Best B.A Criminology Colleges in Mysore – Course Details, Scope, Eligibility & Opportunities
Best B.A Criminology Colleges in Mysore – Course Details, Scope, Eligibility & Opportunities
BA in Criminology
With an estimated population of 1.37 billion, it should not come as a surprise when I tell you that India has a noticeably high crime rate. Rapes, kidnapping, murder, domestic violence, drug trafficking, dowry deaths, and terrorism have always received considerable media coverage but there’s rarely a positive spin to the stories.
The crime rate is increasing along with the population and it’s certainly not a promising sign. Kidnapping and murders have increased by 47.8 % and 7.4 % respectively while we all know the disturbing rape scenario in the country. The crime rate isn’t expected to drop anytime soon, but, steps need to be and have been deployed to tackle the disturbing trend.
That’s where Criminology studies come into play. Want to know more? Read on…
What is BA in Criminology all about?
As the name itself suggests, Criminology involves the scientific analysis of criminal behavior and the different factors that contribute to the same. Causes, effects, ways of prevention, the nature and extent of different crimes and lastly but most importantly, management of individuals with criminal tendencies as well as the victims come under Criminology studies.
Criminology just doesn’t limit itself to an individual as the crimes are also scrutinized at the social strata. Crimes affect both the individual and the society as a whole and Criminology thoroughly focuses on both aspects and the correlation between the two.
BA in Criminology is a mixture of various disciplines which explains its multidisciplinary scientific approach. Psychiatry, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Social Anthropology, Biology and Law are incorporated in Criminology as students are taught to get a complete picture of criminals, crimes, the social justice system and the community in general.
In a nutshell, Criminology is sweeping research and analysis of crimes and every variable it directly or indirectly affects with the eventual goal of reducing the overall crime rate.
Who should do BA in Criminology?
Are you a major crime show buff? Do you spend hours binge-watching detective series and later, spend days ruminating about it? Do you find yourself reading detective fictions quite often?
Do you consider yourself to have an analytical mind with outstanding observational abilities? Do psychology and sociology peak your interest? Do you have the patience to deal with different kinds of people and have an inquisitive personality? I know… too many questions!
However, if ‘yes’ was the answer that popped up in your head while you read the aforementioned questions, then you are certainly at the right place, reading the right article. BA in Criminology. Is. For. You.
Criminology, though, is a thought-provoking field of study that requires great effort and mental fortitude as you would be dealing with people who may not be the most welcoming or socially outgoing. But should you do it just because you like crime shows and have the qualities to become a solid detective? Yes, but we’ll give you more reasons…
Why choose BA in Criminology?
Open up a newspaper and you’d find criminal stories in abundance. The crime rate has never experienced a substantial decline with the exception of burglary, and as such, Criminologists are needed to examine the situation and help out different bodies and departments in curbing crimes and in helping victims.
There are jobs aplenty with attractive salaries (both will be looked into detail later on in the article), but, the nature of the job is what makes it a unique experience. You can be like Sherlock Holmes or Tintin. Heck, you can even feel like the ‘World’s Greatest Detective’, Batman!
Let’s tone down the sensationalism for now as life isn’t always like a movie or TV show and get right into the course details…
BA in Criminology Duration
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Criminology is a 3-year undergraduate course which consists of 6 semesters. Each year has 2 semesters with each term having a minimum of 5 subjects or more.
Criminology is a niche field with not many undergraduate programmes being offered. Some colleges offer a Diploma in Criminology, B.Sc. in Criminology, BA in Criminology and Police Administration and B.Sc. in Forensic Science and Criminology.
However, BA in Criminology is the only recognized course for students who wish to have a career in Criminology.
BA in Criminology Eligibility Criteria
- Candidate should have passed 10+2 or any equivalent examination from a recognized university in any stream. Science and Arts students are preferred.
- The minimum cut-off is 50%.
- There are no entrance exams conducted for this course as the admissions are done via merit.
- Thus, the higher you score in your 10+2 examinations the better your chances are to get a seat in any of the top colleges offering Criminology.
- The admission process is done on a first come first serve basis, so you need to be swift in completing the admission formalities that includes getting the admission form from the college (online or offline) and submitting it as soon as the merit list is out.
BA in Criminology Course Syllabus, Curriculum and Structure
Criminology, as mentioned earlier in the article, borrows many notable principles from various other disciplines such as law, psychology, sociology, judiciary and police administration.
The student will be taught about various types of crimes, their legal repercussions, the human behavior that impacts the said crimes, and the justice administration’s role in regulating criminal offenses.
To give you a better idea of the course and the subject matter, we’ve listed down the subjects and topics that are covered as part of the course. It should be noted that the subjects will be divided in six semesters over the course of 3 years and may differ depending on the university.
