Careers in Teaching

Teachers may be found in the private and public sector. Teachers in the private sector teach in private schools - schools that are not funded by government. Some of these schools may be parochial (faith related) or not. Missouri State is an example of a public school because it is funded by government.

In order to teach at the lower levels (elementary and secondary) you will probably need to be certified as a teacher. To learn more about certification please visit the Missouri State College of Education. In order to teach in most community colleges (2 year degree programs), a Masters degree will suffice. If you'd like a position in a four-year college and university you may be able to get one with a Masters degree, but a Doctorate will move you further along in your teaching career more easily (more timely promotions, the protection of tenure, better teaching assignments, etc.).

If you'd like to learn a little more about getting a Masters or Doctorate in criminology/criminal justice click here.

You can learn even more by talking with your academic advisor or any of the professors with whom you have a good working relationship, regardless of the department in which they work.

As to teaching criminal justice, there are several things I could share with you. Do you want to be a "generalist?" A generalist is one who has a limited amount of knowledge about a rather wide range of topics. I consider myself a generalist. I know enough about law enforcement, courts and corrections, as well as the theories as to why some people become delinquent or criminal, to feel comfortable teaching any of these subjects. I also specialize in prisons, police and gangs.

Most people graduate with their Masters or Doctorate as generalists - there simply isn’t enough time in a few years while earning a degree to specialize in much of anything. They develop their specializations later in their career as a teacher. Hopefully, as a teacher, they are continually reading, conducting research and providing service to the profession. In that context, they develop their specialty as well as keep up-to-date in other areas so that their general knowledge is still applicable.

If you want to specialize and still teach, I recommend that you choose your specialization carefully. A well chosen specialization may increase your likelihood of finding just the right teaching job as well as keep the fires of your intellectual curiosity burning for years to come. If you want to get an idea as to the specializations which are popular right now, go to the university's library and look through the classified and display ads in the Chronicles of Higher Education.

The Chronicles are a primary source of job opening announcements in higher education. Look for the "Criminal Justice" listings and make a note of the specializations for which various schools are advertising. Among the most common specializations are comparative criminal justice (comparing the criminal justice system of the United States with that of other countries), corrections, law enforcement, research methodology and statistics. 

Gaining popularity are specializations in the relationship between our justice and such issues as gender, race and social inequality (social class differences and how people from various social classes experience the criminal justice system differently).

Visit The Occupational Outlook Handbook for more information related to teaching positions. You can perform a keyword search to find your desired job.  If you are looking for any kind of job (criminal justice, marketing, or travel agent, etc.), check this site!! 

Careers | AdviseNet | CRM  | Missouri State | E-mail Dr Carlie