Post Graduate Diploma/ Executive Diploma in Criminology (PGDC/EDC)

The PG Diploma / Executive Diploma in Criminology is a multidisciplinary academic programme that bridges the domains of social science, criminal justice, psychology, law, and forensic inquiry to provide a comprehensive understanding of crime, criminal behaviour, and societal responses to deviance. The programme emphasizes the scientific study of crime causation, victimization, prevention, and justice administration through the integration of theoretical criminological perspectives with contemporary developments such as cybercrime, digital society, media influence, and transnational security challenges. By combining analytical research methods, legal awareness, and applied crime-prevention strategies, the curriculum prepares learners to critically examine criminal phenomena, support evidence-based policymaking, and contribute effectively to law enforcement, correctional services, community safety initiatives, and justice-oriented institutional frameworks in an increasingly complex global environment.

Programme Overview

The Criminology Programme is structured to provide a systematic and progressive understanding of crime from foundational concepts to contemporary global challenges. It is designed to move beyond descriptive knowledge and develop analytical, interpretative, and research-oriented competencies required for professional engagement within criminal justice, social policy, and security sectors.

The curriculum begins with the conceptual and historical evolution of criminology, enabling learners to critically interpret definitions of crime, deviance, and social regulation across legal and sociocultural contexts. It then advances into detailed examination of major theoretical traditions explaining criminal behaviour, encouraging comparative evaluation of biological, psychological, sociological, and integrated perspectives in relation to real-world crime patterns.

Subsequent components of the programme focus on institutional responses to crime, including policing systems, judicial processes, correctional administration, victim support mechanisms, and juvenile justice frameworks. Equal importance is given to crime prevention strategies, community-based interventions, and rights-based approaches to rehabilitation, ensuring that learners understand both control and reform dimensions of justice.

The programme also prioritizes methodological training, equipping participants with practical skills in criminological research design, data interpretation, ethical inquiry, and evidence-based reporting. Engagement with contemporary and emerging issues—such as cyber-enabled offences, terrorism, gendered violence, migration-related crime, and global security transformations—ensures academic relevance to present and future societal needs.

Through this structured academic progression, the programme seeks to cultivate critical thinking, professional ethics, and applied problem-solving abilities necessary for meaningful contribution to crime prevention, justice administration, policy development, and community safety initiatives.

Programme Structure

Module 1: Introduction to Criminology

• Definitions of crime, deviance, and social harm
• History and development of criminology
• Legal vs social understandings of crime
• Key schools of criminological thought
• Crime measurement and statistics

Module 2: Theories of Crime Causation

• Biological theories of crime
• Psychological theories of criminal behaviour
• Sociological theories (strain, conflict, labelling, social disorganization)
• Integrated and contemporary theories
• Critical evaluation of crime theories

Module 3: Crime, Media and Digital Society

• Media representation of crime and deviance
• Moral panics and public perception
• Social media, gaming, music, and crime narratives
• Digital culture and communication
• Media influence on policy and policing

Module 4: Criminal Justice System and Law

• Structure and history of the criminal justice system
• Elements of crime and criminal liability
• Structure of criminal courts
• Police organizations and functions
• Prosecution and defence
• Sentencing principles and punishment types 

Module 5: Types of Crime

• Violent crimes
• Property crimes
• White-collar and corporate crime
• Cybercrime and digital offences
• Organized and transnational crime

Module 6: Victimology

• Concept and development of victimology
• Types of victims
• Victim–offender relationship
• Victimization surveys
• Victim compensation and support services

Module 7: Juvenile Delinquency

• Meaning and nature of juvenile delinquency
• Causes and risk factors
• Juvenile justice system
• Rehabilitation and correctional programmes for juveniles
• Role of family, school, and community

Module 8: Penology and Correctional Administration

• History and philosophy of punishment
• Prison systems and administration
• Probation, parole, and community corrections
• Rehabilitation and reintegration
• Prison reforms and human rights

Module 9: Crime Prevention and Control

• Theories of crime prevention
• Policing strategies and community policing
• Situational crime prevention
• Role of social policy and education
• Evaluation of crime prevention programmes

Module 10: Research Methods in Criminology

• Quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Crime data sources and measurement
• Survey design and sampling
• Ethical issues in criminological research
• Data analysis and interpretation

Module 11: Contemporary Issues in Criminology

• Terrorism and national security
• Gender and crime
• Media and crime perception
• Human trafficking and migration crimes
• Emerging trends in global criminology

Module 12: Case Study

Module 13: Capstone Project

Eligibility

Graduates in any discipline are eligible for our Post Graduate Diploma, Executive Diploma and Professional Certification Programmes.

