popularly known as B.A. in Criminology is a three-year undergraduate professional course. Aspirants can opt for the course either in full time and distance learning mode. Criminology is a challenging discipline and its practice and application are directly linked to the occurrence of crime. Candidates seeking admissions to the course must have passed their class 12th examination in Arts or Science stream by securing good percentage.

The course is being run as a regular and distance learning course in many colleges; however being a highly specialized course, aspirants won’t find many options. Some of the college running the course are listed below:

Eligibility required for BA in Criminology

Generally, the eligibility criteria are prescribed by the universities and colleges who offer the course. And, the eligibility criteria may vary across colleges and universities. However, the educational qualification of the course remains the same for all types of institutions and is explained below.

• The candidate must have completed the Class 12 examination or an equivalent examination from a recognised board.

• The candidate should have scored a minimum of 45 per cent in the qualifying examination.

Candidates must ensure that they fulfill the eligibility criteria of the institute where they are going for admission.

BA in Criminology - Important skills

BA in Criminology is a foundational course that is intended to impart the skills that are necessary for a successful career in the field of criminology. Still, the students are expected to have some basic skills. Some of the important skills that the students should have are given below.

Critical thinking - The ability to think critically and make logical decisions are very important qualities for pursuing BA in Criminology. The student must be able to apply his logic and reason while handling the common issues. The critical thinking skills will further be enhanced during the study of the course.

Logical reasoning - Thinking within a framework on the basis of logic should be an important characteristic of the student. He/she should be able to solve complex problems by using his logic.

Good Communication skills - Communication is an essential skill that is required for the study of a subject like criminology. The student must be able to communicate his ideas effectively without any kind of ambiguity. The communication skills help not only during college life, but are also an important characteristic of a successful career in criminology.

Interpersonal skills and teamwork quality

The criminology graduates have to work with a diverse group of people, so it is really important to have good interpersonal skills. The student should be able to work in a group while demonstrating the teamwork skills. If the student has leadership skills, he/she will be in a situation of advantage.

Ability to research

The student should have a curious mind. The ability to collect information and do deep research is very important for a criminology graduate. Students are expected to have a curious mind and willingness to learn new things. The quality of doing research is further enhanced during the course.

BA in Criminology - Course structure

In most of the universities, the BA in Criminology is taught along with other subjects of social sciences such as political science, History, economics and others. Criminology is taught as a subject at undergraduate level and mainly deals with the six core areas of criminology as given below.

BA in Criminology - Subjects

Source: School of Social Work, Roshani Nilaya, Mangalore

BA in Criminology - Admission process

BA in Criminology is offered both as a regular course and under distance learning programme.

Admissions to the regular BA in Criminology are offered on a merit basis. Students need not to clear any entrance examination. To get admission to the BA in Criminology course, the students need to fill the college admission form and submit their educational details.

The colleges or universities prepare the merit list on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in Class 12. Shortlisted candidates are asked to complete the admission by appearing in the admission counselling and seat allotment process.

BA in Criminology - Course Fee

The course fee of BA in Criminology varies from college to college. In government colleges the course fee is relatively less than that of private colleges. For example, Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya - HGC charges a course fee of around Rs 4500 per semester. The BA in Criminology course fee of some of the colleges are mentioned below.

Course fee of BA in Criminology

Career Options after BA in Criminology

The graduates of BA in Criminology are eligible for various professions that are related to the study of social behaviour, criminal justice administration and others. The career options after BA in Criminology extends to the professions such as uniformed services, public administration, prison administration, research on society and many others. Some of the popular career options after BA in Criminology are explained below.

Crime Investigator - A career as a crime investigator is considered as an exciting career option. The crime investigator visits the place of crime and uses the logical and analytical skills to inspect the case. Thus a crime investigator becomes a crucial member of the investigation team. Crime investigators are hired by both government and private agencies, thus, there is a good scope for crime investigators in terms of career growth and monetary benefits.

Private Detective - The graduates of BA in Criminology can pursue the career of private detective after adding some more skills and knowledge. The private detective is mostly hired by the private sector or individuals. The private detective collects all the information of their case and on the basis of their information, they give inputs to their clients.

Criminal Psychologist - A Criminal psychologist is the one who studies the psychological behaviour of the criminals. The work of criminal psychologists is mostly related to research activities concerning the criminals and society at large. Behaviour knowledge is an important characteristic of criminal psychologists.

Forensic Scientist - To become a forensic scientist, the graduates of BA in Criminology are required to take specialized courses at a higher level. India does not have the robust forensic labs and manpower, so, the new forensic scientists can fill up the space and pursue a career in the discipline.

Police Inspector - The graduates of BA in Criminology can pursue their career as a police inspector. The knowledge of criminology puts a police officer at great advantage as the profession requires the officer to deal with criminals while understanding the criminal behaviours. A career as a police inspector also offers growth both in terms of position and salary.

Average Salary after completing BA in Criminology

The salary of BA in Criminology graduates depends on many factors, such as the job profile, work experience, skills of the individuals. The average salary of a fresher starts from around Rs 15,000 per month. However, if the job profile is good, one can easily earn around 45,000 per month.