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Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary

Under the title Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary, workers teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. O*NET rates it as extensive preparation, which usually means graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. It leans on speaking, critical thinking, and active listening. One core duty is to prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as criminal law, defensive policing, and investigation techniques. On the six-type interest model it reads SIC, meaning helping, teaching or caring for people comes first, followed by research, analysis and working through hard problems. People who want helping, teaching or caring for people usually fit better here than those who need hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Main tasks

  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as criminal law, defensive policing, and investigation techniques.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Learning Strategies

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
  • You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and critical thinking.

May not suit you if

  • You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 2.4 out of 7 here.
  • You want to be working in the field within the next few years.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.

Preparation

Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Master's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Adjunct Instructor
  • Adjunct Professor
  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Criminal Justice Instructor

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.