Becoming an FBI Agent or any other law enforcement agent...

[Iron Thrower]

I am currently in college right now, and I am interested in becoming some type of law enforcement agent once I graduate. Are any of you law enforcement agents? What type of courses should I take in college? I want to be in some sort of law enforcement agency. Is there anything else that I should now that I would need to do now before I apply? Any help would be great.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

If you want to be in the FBI I would suggest majoring in Criminal Justice or accounting.

If you want to be a cop I would suggest taking police science at a technical school.

 

[fiatconspiracy]

probably gonna need a masters in accounting or law....all the feds are lawyers or numbers guys with guns

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

Just don't smoke any weed in the meantime.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Yup, If you smoke weed more than five times in your life, you can forget about becoming an FBI agent.

Seriously.

 

[Iron Thrower]

Why are they so strict on the weed thing? I have not smoked weed nor do I plan on it so I don't think that will be a problem. Do you have to be a lawyer to be an FBI agent or just have a degree from a university that pertains to law or justice? Thanks again for the help.

 

[DcupSheepNipples]

Good Luck!

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Recruitment
When disaster strikes the United States, the FBI takes action. Men and women across this great country - from teams like Rapid Start and Forensic Response to the many professionals involved in gathering critical information - are mobilized to solve criminal cases.

They are crime scene specialists, special agents, laboratory technicians, fingerprint experts, language specialists, and a large group of support specialists. Together with many others, these are the members of the FBI's Professional Support staff: Thousands working together in a united effort against crime.

Whatever your background or expertise - whether you are a lawyer or chemist, an administrative assistant or file clerk - you can apply your skills in this important cause. You can help improve the safety and security of our country - our cities, our towns, our people - working with the FBI.

The following list of occupational titles provide a sampling of available jobs.

Laboratory Examiner
Financial Analyst
Language Specialist
Special Agent
Research Assistant
Various Clerical positions
Crafts/Trades and Maintenance

Requirements

Requirements vary per occupation. Review the job vacancy announcements and X118 Qualification Standards for the job you are interested in. Qualification Standards http://federaljobs.net/quals2.htm for many positions are posted on this site.

For more information
Visit their web site at http://www.fbi.gov/employment/employ.htm for complete information including links to Special Agent, support positions, internships, and vacancies.

 

[manny78]

For the FBI you aboslutely need a degree. Then for other law enforcement agencies degree is not required. But of course, If you have then your chances to get more and more responsabilities are increased. But once again its not just the degrees, its also about yourself, your determination.

 

[HamsterHider]

OK SINCE MAYBE I MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FIELD HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS. CONCERNING THE FBI YOU WILL NEED AND ACCOUNTING DEGREE MINIMUM, A JURIS DOCTORATE, COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE OR SPEAK A RARE FOREIGN LANGUAGE. IT WILL TAKE OVER A YEAR TO COMPLETE THE TESTING, CHECKS ETC. VERY VERY VEY HARD TO GET INTO RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. PLUS YOU NEED TO APPLY TO THE FIELD OFFICE IN WHICH YOU ARE INTERESTED. TO BE HONEST I WOULD SCRATCH THAT IDEA RIGHT NOW.

IT IS NOT TRUE YOU CAN GET INTO OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITHOUT A DEGREE. MANY NOW ARE REQUIRING AT MINIMUM A FOUR YEAR DEGREE. SOME LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS DO NOT REQUIRE BACHELOR DEGREES BUT MANY ARE GOING TO REQUIRE AN AA DEGREE SOME NONE. FOR ALMOST ANY PLAIN CLOTHES JOB, INVESTIGATOR, AGENT ETC YOU WILL NEED A DEGREE. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS PREFERABLE BUT LMOST ANY WILL SUFFICE, ACCOUNTING IS GOOD TOO. OK MUCH MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC SO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.

 

[Iron Thrower]

OK SINCE MAYBE I MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FIELD HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS. CONCERNING THE FBI YOU WILL NEED AND ACCOUNTING DEGREE MINIMUM, A JURIS DOCTORATE, COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE OR SPEAK A RARE FOREIGN LANGUAGE. IT WILL TAKE OVER A YEAR TO COMPLETE THE TESTING, CHECKS ETC. VERY VERY VEY HARD TO GET INTO RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. PLUS YOU NEED TO APPLY TO THE FIELD OFFICE IN WHICH YOU ARE INTERESTED. TO BE HONEST I WOULD SCRATCH THAT IDEA RIGHT NOW.

IT IS NOT TRUE YOU CAN GET INTO OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITHOUT A DEGREE. MANY NOW ARE REQUIRING AT MINIMUM A FOUR YEAR DEGREE. SOME LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS DO NOT REQUIRE BACHELOR DEGREES BUT MANY ARE GOING TO REQUIRE AN AA DEGREE SOME NONE. FOR ALMOST ANY PLAIN CLOTHES JOB, INVESTIGATOR, AGENT ETC YOU WILL NEED A DEGREE. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS PREFERABLE BUT LMOST ANY WILL SUFFICE, ACCOUNTING IS GOOD TOO. OK MUCH MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC SO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.

