Growing up, most of us were weaned on Nancy Drew, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Dan Brown, and Sherlock Holmes. At one time, all we wanted to do was live in a world of these fictional heroes, and solve crimes using analytical reasoning, science, law, history, and human psychology.
While some thought it was impossible to lead a career similar to these fictional protagonists in real life, others made it happen by pursuing exciting careers and becoming detectives, investigators, or a criminologist.
That said, a career that hasn’t been commonly talked about in our popular culture, and contemporary literature as compared to others, is Criminology. It is one of the most challenging fields since it requires professionals to analyze crimes, and develop theories for explaining crime as a social phenomenon.
Understanding the lack of awareness about the field, we are here to throw light on the exciting opportunities that a career in criminology holds for professionals with high analytical skills, reasoning, and a knack for solving mysteries.
Are you someone who is looking at the possibilities of a career in Criminology? Well, this blog is for you! Let us help you envision the journey of Criminology, and build a career in the growing field with this comprehensive guide.
What is Criminology?
Criminology is the study of crime and criminal behavior, backed by the principles of Sociology, and other non-legal fields such as Forensic Sciences, Economics, Psychology, Statistics, and Anthropology. It is an interdisciplinary field that requires the application of sociological and psychological theories to explain and treat criminal behavior.
The key responsibility of a Criminologist is to study and understand provided data and determine the reason and motive behind the crime and theorize ways to foresee similar events.
Why choose a career in Criminology?
Although the possibilities of a career in criminology are diverse, requiring a special set of skills and wide knowledge of many disciplines, it helps professionals develop a keen eye for detail, along with leadership skills, intellectual enhancement, and performing under stressful situations.
Since the field requires extensively explaining theories, formulating their own and researching for hidden information, it is a stimulating career choice for aspirants with a passion for research, and excellent communication skills, verbal and written.
An exciting aspect of a career in Criminology includes drawing conclusions from vast data and coming up with creative solutions for administrative and forensic challenges. Not to mention that since it’s a relatively challenging and new field, it doesn’t attract many students, so there is less competition.
How to Pursue a Career in Criminology?
To pursue a career in Criminology, aspirants must have a secondary education certification in Science. Additionally, they must study the legal aspects, law enforcement, rehabilitation modes, and have exceptional communication skills. Having a basic knowledge of foreign languages as well as some regional dialect is always beneficial in this field.
Since the field requires an understanding of human behaviour and analyzing actions, a background in psychology is always a good addition to the resume of a Criminologist.
If you don’t have a formal education in Psychology you can build your foundation in the subject with our list of the best Psychology books to read.
Additionally, pursuing a career in Criminology gives students many career paths to choose from such as:
- Crime Analyst
- Detective
- Police Officer
- Forensic Investigator
Following are the Steps to Build a Career in Criminology
1. 10+2 Education
To pursue a career in Criminology, you can ideally finish your secondary education with subjects like Psychology, Political Sciences, Legal Studies, Sociology, or, Science.
Studying these subjects at the level of early education provides students with a foundation for the complex discipline that is Criminology. The subjects help students understand sociological concepts and theories along with analyzing human behaviour, social interactions, and more.
Additionally, many higher education institutions provide admissions for Criminology according to the subjects that are opted in 10+2, therefore choosing these subjects has many advantages.
2. Bachelor’s Degree in related subjects
A bachelor’s degree in Criminology, or Parapsychology is a must to pursue a career in Criminology. Apart from these two subjects, two alternate degrees, that you can opt for are Psychology or Law. Studying psychology for graduation will not only help you understand the field of Criminology better but also will build the foundation for an alternate career in psychology.
The main aim of studying psychology, law, or other related subjects is to equip yourself for understanding the human mind and analyzing actions as a professional criminologist. Also, studying law helps you understand the country’s legal justice system and the constitution better, which helps in theorizing crimes as a Criminologist.
3. Developing skills for aptitude in Criminology
Developing additional skills and studying related subjects to Criminology is essential to becoming an acclaimed professional with a deep understanding of the field.
- Proficiency in Law: An in-depth perspective of the local, national, and state judicial systems is important since the job description of a Criminologist includes working in tandem with legal guidelines, human rights, and the regulations of law.
- Interpersonal Skills and Ethics: Having a flair for languages is always a bonus for an aspiring Criminologist, as a part of the job is to interact with people from all walks of life to understand their stories.
However, besides language proficiency, attention to detail, and understanding of Statistics and basic Mathematics, strong integrity and ethics, along with the ability to cultivate interpersonal relationships with people are also essential for a successful career in Criminology.
4. Master’s Degree in Criminology
To pursue a career in Criminology, a master’s degree is recommended. This is because further education helps the candidate understand the deep theories and practicalities of the career path.
The degree gives students specialized know-how of behavioural science, along with statistical evaluation of criminal records, crime rates based on gender, caste, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Besides, pursuing a master’s in Criminology opens several career paths for students, such as that of a Criminal Profiler or a Forensic Investigator.
Top 3 Colleges to pursue a career in Criminology
1. MNLU, Mumbai
Maharashtra National Law University offers several law courses on a graduate and post-graduate level. Criminal Law and Forensic Law are some of the courses that you can opt for to pursue a career in Criminology.
2. Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi
Aspirants have a choice between M.Sc Criminology, or M.A. Criminology & Police Administration for pursuing a career in Criminology from GGSIU.
3. University of Madras, Chennai
The University of Madras offers the course- M.Sc Criminology & Criminal Justice System for students wanting to pursue Criminology.
Conclusion
Mindler equips students with the necessary ammo required to prepare for the aforementioned exams and attempts at making the process easier by aiding during the preparation of these tests.
Make your childhood dream of solving crimes come true with Mindler! We are here to make the impossible, possible. Take our Career Counselling Online at aptguru.in to land your dream career today!
