27,March 2024
For those who are fascinated by crime shows and wish to make a career in the field of crime investigation, there cannot be a better field than forensic science. This field includes both on-site and laboratory work. This course can be pursued at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. After the completion of your bachelor’s degree in forensics, candidates can work with well-known private enterprises and government organizations. This is an emerging field hence providing a wide range of career options to the students aspiring for this course.
What is a Forensic Science Bachelor’s Degree?
Once you make up your mind of entering the world of crime, laws, and investigations, you should look for the course you wish to pursue in forensics. The root of your professional career starts from your graduation years. Forensic science bachelor’s degree is a 3-year program spread over 6 semesters. This UG degree focuses on the overall growth of a candidate by offering theoretical knowledge along with inculcating practical skills in them. During graduation, candidates will be taught the law and science subjects together as this course are an amalgamation of the laws with scientific theories. Some of the common subjects that will be taught to such experts are biology, chemistry, law, forensic investigation techniques, etc.
Under this course, candidates will not only learn laboratory techniques but also get to learn the skills of crime scene investigation. These techniques also include the art of collection and examination of the evidence. For a bachelor’s degree in forensic science, candidates can opt for a B.Sc. or B.Tech program. These programs aim at developing the scientific temperament that helps them to deal with criminal and civil cases.
Eligibility Criteria for Forensic Science Bachelor Degree:
In order to get admission to a bachelor’s degree in forensic science candidates need to fulfill some basic eligibility conditions as posed by the institutes. The eligibility conditions required by the candidates to be fulfilled may vary from college to college since each institute offering this course has its own criteria. If a candidate fails to comply with the conditions raised by the institute he will be declared ineligible to get admission to the respective course.
While the eligibility conditions of each college will be released by them individually at the time of the admission process here we have mentioned some of the common ones. These eligibility conditions are common to all the institutes and are mentioned below:
- Candidates must have cleared 10th and 12th or its equivalent in the science stream with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks,
- Candidates with a 3-year Polytechnic Diploma can also apply for a bachelor’s degree.
Modes of Forensic Science Bachelor Degree:
Candidates who wish to pursue a bachelor’s in forensic science can choose the options of the degree mode as per their choice and convenience. Such candidates have the option of choosing either full-time, part-time, or distance mode of education for the completion of their degree.
There is a slight difference in all the modes of courses for such degrees as mentioned below:
- Full-time Course: This mode is often referred to as the regular mode of graduation. During your program years candidates will be taught both theoretical as well as practical subjects to acquire expert skills in the investigation course.
- Part-time Course: Such candidates who are working professionals or have less availability of time can opt for this mode of education. The course curriculum will be the same as that of a full time course and only the number of study hours for each day will vary.
- Distance Course: Candidates who are working or have travel restrictions can opt for this course. The number of colleges or universities offering such programs is less so candidates need to wisely choose the college they wish to get admission to.
Courses Available in Forensic Science Bachelor Degree:
At the undergraduate level, candidates have the option of choosing from two options available to them. A bachelor’s degree in forensic science can be done through the following mentioned programs:
1. B.Tech (Forensic Science):
This is a 4-year program that is divided into 8 semesters. Students who wish to pursue a B.Tech in forensic science can either take direct admission into engineering colleges or can appear for the engineering entrance exams like JEE, CUSAT, UPSECT, etc. The admission to this course will be based on the merit list released by the institutes individually and on the basis of entrance exam marks.
2. B.Sc. (Forensic Science):
This is a 3-year course that is divided into 6 semesters. Candidates who wish to pursue this program can either appear for the entrance exam of the colleges they wish to be admitted to or can take the admission on a merit list basis. The relevance of this degree is almost equal to that of B.Tech.
