About the Department

The Department of Criminology was established at the University of Madras in April 1983 with independent functions of teaching and research. The Department has been specializing in the fields of juvenile justice, victimology, police administration, human rights, financial crimes, correctional administration, crime prevention, cyber forensics, information security and other related fields.

Through the years with evolving societal issues, criminal justice practices and legislations, the Department has effected changes related to courses taught, teaching methods and research approach. The students are also imparted with practical experience through Internships and Institutional visits to various criminal justice institutions such as Police Station, Court, Prison, Social Welfare Department, Non-Governmental Organizations, etc.

The Department of Criminology offers a post-graduate course in Criminology & Criminal Justice Science (M.Sc.) and a Ph. D. programme. It also offers two short-term courses namely Diploma in Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Psychology and Certificate course in Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Psychology. The Department has five full-time faculty serving over 30 research scholars and 60 post-graduate students.

The Department is in regular collaboration with several universities around the world. The main objective of the programme is to provide post-graduate students an exposure to the dynamics of international criminal justice and to give them an opportunity to study and understand trending social issues from an international perspective. The students of the Department take part every year in the Post-Graduate Course on Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice offered by the World Society of Victimology in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in the month of May with financial support from the University. The students of the Department have also went on to pursue their Doctoral degree from Universities such as Prairie View A & M University, Texas, USA with support and guidance of the Department.

The faculty and research scholars of the Department engage in robust research on vital issues and social problems. The outcome of the research work along with the suggestions and recommendations has often been influential in policy making at the regional and national level.  University Grants Commission (UGC), United Nations Children’s’ Fund (UNICEF), Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), Government of Tamil Nadu, Transparency International, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, United Nations Development Program, National Commission for Women, MasterCard Worldwide are some of the funding agencies with which the department has conducted research projects.

The Department has two major ongoing projects, National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction and Training in Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Psychology through which it provides training to the various stakeholders of the criminal justice system, the projects are funded by Government of Tamil Nadu and UNICEF respectively. 

The Department also offers training programs to newly recruited personnel of various agencies of criminal justice system such as Tamil Nadu Police Academy (TNPA), Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy (TNSJA) and Tamil Nadu Police Department – Cyber Crime Wing.

The Department of Criminology is also the birthplace of two great national organizations namely, Indian Society of Victimology and Indian Society of Criminology. Several workshops, seminars and conferences are conducted by both the organisations. In March 2020, the Department of Criminology conducted the Seventh International and Eleventh Biennial Conference of the Indian Society of Victimology, which was attended by several International and National experts.

Objective

• To study the cause and effect of crimes and social behaviour
• To understand the dynamics of the criminal justice system and the various inter-linked agencies
• To understand, evaluate, and compare theories of crime and criminal justice
• To gain in-depth knowledge in the field of Victimology and victim assistance
• To understand quantitative and qualitative criminological research methods and the application of social scientific approach

Mission

• To develop a strong inter-disciplinary research base in Criminology
• To provide theoretical knowledge in criminology and practical application in criminological research
• To influence policy making in criminal justice and  social justice

Vision

To be recognized as a renowned institution of learning in the field of criminology and criminal justice education with strong global leverage.