So would a degree in Spanish be good or is that not rare enough? What about getting a job with the CIA or DEA or ATF or Border Patrol. I would prefer to be plain clothes. I would not like to be a regular police officer. So a criminal justice degree is good also right? I am not a math person at all, so I think accounting is out. Are there any other agencies that I have not mentioned that I have forgotten? I am really interested in this, I have been to the FBI and CIA websites trying to get some info. All the info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Iron

 

[Iron Thrower]

Bump for HH...

 

[HamsterHider]

ATF RARELY HIRES AND WHEN THEY DO THE POSTING IS FOR LIKE 1 WEEK. LIKE MYSELF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE A STREET COP. TRY GOING TO ALL THE DIFFERENT STATES WEB PAGES AND THE TO THE DEP OF PUBLIC SAFETY INSIDE. MANY STATES HAVE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. THERE REALLY ARE SO MANY OPTIONS AT LEAST HERE IN NEVADA. YOU CAN WORK FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AS AN INVETIGATOR, THE NEVADA DIVISION OF INVESTIGATION, GAMING CONTROL SPECIAL AGENT AND MANY MORE.
FEDERAL LEVEL HAS CUSTOM INVESTIGATORS AND SO MUCH. WWW.DOJ.COM GO THROUGH EACH AGENCY AND CHECK IT OUT.

BIG THING IS TRY TO GET AN INTERNSHIP WITH THE AGENCY YOU WANT TO WORK FOR. SERIOUSLY STATE LEVEL IS EASIER TO GET FIRST THEN WITH 2 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE UNDER YOUR BELT GO FEDERAL IF YOU SO DESIRE.

MORE LET ME KNOW

 

[Iron Thrower]

ATF RARELY HIRES AND WHEN THEY DO THE POSTING IS FOR LIKE 1 WEEK. LIKE MYSELF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE A STREET COP. TRY GOING TO ALL THE DIFFERENT STATES WEB PAGES AND THE TO THE DEP OF PUBLIC SAFETY INSIDE. MANY STATES HAVE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. THERE REALLY ARE SO MANY OPTIONS AT LEAST HERE IN NEVADA. YOU CAN WORK FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AS AN INVETIGATOR, THE NEVADA DIVISION OF INVESTIGATION, GAMING CONTROL SPECIAL AGENT AND MANY MORE.
FEDERAL LEVEL HAS CUSTOM INVESTIGATORS AND SO MUCH. WWW.DOJ.COM GO THROUGH EACH AGENCY AND CHECK IT OUT.

BIG THING IS TRY TO GET AN INTERNSHIP WITH THE AGENCY YOU WANT TO WORK FOR. SERIOUSLY STATE LEVEL IS EASIER TO GET FIRST THEN WITH 2 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE UNDER YOUR BELT GO FEDERAL IF YOU SO DESIRE.

MORE LET ME KNOW

OK, that anwered some of my questions. At what age would I start trying to do an intership? Is there stuff that I could do now while I am in college to try and get involved? You have to be 23 to apply for the FBI. So I would have a better chance of getting choosen for the FBI if I had experience with some local or state agency? What do you do in Nevada? Also, what type of degree can you recommend other than a language and accounting? What type would be good for going into the CIA or DEA? Thanks for the help. Iron

 

[HamsterHider]

OK MORE ANSWERS ON ALL THESE QUESTOINS GET A BOOK CALLED GUIDE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS BY DONALD HUTTON. IT EXPLAINS REQUIREMENTS FOR MOST JOBS OUT THERE.
CIA DEGREE HMMMM POLITICAL SCIENCE WITH EMPHASIS ON MILITARY BUT THIS JOB IS HARD AS HELL TO GET ND YOU WILL ONLY BE DOING PAPERWORK UNLESS YOU ARE CHOSEN LUCKILY AS A CLANDESTINE AGENT AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DISAPEAR OVERSEES AND HAVE NO CONTACT OVER HERE. MIGHT BE FUN THOUGH. DEA WILL EASILY ACCEPT CRIMINAL JUSTICE. I WOULD DOUBLE MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLITICAL SCIENCE OR CRIM AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AS SO MUCH CRIME IS BEING DONE ON COMPUTERS THESE DAYS. INTERNSHIPS ARE USUALLY THOUGH YOUR SCHOOL FOR CREDIT YOU JUNIOR OR SENIOR YEAR IF YOU MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. OTHERWISE JUST GO AROUND TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND TELL THEM YOU ARE LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER AND GAIN EPERIENCE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD. OK I HAVE TO GO GET READY TO GO DO SOME SURVEILLANCE AT THE LOW RIDER SHOW OUT HERE IN VEGAS. I'LL CHECK THIS WHEN I GET BACK.