Forensic Science Bachelor Degree Colleges:
Candidates can explore the list of colleges and universities offering admission to forensic science courses. Here we have mentioned some of the top colleges offering admission in various modes along with their fee structure:
| Serial No. | College Name | Mode | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University | Full Time | INR 2,00,000 |
| 2. | Vinayaka Missions University | Full Time | INR 2,25,000 |
| 3. | University of Mumbai | Full Time | INR 27,265 |
| 4. | B.K Birla College of Arts Science and Commerce | Full Time | INR 28,800 |
| 5. | Kalasalingam Academy | Full Time | INR 35,000 |
| 6. | Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute | Full Time | INR 40,000 |
| 7. | Kristu Jayanti College | Full Time | INR 50,000 |
| 8. | Karunya Institute of Technology and Science | Full Time | INR 84,500 |
| 9. | Amity University | Full Time | INR 1,20,000 |
| 10. | Jain University | Full Time | INR 1,24,000 |
| 11. | Shardha University | Full Time | INR 1,50,000 |
| 12. | Manipal University | Full Time | INR 1,75,000 |
| 13. | Andhra University | Full Time | INR 2,00,000 |
| 14. | GD Goenka University | Full Time | INR 2,55,000 |
| 15. | SGT University | Full Time | INR 3,00,000 |
| 16. | Lovely Professional University | Full Time | INR 4,00,000 |
| 17. | Indira Gandhi National Open University | Part-Time | INR 60,000 |
| 18. | Shobhit University | Part-Time | INR 1,23,600 |
Forensic Science Bachelor Degree Syllabus:
The syllabus for forensic science bachelor’s degree is not standard and hence varies from college to college. However, there are still some subjects that are available to the candidates in all the colleges across India offering admission to this program. These subjects are mentioned below for your convenience:
- Introduction to Forensic Science,
- Crime and Society,
- Physics,
- Chemistry,
- Botany,
- Anthropology,
- Computer Science,
- Psychology,
- Criminal Law,
- Forensic Dermatoglyphics,
- Criminalistics,
- Accident Investigations,
- Questioned Documents,
- DNA Forensics,
- Forensic Toxicology,
- Serology, etc.
Scope of Forensic Science Bachelor Degree:
This branch is a combination of law with scientific techniques so as to help the investigating officers in crime investigations. This field has grown to a different stage now and hence the demand for forensic experts is high. The scope of Forensic Science is growing at a faster pace. According to a few speculations done by the experts in this field, it is expected that in upcoming years this field is going to consume 14 percent more people as employees.
As a forensic scientist candidates will be required to work in the laboratory by examining the samples collected from the crime scene and also examine the body of the deceased to conclude the reason for the death. Along with this, these experts also visit the crime sites along with the police department to investigate the scene and find materials that are relevant to the case. Apart from these duties they also testify their findings in the court to prove the innocence of the victim.
Forensic Science Bachelor Degree Salary:
The salaries received by such professionals are alluring and attract people towards the job role. The salary of these professionals varies depending on the specialization they are working for. For example, a person working as a DNA expert will be receiving more salary than the person who is working as a forensic pathologist.
The salary bar of such experts also depends on a range of factors. The parameters that affect the salary bar are as follows:
- Qualification: Though every person who is working in this field studies forensic science the level of education they have varies. For example, a person who has a diploma is also working as a forensic expert and a person who holds a PhD in the same discipline also works as a forensic expert. But the salary that these two people will be getting will be different.
- Job Location: Organizations located in areas that are far from the main city offer a lower salary to their employees while the companies and the organizations that are situated in or near the main city offer higher salary packages to the employees.
- Experience: One of the most important factors that affect what salary such an expert will be receiving is the years of experience that he holds. With the increase in the number of years of experience, the knowledge and skills also get sharpened and such candidates become more expert in their domain.
The bachelor’s degree in forensic science is a wholesome degree that not only gives you a way of sustaining your life but also gives you a special identity in society. The reason behind this is the demand for such professionals and their work profiles.
References:
- https://collegedunia.com/ courses/bachelor-of-science -bsc-forensic-sciences
- https://leverageedu.com/ log/forensic-science-course-after-12th/
- https://www.sharda.ac.in/ programmes/bsc-forensic-science/
- https://www.collegesearch .in/articles/bsc-in- forensic-science-crs
- https://www.mituniversity .ac.in/blog/what-is-b-tech -cse-in-cyber-security -and-forensics-course-scope -career-admission