A career in Forensic Science: List of top Forensic Science Course, Admission & Scope

A career in Forensic science will give you a bright future if you have an interest in solving or investigating crime. This career gives you an incredible experience and off course a high paying job.  In this write-up, you will get detailed information like what is forensic science, one needs? Forensic science jobs in India, forensic science scope, forensic science courses after 12th, best colleges and admission procedure. Read the complete information below.

What is Forensic Science?

Forensic Science Course is a mixture of Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, social sciences etc. It is crime laboratory-based profession so it is also known as criminalities. It is a kind of science that makes it easier to solve crimes and illegal actions. In the official term, Forensic science is the process of application of methods and theories to solve criminal and legal problems. It is a multidisciplinary subject that combines chemistry, biology, physics, geology, social science, engineering, etc. The word forensic is the Latin word that means of or before the forum. This is the science that has got loads of ethical implications and crime cannot be solved without a forensic expert. So, the question is who are forensic experts?

Forensic experts are the professional who has studies forensic science and is responsible to collect evidence, investigate the crime scene, conduct test and perform an autopsy to solve the case. E.g. what was the weapon used for crime, a drug used if it’s a drug-related case or what was the computer used for performing any kind of crime? So, forensic science has got a lot of sub-specifications that you will know while learning the course. This job role is very challenging and is expected to handle the case with good analytical skills.

 To become a forensic science expert you need to start with a bachelor’s degree and then you can apply in your desired stream. You can take admission based on your academic scores and select colleges and courses from the list given in this article.

Forensic science courses after 12th

Forensic Science Courses After 12th, we have provided the list of the best courses in forensic science. As mentioned above, to make a strong career, start after 12th and pick bachelor of forensic like B.Sc. Forensic Science and Criminology, B.tech in Cyber Security and Forensic, B.Sc. in Biology or B.Sc. in Chemistry. Once you are done with your UG course you can go for a masters degree for more skills and opportunities or if you want to go into the research you do a PhD. Make sure you take internships and projects seriously while doing the course. This will help you to add extra skills to get forensic job opportunities in India.

Forensic courses are divided into Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, Diploma and Certificate courses. This includes the following -:

•       Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science
•       Masters in Forensic Science
•       Certificate /diploma courses
•       PhD in Forensic

Forensic Science Specialization

Forensic science Course can be done in various specializations. You can choose any of the streams as per your choice. The specializations are –

•       Forensic Chemistry
•       Forensic Psychology
•       Forensic Serology
•       Forensic Toxicology
•       Forensic Entomology
•       Forensic Ballistics
•       Forensic Biology
•       Clinical Forensic Medicine
•       Cytology
•       Dactyloscopy and many more.

List of Forensic Science Courses

The list of courses in Forensic Science along with their eligibility criteria are listed below:

Bachelors /UG Courses

B.Sc.Forensic Science

B.Sc. Hons. In Forensic Science

Eligibility Criteria – 12th from PCB/M subjects with minimum 65% marks.

Duration – UG courses are mostly of 3 years of duration

Diploma /Certificate courses

•       Advanced Diploma Course Certification in Forensic Sciences and Criminology
•       Diploma in Document Examination
•       Diploma in Fingerprint Examination
•       Certificate Course in Forensic Science
•       Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Crime Investigation and Computer Forensics
•       Post Graduate Diploma in Forensic Psychology

Eligibility Criteria

•       For an advanced diploma have graduation from a relevant field with a minimum of 50% to 60% marks.
•       For normal diplomas like document examination or fingerprints you can be 12th pass from any stream.
•       For a PG Diploma, you have to be graduate with a minimum of 65% to 70% marks.

Duration – Diploma and certificate courses are for 6 months to one year.

PG Courses

•       M.Sc. in forensic Science
•       M.Sc. Information Security and Cyber Forensic
•       M.D in forensic medicine and Toxicology

Eligibility

•       Graduate degree in a relevant subject with minimum 65% to 70% marks.
•       For M.D you need to have MBBS or BDS in a relevant stream

Duration – PG courses are of 2 years of duration.

