Brief Introduction to BA Criminology
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.
Career Options
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:
Crime Scene Investigator
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:
- Respond to the calls from the police and reach the crime scene at the earliest
- Protect the crime scene such that no evidence is lost or misplaced and get contaminated
- Work closely with the police authorities, forensic scientists during the investigation of the crime
- Take initiative to find out the evidence and speed up the investigation process
- Take photographs and videos of the crime scene for future investigations and court trials
- Use scientific methods of research to gather the biological evidences such as blood samples, hair from the clothing etc
- Examine the crime scene for latent fingerprint impressions
- Prepare detailed reports about the case and ensure that the culprit is punished
- Attend the court trials to give evidence
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.
Detectives
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:
- Manage and conduct investigations on range of crimes that happened in the society
- Gather and verify to assess all appropriate and available information to get an accurate understanding of the situations during an investigation of the case
- Develop and evaluate the strategies to manage investigations and work closely with the other staff members and departments
- Make decisions based on balancing of the risks, costs, benefits and the wider impact that it has on the crime
- Use cutting-edge technology and help the investigators to crack the case
- Analyse and interpret the data, examine the crime related records and documents
- Prepare the complete reports and submit the case papers and other evidences within the specified deadlines
- Deal with forensic material and its submissions
- Identify appropriate witness and obtain their statements
- Build a strong case with strong evidences and ensure that the culprit is punished by the judiciary
- Keep a tab on the updated legislations rules and regulations that affect the criminal investigations
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.
Private Detectives
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:
- Interview the people to gather information
- Conduct research across various modes such as online, public and courts to uncover the clues
- Conduct surveillance by using cutting edge technologies
- Collect evidence from the clients
- Check for previous civil judgements, criminal judgments and also find out the criminal history
- Conduct undercover operations to evaluate performance, honesty of employees in an organisation
- Investigate to obtain evidence in cases of divorce, child custody or missing persons
- Investigate the character of the persons in case of extra-marital affairs and other financial frauds
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.
Prison Officers
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:
- Supervise, manage and control the prisoners, lawfully, safely and securely
- Keep an account of those in your charge and maintain proper order
- Perform security checks and search procedures on staff and visitors
- Supervise prison visits and conduct patrol duties
- Escort and provide security for the prisoners on external visits and hospitals
- Assist in prisoner reviews
- Advise the prisoners and counsel them and ensure that they have access to professional help
- Promote anti-bullying and suicide prevention policies
- Shortlist the prisoners with good manners and help them to get parole
- Prepare relevant reports and documentation for managers and quality checks
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.
Paralegal Officers
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:
- Carry out office administration, that includes billing and writing official letters
- Organise dairies, schedule meetings and respond to queries from the clients
- Write first document drafts and proofread the documents
- Analyse and input the data to write articles for internal and external circulation
- Organise case files, attend to court proceedings, transcribe legal documents and compile the litigation bundle
- Network with clients and build valuable relationships
- Prepare the legal reports by conducting legal research like witness statements, attending the meetings with legal experts
- Coordinate with the courts and legal team and conduct regular follow ups of the cases that come to hearing.
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.
Conclusion
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.