Best Colleges to study Criminal Justice Colleges in India
Criminology is a subset of sociology, one that examines aberrant or deviant behavior and criminal justice relates to the current laws, policies, and procedures that are in place to prevent such behavior. This is a simplistic view of looking at it but the problem is that more often than not, most people get confused between the two.
It’s sort of like, all my fingers are not thumbs but my thumb is a finger. Simply put, criminology is the study of crimes and that includes all aberrant or deviant behavior in society whereas, criminal justice is the direct application of the same including an assessment of current laws and procedures that are in place to prevent such behavior in the first place.
Chances are that you are interested in getting into law enforcement or just plain interested in a criminology degree but are not sure which one to apply for. Please remember that this is not a degree where you are guaranteed field work, rather both involve some serious academic work on your part.
And, depending on your specialization, you can decide which career to choose from. There are various jobs that you can apply for, with a criminal justice degree from a reputed University. Here’s a closer look at some of them.
Criminal Justice Colleges in India
The first thing, when it comes to the field of criminal justice is to understand what it means and what are the various careers that you can opt for, with a degree in criminal justice. Usually, most colleges in India would have a counselor to whom you can talk and find out more about the various careers that you can aim for, with a degree in criminal justice.
There are various colleges in India that offer an LLB course in criminal justice, which you can apply for. After you have finished your UG degree or go in for an integrated course or if you have wrapped up your UG course, then you can apply for an LLM course (Master of laws), where the duration is only a year at most.
The only qualification being that you need to be a resident Indian, either at 21 years of age or above and that you have secured at least 60% marks in your exams, and the last is subject to change if you happen to be an SC/ST.
It should be pointed out that the duration of the course need not exceed three years (six semesters) or if it is inconvenient to attend school each day, you can always opt for a distance education course.
Please keep in mind that you would still have to meet the basic requirements when applying for a distance education course and the course fees for the same should be minimal at best. There are more than a few colleges that you can apply for, a criminal justice major in the next academic year, staring with Dr. Ambedkar law University in TamilNadu, and then, there’s the Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU).
Also note that each University may have their own basic requirements, which you are required to meet, and that the cut off marks can differ from one University to the other, as well as the timings, the curriculum and so on.
Best Colleges to study Criminal Justice in India
If you have indeed made up your mind to purse your criminal justice degree, then there are various LLB (bachelor of Legislative Law) universities and schools that you can graduate from. The only qualification is that you are an undergraduate with cumulative marks exceeding 60%, but that depends more on the university in question.
But you would be required to sit for an LLB entrance exam and depending on the results of the exam, as well as various other factors, you may secure an admission. It should also be pointed out that some of the colleges and Universities do offer an integrated 5-year course, that enables you to complete both your UG degree as well as LLB degree, and you should get your LLB certificate, in four semesters, after you have secured your undergraduate degree.
There are more than a few Universities offering LLB integrated degree programs, where the university in question offers you a BA +LLB integrated degree program. Of course, they could also offer you a BSc degree along with your LLB certificate but it depends more on your University.
As mentioned earlier, you can either take up LLB post your UG degree or apply for an LLM, right after graduation. For example, NLSIU happens to be one of the top schools in India to offer several criminal justice courses and you can opt for one of your preference, or you can try with the law center, at the University of Delhi.
But note that competition can be quite intensive and the cut off marks can be high which is why you may want to apply for an integrated degree program. Here are some of the top colleges that offer LLB and LLM programs in various disciplines.
Top Criminal Justice Colleges
Amity University
Amity Law school is located in Noida, UP and currently offers several LLM programs in several disciplines. The duration of each course is roughly for one year or 12 months unless you have opted to enroll in the Ph.D. program, for criminal justice.
National Law University
This law university is currently located in the vibrant city of Jodhpur, in Rajasthan. It is also one of the few to currently offer integrated legal programs such as BBA, LLB (Honors), as well as BBA, LLB (Honors), which is a 5-year program. Other than this, it also offers its students one-year programs in various LLM courses, which enables them to specialize further.
Indian law Institute, New Delhi
ILI is an elite law school that has been imparting knowledge and information to students ever since 1956. It currently offers both LLB and LLM courses where the curriculum has been designated to be one of the most comprehensive ones across India.
The University of Mumbai, law institute
This law institute has been in operation since 1956; it currently offers detailed and comprehensive courses in both LLB and LLM disciplines with classes held by some of the top legal experts in the field.
Conclusion
It can be hard to make up your mind regarding your degree, which is why you may want to meet up with a counselor, explore other options, get all the information you need before you make up your mind.
Additionally, you may want to find out more about the target schools, their basic requirements so that you can meet the same when applying for either their LLB or LLM degrees. It is important that you review the applications in question, and that you apply and send the same to the University in time.
With the right college, you should be able to graduate and land a job in the criminal justice sector in no time at all. It would also be a good idea to write or jot down your views regarding the career that you would want to have one day, as it can help clear your minds of all the doubts that may persist.
At the end of the day, you need to choose the right course, one that is in line with your thinking.
