Criminal Law Courses: Eligibility, Admissions, Top Colleges, Career Scope

Criminal law courses deal with offenses against a person, society, or the state. The article provides all criminal law course descriptions.

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Criminal law courses are one of the most well-known legal specialisations that include the study of laws, statutes, and the judicial process used to try criminals and protect the public from damage. These courses provide students with an understanding of the criminal justice system, the purpose of law enforcement, and the various stages of criminal procedures.

Students may pursue these law courses at all academic levels, including those leading to bachelor's, master's, and postgraduate degrees. Many online criminal law courses in India are equally popular as other bachelor's and diploma courses.

Read More: Complete List of Law Courses

Top 7 Criminal Law Courses

Criminal law courses deal with criminal offences and their punishments. A criminal law course aims to familiarise students with the fundamentals, theories, and practices of criminal law. All the popular criminal law courses are highlighted in the table below.

**Top 7 Criminal Law Courses**
Course	Duration	Degree Type	Average Fees (INR)
BA Criminology	3 years	Bachelor	INR 50,000 - INR 5,20,000
Diploma in Criminology	1 year	Diploma	INR 10,000 - INR 45,000
LLM Criminal Law	3 years	Postgraduate	INR 3,00,000 - INR 6,0,000
Postgraduate Diploma in Criminal Justice	1 year	PG Diploma	INR 10,000 - INR 55,000
Certificate Course in Advanced Criminal Litigation & Trial Advocacy by Law Sikho	3 months	Certificate	INR 15,000
Introduction to International Criminal Law by Coursera	8 weeks	Certificate	INR 3800
Introduction to Criminal Justice by Udemy	11 months	Certificate	INR 6500

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A few criminal law course description is provided below:

BA Criminology

BA Criminology in India is a 3-year bachelor's degree that explores crime, behavioural deviance, behavioural science connected to crime, criminal justice administration, and other related areas. Students who meet the college's cutoff are admitted. After completing a BA in Criminology, students may work as crime investigators, social workers, counsellors, prison managers, law enforcement officers, and private detectives.

Diploma in Criminology

The Diploma in Criminology course lasts one year and focuses on criminal theories and the legal aspects of criminal justice. This is one of the best criminal law diploma courses investigating criminal behaviour. There are a variety of jobs available, and students may work as Independent lawyers, investigators, counsellors, Social Workers, and more.

LLM Criminal Law

LLM Criminal Law is a 3-year postgraduate degree with six semesters, each focusing on a different aspect of criminal law. LLM Criminal Law focuses on Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Tort Law, Criminal Law, International Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Jurisprudence, and Current Legal Issues in detail. After completing this course, graduates will be qualified for positions as criminologists, public prosecutors, or defence lawyers.

Postgraduate Diploma in Criminal Justice

The Postgraduate Diploma in Criminal Justice is a one-year diploma tailored to the needs of working professionals or individuals interested in expanding their learning of the criminal justice system. The main objective of this course is to create highly trained professionals.

The laws, statutes, and regulations that define illegal behaviour are studied in this diploma program. A PGD in Criminal Justice graduate may work as a crime intelligence analyst, law reform researcher, drug policy advisor, consumer advocate, environmental protection analyst, and more.

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Eligibility Criteria for Criminal Law Courses

Students are typically required to have a minimum of a 50% grade average in 12th grade to enrol in any criminal law course. However, the basic eligibility criteria required by criminal law courses in India are outlined below.

Certificate and diploma courses usually require a recognised 10th or 12th score.
Undergraduate programs need 10+2 with any stream from a recognised board.
PG courses require a bachelor's degree in a related domain from a recognised institute with at least 50%.

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Criminal Law Courses Admission Process

Criminal law courses teach students about the prohibited activities that endanger the safety and well-being of individuals, organisations, or the public. Students must qualify and enrol in any criminal law course to gain legal knowledge. The admission requirements and procedure sometimes vary, but the standard requirements are listed here.

The first step is to confirm that students meet all the selected courses' eligibility criteria.
The next step is to fill out the application form with all the required documents and credentials.
Students must appear for the relevant entrance exam (if required) and achieve the minimum cut-off.
The colleges then notify students by releasing the merit list online or on campus.
Selected students are notified via mail to complete the counselling and document verification rounds.
Lastly, students must pay the tuition fee set by the institution to confirm the seat and close the admission process.

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Entrance Exams for Criminal Law Courses

Students who wish to take a criminal law course must pass the following entrance examinations. The main purpose of these entrance tests is to assess students' aptitude for the chosen degree. The popular entrance exams for criminal law courses are outlined below.

CLAT
AILET
BHU Entrance Test
LSAT
ILI Entrance Test

Read More: Top Law Entrance Exams in India

Criminal Law Courses Syllabus

The criminal law course syllabus includes all aspects of crimes, criminal culpability, criminal defences, the rights of the accused, the criminal process, and the roles of the prosecutor and defence counsel. The core subjects covered in all criminal law courses are mentioned below.

Indian Penal Code
Elements of a crime
Evidence law
Defences to criminal charges
Criminology Juvenile Justice
Criminal procedure
Human Rights and Criminal Justice
Crimes against people and property

Also Read: BA Criminology Syllabus

Criminal Law Courses Specialisations

After specialising in criminal law, the lawyer interviews clients, interrogates witnesses, conducts trials, prepares defence cases, and cross-examines witnesses in court. Students can choose the area of specialisation as per their interests. Listed below are popular criminal law specialisations.

Cyber Crime
Domestic Violence
Human Rights
Crime against Women
Sexual Abuse
Criminology and Forensic Science
Murder, robbery, theft, and kidnapping
Criminal Trial & Criminal Appeal
Bail and Criminal Revision
Anti-Hijacking Matters & Anti-Terrorist Matters

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Top Colleges for Criminal Law Courses

Criminal law courses in India are offered at undergraduate, certificate, and diploma levels in many prominent colleges. Given below are the top colleges offering these criminal law courses.

Also Read: Top Private Law Colleges in India

Career Options after Criminal Law Courses

Criminal law courses provide students with an in-depth understanding of the criminal justice system and equip them for jobs in law enforcement, criminal defence, prosecution, and other associated fields. Popular professional career options after completing criminal law courses are given below.