Carter F. Smith

About Carter F. Smith

Dr. Carter F. Smith wears a few hats with one unifying mission: to bridge rigorous scholarship and real-world criminal justice practice. As Associate Professor and Director of the Master’s in Criminal Justice program at Middle Tennessee State University, he is preparing the next generation of practitioners, policy-makers, and researchers.Carter’s academic journey began with a B.S. in Public Management from Austin Peay State University, continued with a J.D. from Southern Illinois University, and culminated in a Doctorate from Northcentral (National) University. His scholarship spans dozens of articles and several books, including From Patriot to Pirate: The outlaw life of Sam Mason (Bloomsbury, 2025), Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017 & 2019), Gangs and Organized Crime (Routledge, 2018), and Private Security Today (Pearson, 2017).Before academia, Carter spent twenty-two years as a Special Agent with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division. Based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he tackled general crime, narcotics, white-collar cases, and led joint investigations alongside local, state, and federal partners across Tennessee and Kentucky. He rose through roles as team chief, evidence custodian, Chief of Investigative Support, and ultimately Special Agent in Charge. His service earned him the CID Command Special Agent of the Year and three Frederic Milton Thrasher Awards from the National Gang Crime Research Center.Beyond the classroom and case file, Carter has consulted for news outlets at every level—from local papers to international broadcasts—and appeared twice on the History Channel’s Gangland. He helped found the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association and continues to lend his expertise as a peer evaluator for online programs and regional accrediting bodies, including the Tennessee Board of Regents and SACSCOC.Please don’t endorse me for skills you haven’t seen me master. If you’re here to sell me something I didn’t ask for, spare us both—and don’t hit “Connect.” My first reply to irrelevant pitches can be… memorable.“Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.”– W. Edwards Deming (1900–1993)

Experience

1. Associate Professor

   Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)

   Aug 2025 — Present · Murfreesboro, TN, US

   I teach undergraduate and graduate students in both face-to-face and online environments, with a focus on bridging theory and practical application, and I direct the graduate program. I also serve on the faculty senate and a couple of curriculum committees. My courses emphasize strategic networking, ethical leadership, and career development across policing, courts, corrections, homeland security, and private sector roles. I guide students through foundational and capstone graduate experiences, helping them translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact. Many of my former students now hold key positions across the criminal justice system.

Education

• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

  Instructor Certification

  1998 — 1998

• U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command

  IASO, Information Assurance

  2004 — 2004

• Northcentral University

  PhD, Business Administration/Criminal Justice

  2006 — 2010

• Detective Training School, London, England

  Crime Scene Management Course

  1995 — 1995

• Austin Peay State University

  B.S., Public Management, Criminal Justice

  1984 — 1990

• U.S. Army Military Police School

  Criminal Antiterrorism and Police Information Management

  2004 — 2004

• National Gang Crime Research Center

  Gang Specialist, Crime Mapping, Gangs and Technology, Intelligence Gathering, and Prison Gangs

  2006 — 2018

• U.S. Army Military Police School

  Advanced Fraud Investigations

  1992 — 1992

• U.S. Army Military Police School

  Antiterrorism Program Management Course

  2005 — 2005

• Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School

  JD, Law

  1999 — 2002

Skills

• Crime Prevention
• Homeland Security
• Organizational Leadership
• Military
• Criminal Justice
• Police
• Criminal Law
• Emergency Management
• Security
• Government
• Teaching
• Negotiation
• Leadership Development
• Team Building
• Social Media
• Private Investigations
• Enforcement
• Policy Analysis
• Crisis Management
• Intelligence Analysis
• Conflict Resolution
• Leadership
• Public Safety
• Fraud
• Evidence
• Career Counseling
• Interviews
• Social Networking
• Training
• Community Outreach
• Criminal Investigations
• Curriculum Design
• Physical Security
• Investigation
• Security Management
• Interrogation
• Public Speaking
• Instructional Design
• Program Development
• Counterterrorism