-
Fundamentals of Criminology
- Introduction
- Criminal Justice System (Structure, role of legislature, police judiciary, prison and correctional departments, etc.)
- Schools of Criminology (Classical School, Positive School, Biological School, Cartographic School, etc.)
- Sociological Theories (Ecology of Crime, Guerry & Quetelet Theories, Gender, Power, Concentric Circle Theory, etc.)
- Psychological Theories (Theories of Maslow, McCelland, Murray, Freud, Skinner, Pavlov, etc.)
-
Fundamentals of Psychology
- Introduction (Definition, scope and application to crime)
- Motivation (types of motives, nature and concept, frustrations leading to crime, theories of motivation, emotion and theories of emotion, culture and gender, etc.)
- Learning and Perception (Methods of learning, theories of perception, cognitive methods, perceptual organization, observational learning, etc.)
- Abnormality (Types of abnormal behavior, Psycho-dynamic approach, humanistic approach, criminality in abnormal behavior, ect.)
- Personality and Intelligence (Concept, Personality theories, theories of intelligence, measuring intelligence, etc.)
-
Correctional Administration
- Introduction (Definition, nature and scope of penology and punishment, types of punishment, sentencing, policies, etc.)
- Institutional Methods (Indian prison system development, origin and routine, central institutions, child welfare committees, sub-jails, vigilance homes, women’s prison, etc.)
- Concept of Correction (correctional philosophy, rehabilitation model, probation and offenders act, prison reform committees, etc.)
- Institutional Correctional Programmes (Educational programmes, vocational training, work programmes, prison routine and culture, recreational activities, etc.)
- Recent Trends in Corrections (probation procedures, rehab, voluntary agencies, etc.)
-
Criminal Law
- Introduction (Definitions, history, nature and scope)
- Selected Sections of Indian Penal Code (criminal conspiracy, sedation, offenses against property, offenses relating to marriage, offenses affecting human body, etc.)
- Salient Features of Constitution of India (History, state policy, fundamental rights, etc.)
- Selected Sections of the Indian Evidence Act (Evidence, admission confessions, expert opinions, presumptions of law and fact, cross-examination, burden of proof, etc.)
- Selected Sections of Criminal Procedure Act (Court of sessions, constitutions of criminal courts, judicial structure of India, public prosecutors, investigation, police report, arrest, warrant, bail, powers of criminal court, search, etc.)
-
Police Administration
- Introduction (History of policing in India, police reforms, etc.)
- Recruitment and Training (Union Public Service Commission, recruitment of sub-inspectors and constables, police training academies and colleges, etc,)
- Structure (State police organization, special units, economic offenses wing, anti-
- corruption, coastal security, central police organizations, CISF, CBI, crime statistics, etc.)
- Contemporary Policing (community policing, measures to tackle corruption, improve public relations, treatment of victims, anti-drug abuse campaigns, senior citizen safety, etc.)
- Police Investigation Procedures (Interrogation, collection of evidence, FIR, information, confession, charge sheet, forensic science, final report, witnesses and suspects, crime mapping, case diary, etc.)
-
Environmental Studies
-
Social Problems
- Introduction (Sociology, social culture, society, social control, etc.)
- Social Stratification (Definition, nature, criteria of class distinctions, origin of caste system, caste violence, functions of class, etc.)
- Social Introduction (Religion, elements of religion, types of marriages, kinship, types of families, etc.)
- Social Problems (Poverty, child labor, untouchability, corruption, unemployment, dowry, domestic violence, etc.)
- Development Issues (minority groups, reservation policy, constitutional categories, economically disabled groups, etc.)
-
Contemporary Forms of Crime
- Organized Crime Syndicates (forms, nature, criminal syndicates, problems of identification, prevention and strategies to control, international linkages, substance abuse, drug smuggling, etc.)
- White Collar Crime (Tax evasion, corporate crimes, import and export violations, insurance frauds, adulteration, misbranding, etc.)
- Cyber Crimes (Definition, nature, forms, hacking, DoS, cyberstalking, email bombing, data diddling, computer vandalism, cyber terrorism, cloud-based crime, intellectual property rights, e-commerce frauds, internet frauds, pornography, phishing, salami attacks, fraud detection, steganography, etc.)
- Political Crimes: Communal Violence and Terrorism (National and International roots of terrorism, communal violence, narco-terrorism, waging war against state, bioterrorism, etc.)
- Women and Child Trafficking (National and international techniques of traffickers, sexual exploitation, prostitution, role of NGOs, role of Interpol in prevention, etc.)
-
Special Laws
- Introduction
- Protection of Basic Rights
- Legislations Relating to Crime Against Women and Children
- Legislations Relating to Organized Crime
- Other Legislations
-
Police Station Department
- Police Station Routine (Duties, weekly routine, beats and patrolling, roll call, surveillance duties, etc.)