Programme Duration

The minimum duration to complete the PG diploma programme is 12 months and maximum is 24 months. The minimum duration to complete the executive diploma programme is 6 months and maximum is 12 months.

Programme Mode

Registrations are currently open for regular and Part-time (Online Live Classes) both modes.

Programme Deliverables

A comprehensive study material for all the modules in hard copies ensuring the needs of the audience. The accompanying training material is appropriately aligned with the current Industry’s expectations.

• Assignments for all the programme modules for continuous evaluation and guidance.
• Interactive or online live sessions on all key areas of the programme giving all flexibility to the participants.
• Online classes for all the modules will be conducted on the weekends. Moreover, a doubt clearing session will also be scheduled before the examination
• All the efforts are made by IGMPI faculty members to make the entire programme modules easily understandable.
• Assessment and evaluation for all the programme modules in order to enhance the levels of competencies and skills of the participants leading towards the objective of application in the job.
• At the end of each programme modules, the trainers shall obtain feedback from the participants using specially designed questionnaires.
• All learning and training delivery initiatives shall be conducted in English.

Examination and Certification

All the participants are expected to appear for an online exam and are also obliged to submit assignments after each module. After successful completion, the participants will be awarded Post Graduate Diploma/Executive Diploma in Criminology from Centre for Cyber Forensic and Cyber Security, IGMPI. For all the above-mentioned modules, Online Classes (Online mode) or face-to-face classes (Regular mode), elaborate programme material, self-assessment assignments would be provided by the Institute. Details get updated on the webpage as well.

Discipline in Classes and Examination

Every student is required to observe a disciplined behaviour during her/his classes, assessments & examinations and to follow instructions from the Professors. Any act of indiscipline may result into discredit & it will be mentioned in her/his academic report.

Placement Assistance & Corporate Relations

The Institute has partnered with many organizations for providing with placement assistance to its participants. Besides, it has a robust placement cell comprised of senior level Human Resources professionals and Talent Acquisition experts which maintains close links with business and industry. This cell is continuously engaged in promoting the employability of our participants and encouraging the concerned Human Resources department and Hiring Managers to recruit/hire our participants for their vacant positions. The efforts of our placement cell also include helping with professional resume writing & interview skills.

Graduates of the criminology programme are suitable for professional roles across police departments, investigative and intelligence agencies, correctional services, probation and rehabilitation units, cybercrime divisions, forensic laboratories, legal consultancy firms, social defence organizations, and public policy research institutions. In India, employment opportunities may arise within organizations such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSL), state police and cybercrime units, and prison and probation departments.

Beyond the public sector, graduates can also pursue careers in the corporate and advisory domain, including corporate security divisions of major enterprises, compliance and risk management teams in financial institutions, and investigative or consulting roles within firms such as Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, Grant Thornton, and BDO. Additional opportunities exist in cybersecurity and digital risk organizations like Tata Advanced Systems, Reliance Security, Infosys Cyber Security, Wipro Cyber Defence, and specialized risk-intelligence or due-diligence consultancies, reflecting the growing intersection between criminology, organizational governance, and digital safety management in contemporary professional environments.

Future career prospects

The future of criminology as a professional field is highly promising due to rising global concerns related to cybercrime, organized crime, terrorism, financial fraud, gender-based violence, and transnational criminal networks. Governments, international organizations, and private institutions increasingly require trained criminology professionals capable of evidence-based analysis, crime prevention planning, and justice system reform.

Emerging career pathways include: Cybercrime and Digital Investigation Specialists addressing online fraud, identity theft, and digital surveillance challenges, Crime Analysts and Intelligence Researchers supporting data-driven policing and predictive crime prevention strategies, Victim Support and Rehabilitation Professionals working in social justice, counselling, and restorative justice frameworks, Correctional and Community Supervision Officers focusing on offender rehabilitation and reintegration, Policy Advisors and Security Consultants contributing to national security planning, crime legislation, and institutional governance, Academic and Research Careers in criminology, criminal justice, forensic studies, and socio-legal research.

With increasing integration of artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and global security cooperation, criminology professionals are expected to play a crucial role in shaping humane, technologically informed, and legally sound responses to crime through 2035 and beyond.

View Prospectus

Apply Online

Last date for submitting completed Application Form: 13^th Feb 2026.

For further enquiries, call or write to us on:
18001031071 (Toll Free -9:00 am to 5:30 pm IST-except on Central Government holidays)/ info@igmpi.ac.in