 

[‡ÅnãBöLïK]

2 books I got have all you need to know, ordered via amazon;

John Douglas's Guide to careers in the FBI
Guide to careers in federal law enforcement

Having the first book is a must! it goes over everything including ways to make your application more noticed ect... the second one is good for finding other jobs related to law enforcement, incase fbi dont work out or you need some more backround work.

 

[Iron Thrower]

OK MORE ANSWERS ON ALL THESE QUESTOINS GET A BOOK CALLED GUIDE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS BY DONALD HUTTON. IT EXPLAINS REQUIREMENTS FOR MOST JOBS OUT THERE.
CIA DEGREE HMMMM POLITICAL SCIENCE WITH EMPHASIS ON MILITARY BUT THIS JOB IS HARD AS HELL TO GET ND YOU WILL ONLY BE DOING PAPERWORK UNLESS YOU ARE CHOSEN LUCKILY AS A CLANDESTINE AGENT AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DISAPEAR OVERSEES AND HAVE NO CONTACT OVER HERE. MIGHT BE FUN THOUGH. DEA WILL EASILY ACCEPT CRIMINAL JUSTICE. I WOULD DOUBLE MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLITICAL SCIENCE OR CRIM AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AS SO MUCH CRIME IS BEING DONE ON COMPUTERS THESE DAYS. INTERNSHIPS ARE USUALLY THOUGH YOUR SCHOOL FOR CREDIT YOU JUNIOR OR SENIOR YEAR IF YOU MAJOR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. OTHERWISE JUST GO AROUND TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND TELL THEM YOU ARE LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER AND GAIN EPERIENCE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD. OK I HAVE TO GO GET READY TO GO DO SOME SURVEILLANCE AT THE LOW RIDER SHOW OUT HERE IN VEGAS. I'LL CHECK THIS WHEN I GET BACK.

Ok, I am going to go out and get that book. Do you know anything about Border Patrol and drug trafficing enforcement? Does the DEA come into that? I think that I will be taking more political science and criminal justice classes. I will also be taking sociology, psychology, comp networking, and spanish(I am almost fluent in spanish, so that will obviously help me) I think that answered most of my questions. So what do you do? What are you doing surveillance at a low rider show if you don't mind me asking. Thanks again for the help. Iron

 

[Iron Thrower]

2 books I got have all you need to know, ordered via amazon;

John Douglas's Guide to careers in the FBI
Guide to careers in federal law enforcement

Having the first book is a must! it goes over everything including ways to make your application more noticed ect... the second one is good for finding other jobs related to law enforcement, incase fbi dont work out or you need some more backround work.

Great, thanks for the info Anabolik! I am off to Barnes and Noble's right now to try and find those 2 books. Why did you order these books? Are you interested in FBI also? Peace, Iron

 

[‡ÅnãBöLïK]

I ordered these because it am interested, more so last year, about this kind of stuff..nothing I am going to pursue full time right now, but its definatly an interesting line of work.

 

[Iron Thrower]

bump for HH...

 

[HamsterHider]

BORDER PATROL U WEAR A UNIFORM SIT IN THE DESERT, CHECK ID'S NOT THE MOST GLORIOUS JOB BUT NEEDED ALSO I HEAR IT IS THE HARDEST TRAINING PHYSICAL WISE IN THE FED SYSTEM.
MY JOB INVOLVES MANY TASKS I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU PM ME BUT NOT ON HERE. DEA I BELIEVE HAS JOINT EFFORT WITH BORDER PATROL ON THIS AREA.

 

[litig8r]

Good Info

FBI requires either a law degree or accounting degree to work as a S/A.

DEA, ATF rarely hire straight from college. Every agent I know spent at least several years with a State agency. Look at "Regional" drug task forces.

Customs is kinda fucked up right now. You probably are interested in interdiction work and again, they rarely, if ever hire straight from college.

Secret Service, I have no idea. Never delt with them.

CIA - they are more interested in people with language and technical training, engineering, chimistry and the like. they really don't give a shit about law enforcement training.

US Marshall, I'm not sure what they require but they a really just Federal Sheriff's Deputies.

A number of other Federal agencies have small unknown law enforcement divisions (USDA, FDA, FAA, and the like) some of them may hire straight from college then you could make a lateral transfer to another agency.

I think I would rather work for a State agency like a Department of Public Safety or a lage city department. They do the real work and, IMHO, have a shit load more fun than the beuracratic FEDS.

Good luck

hasta

litig8r

 

[Iron Thrower]

cool, thanks for the info litig8r

HamsterHider, check your pm...