Forensic Science: Courses Eligibility, Subjects, Colleges, Admission Process, Syllabus, Fees, Eligibility & Jobs

What is Forensic Science?

If you are passionate about human anatomy and forensic studies, then a career in forensic science is what you should opt for. With the increasing criminal activities and rising crime rate, the field of forensic science has gain impetus. The scope in the field of forensic science has intensified exponentially and opened up immense career prospects not only in India but abroad. The jobs in forensic science can be secured after doing graduation in the field. You can also go for post-graduation, diploma and specialization courses to get better job opportunities in terms of remuneration and position.

To go further in detail about career prospects and courses available in forensic science, firstly, it is important to understand what exactly defines forensic science? In simple words, Forensic Science is the science which deals with the investigation of any crime or the analysis of crime. It always works under the framework of the law. Forensic science is the Criminalistics and found proof by using various tests like DNA test analysis, Fingerprints, Toxicity test, etc. By utilizing the science and technology skills, it allows gathering the evidence against the person who has committed a crime. It helps in getting hold of a real criminal by analyzing evidence.

Mostly it is a crime-scene-based science, but professionals of forensic science are also consulted in civil cases such as proving the validity of any documents or verification of signatures.

Forensic science is broadly classified into three following categories:

• Medical Data Science: It includes forensic pathology, psychiatry, psychology, forensic medicine, and ontology.
• Laboratory Sciences: It includes chemistry, biology, toxicology, ballistics, fingerprints, suspected documents, and marks & impressions.
• Field Sciences: It includes crime scenes investigation which incorporates areas such as fire and explosion scenes and secret drug laboratories.

Key skill required for forensic science

Forensic science expert must meticulously analyze every small detail of a crime and must be good in collecting as much evidence he/she can. The expert needs to have in-depth knowledge and understanding of statistics and natural sciences to be able to analyze the evidence of a crime scene.

If you aspire to build a career in forensic science, you should possess the following specific must-have skills:

Forensic Science Courses and Eligibility

Basically, to take admission in any college offering forensic Science courses, you must complete your 10+2 from a science stream with Maths & Physics as mandatory subjects. Apart from regular courses at graduation, post-graduation, and doctorate level, many specializations, diploma, and certification courses are also available in forensic science subdivided into many categories. Following are available courses and eligibility criteria to get admission to any institutions that offer forensic science courses:

Specialization Courses available in Forensic Science

• Admission Process for B.Sc. in Forensic Science: B.Sc. in Forensic Science is a three-year course that teaches you research applications and experience that helps in acquiring skills for crime detection. This course comprises a broad variety of topics that helps in enhancing knowledge to examine and study various objects at crime scenes. The graduates in the field have innumerable job opportunities to work with government or private organisations or as self-practitioner.

The admission procedure for the B.Sc. Forensic Science course is done either on a merit basis or on the basis of the qualifying test score. In addition to the entrance examination, candidates must meet the minimum eligibility criteria, including a 10+2 and an entrance exam score.

• Admission Procedure for M.Sc. in Forensic Science: Some of the institutions offer admissions in M.Sc. in Forensic Science on the basis of merit where as some institutions conduct entrance exams for the selection process.      

A merit list for admission is prepared on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the qualifying examination and entrance exam.

Entrance Exams to get admission in Forensic Science

Here are some of the entrance examinations conducted by universities to get admission in forensic science programmes:

• AIFSET (All India Forensic Science Entrance Test) – The All-India Forensic Science Entrance Test (AIFSET) is a national level entrance test conducted to enroll students who are interested to pursue three years degree in Bachelor of Science.
• DUET (Delhi University Entrance Test) – It is an entrance exam offered by Delhi University and conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency). The exam is conducted to offer admission to aspirants in various UG, PG, MPhil, and Ph.D. programmes offered by Delhi University.
• KIITEE (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Entrance Examination)-It is an entrance exam offered by Kalinga University for admission to various undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses.
• SAAT (Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Admission Test) – It is a national entrance test conducted by Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University. It is basically a multiple-choice exam offered in CBT mode.
• KCET (Karnataka Common Entrance Test)- KCET exam is conducted by the Karnataka examination authority. It is a state-level CBT exam.

