Is Criminology a Good Career Choice?

 For people who are interested in crime reduction, there is an entire field of study devoted to it known as criminology. So what exactly is criminology about, and most importantly Is criminology a good career choice?

Criminology is one of the many branches of sociology. Criminology deals with the study of various aspects of the crime, the reason behind the criminal behavior, and also deals with the methods to control it.

The key responsibilities of criminologists include collecting, analyzing the evidence to identify the reason behind the crime.

Criminology focuses on

• Cause of the crime committed
• Types of various crimes
• Occurrence of crime
• Consequences of crime at both social and individual level
• Reactions towards the crime
• Impact of crime 

Criminology consists of three principal divisions

• The sociology of law, which is an attempt at scientific analysis of the conditions under which criminal law develops.
• Criminal etiology is an attempt to analyze the crime scientifically.
•  Penology, which is acquainted with the control of crime. Term penology completely consists of methods that are penal but it deeply also has a concern with methods that are not penal.

Importance of Criminology

• Crime Reduction– Studying the crimes helps to discover its cause and analyze it that can be used for the crime reduction policies.
• It plays a vital role in understanding the mindset of the people, what is the reason behind the commission of the crime, and the different factors affecting it.
• Criminology can suggest suitable methods for rehabilitation of the criminals.

The question “Is criminology a good career choice??” persists.

This question can rightly be answered by knowing the various job opportunities provided by criminologists. The various career options include the exciting job roles of a scientist, research assistant, criminologist, investigator, and forensic scientist. One can also apply for the post of professor in a college or university or can also be a professional member in legal study or can be a judicial member.

COURSES OFFERED IN CRIMINOLOGY

The courses within the field of criminology are offered within the range of certificate to doctoral level programs as per the following:

• Certificate Courses in Criminology

These courses are of a duration of 6 months. The eligibility for this course is the 12^th pass in the science stream. Certificate course in forensic science is the most popular course.

• Diploma Courses in Criminology

Diploma courses are for 1 year. Students who have passed their 12^th in the science stream are eligible for this course.

Most popular diploma courses include diploma courses in cybercrime, forensic science and criminology, criminal law, criminology, and penology.

• Bachelor Degree in Criminology

The duration of the bachelor’s degree is 3 years. Students who have passed their 12^th in the arts/ science stream are eligible for this course.

B.A in forensic science and criminology is the most popular course.

• Master’s Degree in Criminology

The duration of a master’s degree in criminology is of 2 years. The most popular master’s degree in criminology include 

1. M.A. in Anti-Terrorism law; criminology and criminal justice; Forensic science and Criminology research; Forensic Science and Criminology
2. Master of legislative law (LLM) in criminal law; Criminal law and Criminology; Crimes and Torts
3. M.Sc in Criminology
4. Postgraduate diploma in Forensic Science and Criminology

Career Scope in the Field of Criminology

• It helps in the investigation of the nature of criminal law and its administration and conditions under which it develops.
•  It analyses the causation of crime and therefore the personality of criminals.
• It studies the control of crime and the rehabilitation of offenders.
•  Criminology includes within its scope the activities of legislative bodies, law-enforcement agencies (police), judicial institutions (courts), correctional institutions (prisons and reformatories), and academic, private, and public social agencies.

Top Criminologists Recruiting Organizations

• The state police.
• The central police
• FBI
• CBI
• Intelligence bureau
• Private detective agencies
• NGOs
• Human rights agencies and organizations

Payscale of Criminologist

As a criminologist one be a part of private sector companies and government organizations. The government organizations have affixed salary but in private companies, the salary is a matter of fluctuations.

The salary depends on the case one is working. A criminologist may earn around 3 to 4 lakhs per year. With some good experience in this field, one can earn attractive salary packages in both private as well as government sectors.

Conclusion

Criminology is a good career choice. This field offers lucrative career opportunities for criminologists. After the completion of a bachelors’ degree in criminology, one can work as a law reform researcher, crime scene analyst, drug policy advisor, etc. 

A criminologist should be good in research work and should also have an understanding of human behavior and statistics. With all these skills and such wonderful exciting career opportunities being available, indeed criminology is a good career choice.