Forensic Science Courses – An Overview

Forensic Science is a field of science which is combined with the law. This field uses various scientific methods to solve criminal cases. People who are experts in this field help in the investigation of the cases by analyzing and examining the crime scenes and the evidence collected from the site. The results of their examinations are presented in the court as proof to defend a victim and declare the accused offender. This course revolves around physics, chemistry, biology, and criminal laws. The course focuses on training the candidates on learning the techniques of crime investigation. Here in this blog, we have given an overview of forensic science courses.

What Is A Forensic Science (FS) Course?

FS course has been designed at five different levels. It can be learned at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate levels. Candidates can pursue certification or diploma courses as well. It is solely the wish of the candidates what they want to opt for. UG i.e. undergraduate courses are generally 3 year program, PG i.e. postgraduate courses are 2 years program, and Doctorate program ranges from 2 to 5 years.

1. Undergraduate Courses:

At the undergraduate level, candidates have the option of pursuing a B.Sc. or B.Tech in forensic science. It is a three to four year course that aims at developing the scientific temperament in the students while dealing with criminal and civil cases. Under this course, you will gain theoretical knowledge and will get to learn the laboratory skills that are required for evidence collection and examination. At UG level you have the option of pursuing your undergraduate degree in regular and distance mode. Various colleges are offering both full-time and part-time degrees that are equivalent to each other.

Courses offered:

• B.Tech (Forensic Science)
• B.Sc. (Forensic Science)

Eligibility Criteria for UG course:

• Candidates should have passed class 12^th in science stream,
• For admissions, you need at least 50% aggregate marks in class 10th and 12^th.

2. Postgraduate Courses:

After completing graduation, candidates can go for higher studies. Candidates can opt for postgraduate degrees in M.Sc., M.Phil., M.Tech., etc. PG course is a two year degree that helps in the overall improvement of the skills that you acquired during your graduation years. It brushes up your skills and makes you better at crime investigations and examinations. Candidates who hold master’s degrees in forensics have the upper hand in getting a job in this field as companies prefer the people who have done master’s. As a postgraduate degree holder, you will not be only working in the laboratories instead you will be working in the field as crime investigators. You will be assisting the police departments and will be advising law enforcement agencies on legal matters involving criminal angles.

Courses offered:

• M.Tech (Forensic Science)
• M.Phil. (Forensic Science)
• M.Sc. (Forensic Science)

Eligibility Criteria for PG courses:

• Candidates must have passed class 12^th with a minimum of 50% marks in the science stream from a recognized board,
• Additionally, you should have passed the undergraduate degree with at least 50% marks in science or law background.

3. Diploma Course:

It is not mandatory that you need an undergraduate or postgraduate degree only for living your dream of forensic scientist. You can opt for the diploma courses as well. Candidates can pursue diploma course after 10^th, 12^th, or UG as well. There are so many institutes across India that offers the diploma in forensics. You can also opt for the specializations in your diploma course. Candidates can work in laboratories and in the fields both as investigators after completing their diploma. Generally, the time period of these courses is 9 months to 2 years. You can opt for the course depending on your time availability.

Courses offered:

• Diploma in Criminal Law,
• Diploma in Document Examination,
• Diploma in Fingerprint Examination,
• Diploma in Forensic Science.

Eligibility Criteria for Diploma courses:

• Candidates must have passed class 10^th and 12^th with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized board.
• For admission to the PG Diploma course, candidates should have a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks.

4. Certificate Courses:

Apart from pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma courses, candidates can also opt for certification courses. These certification courses are more or less equivalent to the diploma courses. Candidates can get their desired job in the field of forensics after getting a certificate in the desired specialization from any recognized institute of their choice.

Courses offered:

• Forensic Science
• Forensic Accounting
• Forensic Facial Reconstruction
• The Science Behind Forensic Science
• DNA analysis
• Forensic Science & Pharmacy Intelligence Certification.

Eligibility Criteria for Certificate courses:

• Candidates must have passed class 10^th and 12^th with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized board to get a certificate in forensics.

5. Doctorate in Forensic Science:

PhD in forensics is a research-based course that focuses on the collection and analysis of evidence related to a criminal case. These experts help in knowing the real identity of the culprit and reveal the cause of death. To pursue a doctorate degree, candidates need to hold a postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline.

