Best school for an aspiring FBI agent

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21

<p>Acarta, I’m fairly confident that the FBI doesn’t necessarily place newly minted agents based on the location of the new agent’s alma mater. Besides, all new agents go to training at the FBI compound in Virginia.</p>

22

<p>In California the main FBI offices are located in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Hence schools which are strong and well regarded around these areas would be UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, Stanford, and USC. I would imagine a degree from one of these schools if you are interested in joining to FBI in California would be helpful, especially since the larger FBI offices are located close by these well regarded schools.</p>

23

<p>The university really does not matter…state, private, Ivy or not. As long as it is credible.</p>

<p>Get any “Series 1811” job you can - this is the job series that all federal criminal investigators have. Accounting, chemistry, criminology, law, languages, computer science and so on are all desirable.</p>

<p>Accounting/criminology/computer science/language may be unbeatable.</p>

<p>If the job series is not 1811, keep going; unless you’ve a sure bet of an 1811 job later.</p>

<p>Get a combo that makes you unique. U.S. military experience is a plus. The more responsible, the better.</p>

<p>Little things make a difference - a Ham radio hobby, for example, is very interesting. Remember that technical surveillance is seriously needed and it’s hard to find someone good at it. It’s easier to find a lawyer or CPA than a good tech agent, for example. Know how to competently use firearms - pistols, rifles, shotguns. Many highly educated candidates cannot shoot worth beans and flunk out, believe it or not. Be physically fit…this is important. The agency will size you up and wonder what you’ll be like at 40.</p>

<p>Keep your personal life clean - zero drugs; a high degree of personal integrity is essential for any 1811 position. Be ready to move and to undergo extensive and intensive training…lasting six months or more for some agencies - away from home.</p>

24

<p>I thought I remembered reading that Fordham University was good for FBI/CIA training for some reason…idk for sure though</p>

25

<p>Become fluent in a language (or multiple languages)
-Arabic would probably be the best language, you would immediately get a high paying job as a translator and could eventually move up
-Spanish is another very useful language</p>

26

<p>Haha, it’s funny that GatorEng23 mentioned UVA and “Silence of the Lambs.” Actually, UVA really does have a relationship w/ the FBI.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2000/14/fbi.html[/url]”>http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2000/14/fbi.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.scps.virginia.edu/departments/fbi.php[/url]”>http://www.scps.virginia.edu/departments/fbi.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>A number of UVA faculty are part of the FBI National Academy Program.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/registrar/records/05-06gradrec/chapter14/chapter14-9.htm#fbi[/url]”>http://www.virginia.edu/registrar/records/05-06gradrec/chapter14/chapter14-9.htm#fbi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>For the hell of it, here’s a speech given by the director of the FBI, who went to UVA Law.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/alumni/uvalawyer/sum03/opinion.htm[/url]”>http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/alumni/uvalawyer/sum03/opinion.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

27

<p>FBI is looking for people with skills in fields such as law, accounting, foreign languages( Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Russian etc.), Computer Sci. Being a criminal justice major would not help you as much for the FBI, as it may help you for state or local police. I know of a few people who went to law school to become FBI agents.</p>

28

<p>

True. Higher degrees are preferred especially those relating to accounting/finance, CompSci/IT, or Law.</p>

<p>Being able to be fluent in a foreign language is also important. I believe Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, etc. are in demand right now.</p>

<p>

Not true. They will teach you how to use this at the FBI Academy. You do not need to know this before then. In fact, it may be a liability if you do because you may learn “bad habits.”

Experience as a commissioned officer in the US military is definitely valued and so is previous law-enforcement experience.</p>

<p>The FBI website states exactly what they are looking for:</p>

<p>You need to enter under one of these programs.
[Federal</a> Bureau of Investigation](<a href=“http://www.fbijobs.gov/1111.asp]Federal”>http://www.fbijobs.gov/1111.asp)</p>

<p>Once you are able to do that you need to hit as many of these critical skills as possible:
[Federal</a> Bureau of Investigation](<a href=“http://www.fbijobs.gov/1112.asp]Federal”>http://www.fbijobs.gov/1112.asp)</p>

<p>And then you have to play a waiting game because the hiring process takes a while.</p>

29

<p>I wanna do something with the FBI or CIA, But i want to major in International Relations (more CIA ish) and Russian or spanish</p>

30

<p>They recruit from 36 different schools, and over a dozen majors. This link provides lot of information on their college recruiting process:</p>

<p>[FBI</a> College](<a href=“http://www.fbijobs.gov/college/]FBI”>http://www.fbijobs.gov/college/)</p>

31

<p>

Yes, but that is not for the Special Agent 1811 position.</p>

<p>Good places to find information about this are forums such as [Police</a> & Law Enforcement - Officer.com Police News, Forums, Links and More for Police Officers, Law Enforcement, Corrections, Sheriffs and More](<a href=“http://www.officer.com%5DPolice”>http://www.officer.com) or [911</a> Job Forums - Powered by vBulletin](<a href=“http://www.911jobforums.com%5D911”>http://www.911jobforums.com)</p>

32

<p>I’ve heard the FBI recruits at Georgetown. any truth to these rumors?</p>

33

<p>

Perhaps at the law school there? It’s close enough to HQ I’m sure they would send recruiters there.
The real question is how do you pay back your law school loans on a GS-10 salary?</p>

34

<p>You generally need both an undergrad degree and several years of work experience to become an agent, unless you have special skills (e.g. languages, computer expertise). </p>

<p>A relative of mine is an agent. His undergrad was at his state university, no public Ivy. The agency was looking for biology majors at the time to do forensic lab work. The lab people needed to first spend time as special agents, and with the work-experience-before-FBI-academy requirement, it was really long-range recruitment. My relative spent a couple of years working as tech support at an FBI office before submitting his agent application. Many applicants also apply to similar positions in other agencies, e.g. Secret Service. </p>

<p>They’ve become much stricter about no drug use in the past few years. It used to be that they’d ask, and if you answered honestly, occasional useage of marijuana wasn’t a problem. Note that they ask for 3 years with no use of illegal drugs AND 3 years of work experience, time enough for a raucous undergrad to clean up :)</p>

35

<p>I’d also suggest students determine “Why FBI”</p>

<p>There are other govt agencies like the NSA that may meet the students desires if the students are open to more than field agent work.</p>

36

<p>

From what I hear, that is the case as well. For entry and hiring as a Special Agent, what school you came from does not matter as much as your degree. You just have to possess as many of the “critical skills” as possible.</p>

<p>I would imagine that for promotion upwards especially into the GS14/15 or Senior Executive Service where you received your MBA or JD probably does matter in that you’ll be able to leverage of network of highly connected people in government.</p>