- Records Related to the Offender (crime cards, search register, ball bond, crime memo, FIR index, ex-convict register, etc.)
- Administrative Police Station Records (duty roster, sentry relief book, gun license register, general diary, etc.)
- Traffic Regulation Duties
- Other Important Functions of a Police Station
-
Media and Crime
- Media (Media images, varieties of media crime, crime news, hate crimes, etc.)
- Police and Media
- Media and Criminology (Coverage of street gangs, media and reality, mythmakers, etc.)
- Media, Crime Causation and Crime Prevention (role of media in preventing crimes, media’s cause of crime, media and the drug war, etc.)
- Women and Media
-
Computer Applications in Criminal Justice
- Basics of Computers
- Word Processing and Presentation
- Database (MS Excel, Word, Access, producing reports, database systems, external data management, etc.)
- Internet (Resources, e-mail, ISPs, searching criminological websites, downloading and uploading, etc.)
The assessment is done via semester-end examinations and internal tests. To condense it all, the course is made up of theory lectures, projects, seminars, practicals, field trips and industrial visits.
BA in Criminology Average Course Fee
The average course fee of BA in Criminology is approximated to the range of Rs. 15,000 – 32,000 per year. Despite only a handful of colleges offering the course, the fee is extremely reasonable as the entire 3-year course would cost a student easily under a lakh.
BA in Criminology Job Opportunities
You must be wondering what areas would a Criminologist work in right? We’ve listed the employment areas that can be worked in or with below:
- Prison Departments
- Private Detective Firms and Agencies
- Police Departments and Establishments
- Forensic Science Laboratories
- Legislative Bodies
- Public Policy Areas
- Psychological Investigation Services
- Social Work/ NGOs
- Journalism (Investigative)
- Security departments
- Vigilance Departments
- Working with CBI and RAW (Research and Analysis Wing)
- Research and Development
- Intelligence Bureau
- Colleges, Institutes and Universities
- Rehabilitation Centers and Correction Facilities
- Banks and Insurance Companies
Sounds pretty high tech right? Criminology graduates can work with administrative, legislative and law enforcing bodies mentioned above as their expertise and knowledge in criminal behaviour helps considerably. The jobs, too, vary depending on the nature of work and area. We’ve listed a few of them below:
- Criminologist
- Criminal Profiler
- Prison Psychologist
- Private Detectives
- Private Investigator
- Crime Scene Investigator
- Security Specialist
- Police Officer
- Fraud Investigator (Insurance)
- Jury Consultant
- Counselor
- Lecturer
- Social Worker
- Investigative Journalist
- Psychologist
- Forensic Science Technician
- Corrections Officer
- Probation Officer
- Drug Policy Advisor
As exciting as the profiles sound, the duties of a criminologist are unusually challenging but equally advantageous from a financial perspective.
BA in Criminology Payscale and Salary
The starting salary for criminology freshers is somewhere around Rs. 3-4 lakhs per annum. There are many vacant jobs in the private as well as government sector which pay really well depending on the experience of a candidate.
Highly experienced criminologists earn upwards of Rs. 10 lakhs per annum, which of course, depends on the employer as well as the skills of the candidate. Criminologists can also earn decent money by undertaking private detective and investigative work.
BA in Criminology Higher Studies and Scope
A Criminologist can only be successful by learning through experience. However, it’s always beneficial to get a post graduation degree as it enhances the existing skill set and knowledge. A graduate criminologist can pursue an M.Sc. in Criminology or, dive into the legal spectrum.
For that, however, a candidate would have to complete a Bachelor of Legislative Law (L.L.B.) before going for a Master of Legislative Law (L.L.M.). The LLB course is a three-year long programme while LLM is 2 years in length. There aren’t many colleges that have criminology courses which explain the minimal options.
Criminologists can have a great career abroad as the pay and job prospects are greater. Experienced Criminologists can earn around Rs. 50 – 75 Lakhs in foreign countries. Good money right?
Of course, Criminology is a demanding line of work but at the same time, it’s incredibly satisfying and remunerative.
Best BA in Criminology Colleges in Mysore
-
Philomena’s College (Autonomous)
Address: St Philomena’s Degree College, Bannimantap, Mysuru 570 015
Email: stphilos1946@gmail.com
Website: http://www.stphilos.ac.in
-
SBRR Maharaja First Grade College
Address: Jayalakshmipuram, P.O. Jayalakshmipuram (Mysore), Mysuru (T), Mysuru (Dist.), Karnataka – 570 012, India
Email: info@mahajana.edu.in
Website: http://fgc.mahajana.edu.in