Doctorate course

•       PhD in Disciplines of Forensic Sciences.

Eligibility

PG /Masters Degree in a relevant field.

Forensic Science Courses after 12th Fees

As mentioned, there are many courses in Forensic science Course Fees. Each course has its process of learning and fees. It also depends on the college i.e. if you have applied for a government college or a private college. It also depends on the specialization have opted for.

• If you are doing three years bachelor’s course in Forensic Science then you can expect an average fee between INR 45,000 to 3,00,000.
•  If you’ve decided to do a Master’s course after UG  which is a 2-years course then the fees ranges from INR 40,000 to 2.5 lakh.
• If you are going for PhD program then the fees are expected between INR 70k to 2 lakh.

Best Forensic Science Colleges in India 

• BUBhopal, Bhopal
• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 
• Tezpur University,Tezpur
• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,  
• St.Xaviers College,Mumbai
• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kharagpur 
•   Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, Delhi
• SRM University 
• DG Vaishnav College, Chennai
• SRM University, Amaravati
• Department of Forensic Science Punjab University
•  Anna University, Chennai

Admission in Forensic Science Courses after 12th 

If you are applying for forensic science course after the 12th then you have to meet the eligibility criteria. The admission will be based on merit and entrance exam taken by some top colleges. One can also go through a round of interviews as per the admission process of a particular college.  The admissions are generally done in May till July every year. You can apply by visiting the official website of a particular college. 

Forensic Science Scope in India 

The scope of Forensic science is growing in India as students are exploring their interests and have the will of doing something different. The career is full of profits and amazing learning that will help you in building your personality. Forensic professionals are needed in many areas like -

• Forensic Lab 
• Narcotics Department 
• Hospitals 
• Police Department 
• Security Service Agencies 
• Police Department 
• Defence /Army/Police 
• Quality control department 
• Private detective agencies 
• IB

The scope is endless if you have an eye to catch an opportunity. 

Forensic Science Job Opportunities in India 

You can work with many top organizations like -

• Directorate of Forensic Science Services(Ministry of home affairs, Government  of India )
• Intelligence Bureau
•  Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
• Intelligence Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India )
• Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd.
• Forensic Standards and Research Ltd.

Salary in Forensic Science 

The pay scale in a particular department of forensic science depends on the designation of your service. So if you are -

• Crime Scene Examiner your salary would be INR  6 lakh P/A to 10 lakh P/A. The highest salary can be a max of 12 lakh P/A.
• Forensic Pathologist salary is between INR 3 lakh to 4 lakh P/A and highest goes till 6 lakh P/A
• The salary of a Forensic Scientist is between INR 7 to 10 lakh P/A.
• Forensic science specialist salary is between 4 lakh to 10lakh P/A.
• Forensic IT Specialist between INR 6.5 lakh to 10 lakh P/A.
• Forensic Psychologist between INR 3.6 to 6 lakh P/A 

Forensic Science FnQs

1. Is pursuing a career in forensic science gives you fun opportunities?

Answer - Yes! A career in forensic science can be highly lucrative and offer you many rewarding opportunities. Be it any working field like IB, CBI, Police, labs etc. you will get a secure future and busy life as per your work designation. So we advise picking this stream only when you are fully ready. 

1. What are the job opportunities for forensic science in India?

Answer - As crime rates are surging, forensic professionals are required in every forensic department. From government/private labs to colleges/universities, you can apply easily if you have a forensic degree. 

1. Which are the main subjects taught in BSc Forensic Science?

Answer - If you are doing B.Sc. in forensic science then you will be reading the following subjects - 

• Forensic Biology
•  Forensic Psychology
• Cyber Forensics and Lab
• Forensic Chemistry

1. What are the basic skills and qualities required in Forensic Science?

Answer - To make a career in forensic science you need to have good -

• Investigation skills.
• Research skills. 
• Strong communication skills. 
• Problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 
  • `Good in Math and Science(PCB) subjects.