Criminal Law Course: Fees, Admission 2024, Subjects/Syllabus, Top Colleges, Top Exam, Salary, Schola
Criminal Law is a specialization within the Legal field and its prime focus is on the rules and Laws governing crimes and their punishments. The curriculum itself encompasses a wide range of topics, that includes the definitions of different types of crimes, along with the legal processes involved with the prosecution, the rights of individuals within the criminal justice system.
Criminal Law Course 2025 Admission
In order to pursue a course in criminal law, candidates must check their eligibility and go through the course structure and decide accordingly. The key aspects are as follows:
- There are different types of courses that can be pursued under Criminal Law:
- Undergraduate (BA.LLB): Candidates can either pursue the five-year integrated BA LLB program or the three-year program.
- Postgraduate: LLM in Criminal Law.
- Diploma/Certificate Course: Courses limited to a shorter time period, focusing on aspects of Criminal Law.
- Undergraduate: Candidates must complete 10+2 from a recognized board and secure a minimum of 50% aggregate score. Candidates must also qualify for the CLAT entrance exam.
- Postgraduate: Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) and obtain a minimum of 60% score. Candidates must also qualify for the CLAT PG entrance exam.
- Admission to Law Schools are purely based on scores obtained on entrance exams and the merit list provided by different Law Colleges.
- The entrance exam of CLAT UG was conducted on December 1, 2024.
- The dates for CLAT PG are yet to be announced.
Criminal Law Course Fees in India
The fees for criminal law courses differ across different Law Colleges. The fees will be considerably higher for Private colleges, as compared to government-aided institutions. A rough breakdown of the fee structure is given below:
- Undergraduate Course: For government colleges, the fee ranges from INR 13,000 to INR 2 Lakhs per year. On the other hand, for Private colleges, the fee ranges from INR 2 Lakhs to INR 10 Lakhs for the entire course.
- Postgraduate Courses: For government colleges, the fee ranges from INR 50,000 to INR 2 Lakhs per year. On the other hand, for private colleges, the fee ranges from INR 2 Lakhs to INR 6 Lakhs per year.
Syllabus/Subjects covered in Criminal Law Course
The curriculum in Criminal Law course, may it be for undergraduate or postgraduate studies, encompasses a wide range of topics to study, along with opportunities for developing the necessary practical skills. A comprehensive breakdown of the subjects are provided below:
- Introduction to Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Law of Evidence
- Penology and Victimology
- Cyber Crimes
- Human Rights and Criminal Justice:
- Comparative Criminal Law
- Drug Laws
- Trial Advocacy
- Legal Research and Writing
- Moot Court Competitions
- Digital Crime and Digital Forensics
- Law relating to Drugs and Enforcement Agencies
- Forensic Science
Best Colleges for Criminal Law in India
Choosing a Law college that adheres to the standard curriculum set by the Bar Council of India (BCI), along with a strong and experienced faculty is very necessary. Some of the best colleges for Criminal Law in India are listed below:
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
- National Law University (NLU), Delhi
- NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
- The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata
- Symbiosis Law School, Pune
- Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh
- Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai
- Lovely Professional University (LPU), Jalandhar
Top Exams for Criminal Law Admissions
There are several entrance exams that can help the candidates gain admission into their preferred Law College. Some examples are given below:
- Common Law Admission Test (CLAT): Thus exam is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) and candidates can take admission under the five-year integrated LLB program and LLM program, through this exam.
- All India Law Entrance Test (AILET): Thus exam is conducted by the National Law University of Delhi. Candidates can take admission under BA LLB and LLM programs through this exam.
- There are several institutions based entrance exams conducted separately by universities, such as, Delhi University LLB Entrance Exam (DU LLB), Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH CET Law), etc.
Career Opportunities in Criminal Law
Pursuing a career in Criminal Law ensures a wide range of career opportunities and employment roles to the candidates. Some of them are given below:
- Criminal Lawyer: The role of a criminal lawyer is to represent clients who are accused of crimes, also provide legal counsel and defense strategies. Their average salary ranges from INR 3 Lakhs to INR 12 Lakhs per year.
- Public Prosecutor: The role of a public prosecutor involves working for the government and prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the state. Their average salary ranges from INR 6 Lakhs to INR 9 Lakhs per year.
- Investigating Officer: The role of an investigating officer is to collect evidence and conduct further investigations into criminal activities. Their average salary ranges from INR 3 lakhs to INR 5 lakhs per year.
- Forensic Expert: The role of a forensic expert is to analyze and examine the evidence found at the scene of crime, such as DNA and fingerprints. Their average salary ranges from INR 10 lakhs to INR 15 lakhs per year.
Criminal Lawyer Salary in India 2025
Keeping in consideration the scope and demand for Criminal Lawyers, the earning potential will significantly increase in the upcoming years. Although, it should be remembered that the salary of a criminal lawyer depends on the role, experience and type of employment (Public defense or private practice) and on the complexity of the cases handled:
- For entry level Criminal Lawyers, the salary ranges from INR 3 lakhs to INR 5 lakhs per year
- For mid-level Criminal Lawyers, their salary ranges from INR 7 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs per year.
- For senior-level Criminal Lawyers with ten plus years of experience, their salary ranges from INR 10 lakhs to INR 30 lakhs per year.
Scholarships for Criminal Law Students
There are a range of scholarships available for students pursuing criminal law in India and some of them are:
- Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to students who are enrolled in the five-year LLB program. The amount can range up to 4 lakhs.
- Aditya Birla Scholarship Programme: This scholarship is awarded to scholars from top Law institutions.
- GEV Memorial Merit Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to UG and PG students who have shown outstanding performance
- Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to meritorious students who have family income below 4.5 lakhs per year.
Cut-off for Criminal Law Colleges 2024
The cut-off marks for getting admission into a criminal law course will differ according to universities, which is further influenced by several factors, such as, the number of applicants, difficulty level of entrance exams, number of seats available. The cut-off rank for some of the top institutions for the year 2024 is provided below:
| College Name |
BA LLB (General Category) |
LLM (General Category) |
| National Law School of India University (NLSIU) |
102 |
239 |
| National Law University (NLU), Delhi |
71 |
51 |
| NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad |
167 |
298 |
| National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata |
279 |
620 |
| National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal |
456 |
- |
FAQs
1. What entrance exams are required for a Criminal Law course?
The entrance exams include:
- CLAT UG and CLAT PG
- AILET
- Institutions specific entrance exam
2. What are some of the top colleges for Criminal Law in India?
Some of the top colleges include:
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
- National Law University (NLU), Delhi
- NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
- The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata
3. What are the career opportunities available after completing a Criminal Law Course?
The career opportunities include:
- Criminal Lawyer (Defense or Prosecution)
- Public Prosecutor
- Legal Advisor for NGOs or government agencies
- Forensic Expert
4. What is the duration for Criminal Law Courses?
For Undergraduate Program, the BA LLB course lasts for five years.
For the Postgraduate Program, the LLM program lasts for two years.
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