The exercise of criminology as a profession has become popular in recent years, thanks to television series and programs. But how real is what you see on these shows? If you are a student in the process of enter the universityI invite you to continue reading to find out all the details about criminology, a career that you can study in Colombia.
Differences between Criminology and Criminalistics
To begin with, we must tell you that the Criminology is an area of study that focuses on understanding the criminal behavior within society, that is, determine why the facts occurred, while the criminology it focuses on methods and techniques scientific investigation to determine how a criminal act occurred.
However, both disciplines make up a single professional development option at the undergraduate level: the Criminology and Criminalistics degreewhich integrates various disciplines and sciences, both of a social nature such as anthropology and law, as well as those related to medicine, psychology, forensic sciences and others.
We explain the difference because that way we can determine that the most popular scenes in police series on television, such as CSI, have to do with the exercise of criminalistics: investigate, carry out the collection of evidence, as well as investigations in the place where a specific crime was committed and its analysis.
What is done in the Criminology and Criminalistics career?
When we say that this development option goes beyond what is seen on television, it is because the career is much more complete than just field research: it is a research approach deep study about society and the causes of criminal behaviors that take place in certain nuclei. All this from a scientific and theoretical approach.
This means that criminologists are social scientists with the necessary skills to understand the behavior of individuals within society and have the necessary professional knowledge to intervene and prevent the commission of new crimesas part of a comprehensive social strategy.
In this way, the theory and analysis of criminology is complemented by the practical part that is criminalistics, a fundamental element in the investigation of any crime: the execution of scientific proceduresfor the collection of evidence and the implementation of pertinent tests.
Criminology, a virtual career that you can take in Colombia
The good news for students interested in studying this career is that it is one of the virtual education options, provided by specialized universities in this type of educational models, which offer wide flexibility for all types of students, even as a professionalization option for those who already work.
These study programs are designed so that each student can adapt their study schedulesaccording to their other activities, thanks to the fact that the virtual classrooms They are available 24/7 and can access, on the same platform, study material and spaces for communication with other students.
In addition, these types of universities offer different programs, in which students can choose the one that best suits their life project. So if you’re wondering,how many years does the criminology and criminalistics degree last? For example, at Utel Universidad, which is one of the institutions with virtual careers in Colombia, it can last from 26, 32 and up to 44 months.
Reasons to study criminology in Colombia
- It is one of the races with diverse options of professional developmentboth in police corporations, as government agencies, as a center for social reintegration and even research companies in the private sector.
- Training as a criminalist means a great opportunity to contribute to the justice processes in Colombia, by clarifying cases, as well as improving care for victims of crime.
- You can also join organizations from where marketing strategies are designed. crime prevention seeking to contribute to a better society, including achieving behavioral changes in certain social sectors.
So if you are a person who is attracted to research from a scientific and social approach, but also has an interest in justice, you like to know the theories of law, social sciences and psychology around criminal acts, the career in criminology and criminalistics is the most suitable for you.