Subjects and Syllabus of Forensic Science Courses

The courses in forensic science are mostly designed for skill development which includes both theoretical and practical knowledge-based subjects. Hence, apart from theory, lab practices are also included in the subjects.

The syllabus of some courses in Forensic Science comprises:

B.Sc. (Forensic Science):

• Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Behaviour
• Law and Criminal Behaviour,
• Introduction to Forensic Science
• Crime and Socio-Cultural and Psychological Factors
• English Language
• Blood Analysis & Blood Pattern Analysis
• Benzidine Test
• Species Identification, Grouping, Behavioural Science
• Introduction to Toxicology, Spectrophotometry, etc.

M.Sc. (Forensic Sciences):

• Forensic, Crime and Investigative Techniques
• Questioned Documents
• DNA isolation
• DNA profiling
• Forensic Ballistics
• Fingerprints and Impressions
• Forensic Photography
• Forensic Toxicology
• Forensic Pharmacology
• Forensic Biology
• Forensic Physics
• Forensic Serology
• Forensic Chemistry
• Forensic Photography and Dissertation.

M.D. (Forensic Medicine and Toxicology):

• Basics of Medical Science, Autopsy Case, Procedure, Injury Case, Sexual Offence Case
• Interpretations, Observations, Making of Report
• Age Determination Case
• Spots, Poisons, Weapons, Slides, Bones, X-ray films
• Forensic Toxicology
• Forensic Medicine and Forensic Medicine.

Advanced Diploma Course Certification in Forensic Sciences and Criminology:

• General Forensic Science
• Crime Law
• Criminology
• Fingerprint Science
• Forensic Toxicology
• Drug of Abuse
• Documents
• Molecular Biology
• Immunology
• Computer Forensics
• Forensic Audio and Video Analysis
• Case File Projects
• Advanced DNA Methods
• Microbiology and Biochemistry

Diploma in Fingerprint Examination:

• Introduction to Science of Fingerprint
• Fingerprint Development Techniques
• Fingerprint Record and Taking
• Identification and Comparison of Fingerprints
• Computer-Aided Techniques that involve identification
• Comparison and Analysis of Fingerprints

Top Colleges for Forensic Science

• Gujarat Forensic Sciences University
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi)
• University of Delhi
• Amity University, Noida
• Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar
• S. Jain Subodh PG College
• Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
• Gujarat University
• Vivekananda Global University
• Lovely Professional University, Delhi
• Chandigarh University (CU)
• Amity University, Gurugram
• BHU – Banaras Hindu University
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal
• Mumbai University
• Jain University (JU), BANGALORE
• JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysore
• Madhav University (MU), Sirohi
• Punjab University
• Anna University, Chennai

Course Fees

The fee structure varies for different courses provided in the field of Forensic Science in different colleges.

• The average fee for Bachelor’s degree course in Forensic Science ranges from INR 30,000 to 2,00,000.
• The average fee for a Master’s degree course in Forensic Science ranges from INR 20,000 to 2,00,000.
• The average fee for Ph.D. in Forensic Science ranges from INR 45,000 to 1,50,000.
• The average fee to study abroad ranges from over 25 Lakhs to 50 Lakhs.

Scope & Jobs

This course has a great career scope and prepares you for endless opportunities in the field. This course is one of the best choices for science lovers who have dreamt of their career in white attire and resolving criminal conspiracies by utilising their knowledge gained from the course in forensic science.

With criminal cases rising rapidly in our country, there is a huge demand for professionals in the field. For various roles like working in government labs to act as counsellors or investigators, the country is in a dire need of well-trained forensic experts.

Job profiles and Salary

Recruiting Sector for Forensic Scientist

• Intelligence Bureau – IB
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
• Criminalistics Laboratories
• In Defence Sector
• Universities
• Legal Firms/ Law Firms
• Work as Private detectives
• In Bank and an Insurance company
• Medical/Hospitals
• Quality Control Bureau

Conclusion:

Vast opportunities are waiting for the right candidate in the field of forensic science. This career option is exciting for those interested in forensics, crime, and law. If crime mysteries fascinate you, you have a curiosity to analyse crime scenes then this is a viable career option for you. Both governments & private sectors have scope in this field and offering an abundance of opportunities for diverse roles. Also, the other advantage of acquiring a degree in forensic science is, you can start your forensic practice independently & open up forensic service offices of your own.