Criminologist

Crime is on a rise despite of economic growth, technological progress and the society becoming more cultured in general. With increase in crime rates, opportunities to make a career in the field of criminal investigation (i.e. criminologist) are also on the rise. Criminologists help investigating teams in collection of evidence from crime spot. This job is challenging, but also rapidly gaining popularity as a career option.

Eligibility and Courses
For becoming a criminologist, admission should be taken in BA or BSc with criminology as a subject. The duration of this course is 3 years. Clearing 10+2 in arts or science is mandatory. In addition, Post Graduate Degree or Diploma in criminology can also be done. Graduation in arts or science subjects is required for this. Following are some popular courses:
BA / BSc in Criminology (3 years)
MA / MSc in Criminology (2 years)
Post Graduate Diploma in Criminology (1 year)

Essential Qualities
Work of criminologists is very challenging and full of mysteries. Strong at psychological level, hard working and a team player, these are some of the essential qualities of a successful criminologist. There is no room for mistakes in this field. In addition, the person should also have a logical and practical way of thinking.

Scope
Looking at the increasing graph of crime, it is believed that by the year 2014 this field will require a large number of trained professionals. After doing a course related to criminology, you can work as intelligence analyst, Law Reform Researcher, community correction coordinator, Drug Policy adviser, Consumer Advocate, and environment protection analyst. Criminologists can also find jobs in public and private companies, Social Welfare Departments, NGOs, Research Organizations, and private security and detective agencies. They can also serve as counsellor or freelancer.

Earning
A criminologist in India can initially earn 10 to 15 thousand rupees per month. With experience, 20 to 25 thousand rupees per month can easily be earned. Moreover, as a freelancer they can decide their own fees as per the requirements of the case. Compared to India, demand for criminologists is much more in foreign countries. Therefore, one can always look for better salary and better working opportunities abroad also.

Institutes
 1. Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science
 2. Punjab University, Chandigarh
 3. University of Lucknow
 4. National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, Delhi
 5. Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home affair, New Delhi
 6. Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University, Sagar
 7. Law School, Banaras Hindu University
 8. Madurai Kamaraj University
 9. Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai
 10. Department of Criminology and Forensic Science, Karnataka University
 11. University of Jammu
 12. University of Madras
 13. Patna University
 14. Andhra University