While days vary, I spend a lot of my time reading research to keep up with my field. I write grants to help me conduct my research, which focuses on keeping students safe in school. When I am conducting research, I spend a lot of time in schools, talking to students and teachers. Then, I write up my results and publish them in academic journals. During the school year, I teach one or two classes at the university, about topics as diverse as juvenile justice, the death penalty, and policing.
CAREER
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$63,560
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+6.7% (as fast as the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary 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.
Other Job Titles Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary May Have
Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice Instructor, Criminal Justice Professor, Digital Forensics Instructor, Instructor, Justice Professor, Professor
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- 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.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Doctoral or professional degree (47%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Graduate
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Doctorate
Criminology
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Social Psychology
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Being able to interact well with lots of different people is an important skill that helps me succeed. On any given day, I could be talking to middle school students, other college professors, police officers, or college students. You have to be able to listen and learn from all sorts of different people to be a good professor. It's really important to be good at public speaking too (I stand up in front of a lot of people!). Because I work with children, empathy and compassion are important too!
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
The first step to be a professor is to start down the road of higher education. You will need a doctorate (aka: PhD) to work in any university. So once you've decided what you love (it's really important to love it - because there are days when it's really stressful), you have to find a program where you can study that topic. The quality, or ranking, of the program matters. It matters more in graduate school than for your undergraduate degree. Make friends with your professors - they will help!
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