Courses offered:

• Anatomy and Human Identification,
• Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science,
• Forensic and Investigative Sciences,
• Fingerprints and Forensic Mark Visualization,
• Clinical and Forensic Psychology,
• Forensic Pathology.

Eligibility Criteria for Doctorate courses:

• Candidates must have passed a postgraduate degree with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized university.

FS Course Specializations:

This course offers a wide range of specializations. These specializations serve all the different aspects of the investigation. Depending on the interest candidates can choose their desired specialization at all the levels of studies i.e. UG, PG, diploma, and doctorate level. Though there are so many Forensic Science specializations available we have mentioned some of them below:

• Forensic Biology,
• Forensic Ballistics,
• Forensic Botany,
• Forensic Toxicology,
• Forensic Medicine,
• Forensic Serology,
• Forensic Chemistry,
• Forensic Entomology,
• Forensic Psychology,
• Forensic Psychiatry,
• Forensic Cytology.

Forensic Course Subject List:

Candidates can check the list of forensic science subjects below. During the course, candidates will be taught not only theoretical subjects instead they will be given practical knowledge as well. These subjects vary from course to course and college to college. However, some of the most common subjects of FS courses have been mentioned. This list will give you an idea about the subjects you need to study during your course years.

Subjects of Forensic Science courses are:

• Introduction to Forensic Science.
• Environmental Science.
• Crime and Society.
• Criminal Law.
• Computer Science.
• Forensic Ballistics.
• Science and Society of Forensic.
• Medicine in Forensics.
• Forensic Anthropology.

Why study FS Course?

There is less availability of forensic experts hence the demand for the same is really high. The scope of Forensic Science is wide. It is being speculated that in upcoming years this field is going to grow even more. It has a capacity of consuming at least 14% more employees than it had before. Their role is not only limited to conducting autopsies and examining the body fluids, but they also examine the crime scenes. They conduct sittings for the victims to understand their psychology and help them overcome the trauma they had suffered because of the crime they got stuck into.

If you are someone who enjoys crime mysteries and wishes to be a part of investigations by assisting the police department, this is your field for sure. This field fascinates you to be a part of it as you get an opportunity to be a part of crimes, mystery solving, etc.

Colleges offering Forensic Science:

There are so many colleges offering forensic science courses in different fields and specializations. You can opt for any of the courses depending on your interest. Both government and private colleges are offering forensic courses to their students. Here we have mentioned top government and private institutes along with their fee structure.

Government Colleges offering FS Course:

Here we have mentioned the government institutes list offering FS courses:

Serial No.	Colleges	Fees (INR)
1.	Banaras Hindu University	11,000
2.	Panjab University	25,000
3.	University of Madras	1 Lakh
4.	Jamia Hamdard	2 Lakh
5.	Gujarat University	25,000

Private Colleges offering FS Course:

Here we have mentioned the private institutes list offering FS courses:

Serial No.	Colleges	Fees (INR)
1.	Amity University, Noida	4 Lakhs
2.	LPU - Lovely Professional University	4 Lakhs
3.	Galgotias University	2 Lakhs
4.	Chandigarh University	3 Lakhs
5.	UPES	3 Lakhs

Course Fees For Forensic Science:

The course fees for all the institutes vary from each other depending on the factor, whether it is a government institute or a private one. Here we have mentioned the minimum and maximum fees for all the courses for both government and private colleges:

Courses	Minimum Fees		Maximum Fees
	Private	Government	Private	Government
Undergraduate	3 Lakhs	6 K	9 Lakhs	7 Lakhs
Postgraduate	20 K	10 K	6 Lakhs	4 Lakhs
Doctoral	3 Lakhs	90 K	10 Lakhs	1.8 Lakhs
Diploma	50 K	5 K	2 Lakhs	13 K
Certificate	5 K	6 K	30 K	40 K

References:

• https://www.shiksha.com/science/forensic-science-chp
• https://www.careers360.com/courses/forensic-science-course
• https://science.iupui.edu/academics/areas-of-study/forensics.html
• https://collegedunia.com/courses/forensic-science/forensic-science-courses-after-12th

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