Last updated: 01 Jun 2020
The BA Criminology is the three-year undergraduate programme that deals with the detailed study of the criminology and crime investigation methodologies. The students who have completed their PUC or 12th class in the arts or science streams with good percentages can join the BA Criminology course.
The BA Criminology course is the new and recently launched by various universities due to the increased demands for the skilled criminologists who are capable of solving crime cases at a faster pace. This invariably results in maintenance of peace and harmony in the society. Unfortunately, the increased crime rates across the countries have resulted in the emergence of new job roles and avenues for criminology students. The demand for criminologists is more in abroad when compared to India.
There are many lucrative careers in the field of criminology and some important of them are listed below. The top 5 career opportunities for the BA Criminology students are as follows:
Roles of the Crime Scene Investigator
As a crime scene investigator, one will be involved in securing and protecting crime scenes for collecting important evidence from the crime scenes. The evidence is collected in case of suspicious death or fire accidents by the crime scene investigators. They are also responsible to process and categorise the evidence from the crime scene. They might even be required to gather photographs, crime weapons, evidence, physical samples that include fingerprints, blood, clothing or biological evidence that are vital for investigations.
Duties of the Crime Scene Investigator
As a crime scene investigator, one has to perform certain duties such as:
Earning Potential
Criminal Case Investigators earn nearly about 4 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum. However, the salary increases according to the skills and experience gained in their careers. Sometimes, they are also rewarded with salary hikes and monetary rewards for solving high-profile cases.
Roles of the Detective
The detectives are accredited police officers who work as serious and complex crime investigators or specialist investigators. They are responsible to manage range of investigations that includes different crimes like robbery, drugs, domestic violence, murders, public and child protection, cyber-crime, counter terrorism etc.
Duties of the Detective
As a detective one has to carry out certain duties like:
Earning Potential
The detectives will receive fixed salaries from the government. The average salary starts from 5 lakhs and may go up to 20 lakhs per annum according to the service and experience.
Roles of the Private Detectives
Private detectives and investigators search for information about legal, financial and personal matters. They are responsible to conduct various duties like background verification of the individuals, finding missing persons and also investigate cyber-crimes.
Duties of the Private Detective
As a private detective one is responsible to perform certain duties like:
Earning Potential
The private detectives usually work as consultants and can easily earn around 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum. The salary depends on the organisations and firms that hire them for their services. Usually larger firms pay well, while smaller and mid-level firms usually pay less.
Role of the Prison Officer
The prison officers are responsible for the security, supervision, training and rehabilitation of the prisoners who are sent to jails by the courts. They are required to maintain a positive working relationship with prisoners, balancing authority with a large amount of compassion. They are responsible to motivate the prisoners and help them to lead normal lives after they complete their tenure in jails.
Duties of the Prison Officer
As a prison officer one is expected to perform certain tasks like:
Earning Potential
The salaries and incentives for the Prison Officers are fixed by the government. They will be earning a salary that ranges from 5 lakhs to 20 lakhs that is fixed according to their experience and service by the government.
Roles of the Paralegal Officer
The paralegal officers work in law firms and provide support to advocates, solicitors and barristers in the law establishments. They play an important role in preparing legal documents along with the legal team and submit them to the courts and clients. They are also required to provide support for the senior lawyers for preparing legal documents that are considered by the courts of the country.
Duties of the Paralegal Officer
As a full-fledged paralegal officer, one is required to carry out certain tasks and duties like:
Earning Potential
The salary of the paralegal officer ranges from 5 lakhs to 12 lakhs per annum. The salaries of freshers will start from 4 lakhs per annum, while the experienced paralegal officers will be receiving a handsome salary of about 10 lakhs per annum. The salary increases according to the skills and experience gained in their careers.
The Criminology students have better opportunities abroad when compared to India. Countries like the USA, UK, Germany, France, Canada and Russia are hiring a large number of BA Criminology students from India. The job potential is very high due to the increased crime rates in these countries. The government and enforcement agencies are in need of skilled students from criminology background to investigate and solve the cases at a faster pace. The students who are interested in taking up challenges in the field of crime prevention and if the investigation methodologies attract them, then they can choose the BA Criminology course and land in high paying jobs in different countries.