What does a criminal justice instructor do?
A criminal justice instructor teaches students criminal justice-related courses. As an instructor, they must develop syllabi and course plans, prepare lectures, prepare learning materials such as presentations and visual aids, administer examinations, and grade students. In addition to facilitating discussions about different criminal justice theories, an instructor may also participate in research studies and coordinate with other instructors for committee works.
Criminal justice instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real criminal justice instructor resumes:
- Utilize blackboard management system to encourage online discussions and manage grades.
- Identify appropriate techniques for teaching and responding to literature, and ways to effectively use literacy to positively impact diversity education.
- Develop lectures, lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, tests and assignments.
- Involve in investigations of federal firearms violations.
- Conduct interstate investigations and undercover purchases of firearms.
- Coordinated/Conduct DEA approve and Mexican government sanction missions into Mexico that track the movements of various cartel and drug relate organizations.
Criminal justice instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 38% of Criminal Justice Instructors are proficient in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, and Student Learning. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Criminal Justice Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Criminal Justice, 38%
Instructed college level Introduction to Policing courses* Instructed college level Introduction to Criminal Justice Courses* Instructed college level Introduction to Corrections courses
- Law Enforcement, 7%
Demonstrated knowledge of basic laws/regulations, law enforcement operations, practices and techniques.
- Student Learning, 5%
Design curriculum and create/assess Student Learning Outcomes.
- Course Materials, 5%
Teach and demonstrate knowledge of assigned curriculum, course materials and textbooks to students for academic performance toward an Associate Degree.
- Syllabus, 4%
Present lectures and classroom activities consistent with the course syllabus, on power point format.
- Professional Development, 4%
Provide instruction based on instructor field experience and encourage development and growth in student academic and professional development.
Common skills that a criminal justice instructor uses to do their job include "criminal justice," "law enforcement," and "student learning." You can find details on the most important criminal justice instructor responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a criminal justice instructor to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what criminal justice instructors do because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Additionally, a criminal justice instructor resume shows how criminal justice instructors use interpersonal skills: "teach interpersonal communication and public speaking classes. "
Speaking skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling criminal justice instructor duties is speaking skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." According to a criminal justice instructor resume, here's how criminal justice instructors can utilize speaking skills in their job responsibilities: "presented facilitative and well prepared lectures and classroom activities consistent with course syllabus and school policies. "
Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of criminal justice instructors is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday criminal justice instructor duties, as "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "instructed students in core paralegal and criminal justice subjects, legal writing and computer researchincluding lexis nexis. "
The three companies that hire the most criminal justice instructors are:
- State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia8 criminal justice instructors jobs
- Platt College3 criminal justice instructors jobs
- Daymar College
2 criminal justice instructors jobs
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Compare different criminal justice instructors
Criminal justice instructor vs. Adjunct professor of law
A law enforcement technician is responsible for communicating with field units and emergency services to support the functions of the police department. Typical duties include assessing the appropriate dispatch unit to respond, collaborating with other law enforcement agencies, and fielding incoming calls. Additionally, you will be responsible for monitoring inventories, re-stocking supplies, and scheduling maintenance. As a law enforcement technician, you may perform clerical and administrative duties such as storing evidence, filing reports, and entering data. You are also responsible for coordinating the repair and maintenance of facility vehicles.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a criminal justice instructor are more likely to require skills like "criminal justice," "student learning," "professional development," and "learning environment." On the other hand, a job as an adjunct professor of law requires skills like "legal research," "intellectual property," "civil procedure," and "trial advocacy." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that adjunct professors of law earn slightly differ from criminal justice instructors. In particular, adjunct professors of law are 14.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a criminal justice instructor. Additionally, they're 37.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Criminal justice instructor vs. Professor of legal studies
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, criminal justice instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "law enforcement," "student learning," "professional development," and "learning environment." Meanwhile, a professor of legal studies has duties that require skills in areas such as "legal studies," "legal research," "constitutional law," and "litigation." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Professors of legal studies earn lower levels of education than criminal justice instructors in general. They're 11.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 37.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for criminal justice instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Deborah Kitchen Ph.D.
Department Chair and Professor, Tennessee State University
Criminal justice instructor vs. Law professor
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a criminal justice instructor is likely to be skilled in "criminal justice," "law enforcement," "student learning," and "professional development," while a typical law professor is skilled in "legal research," "property law," "legal studies," and "constitutional law."
Law professors earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $133,535. Comparatively, criminal justice instructors have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $51,769.law professors typically earn lower educational levels compared to criminal justice instructors. Specifically, they're 13.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 32.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Criminal justice instructor vs. Law enforcement technician
Types of criminal justice instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
