What is the best degree for future employment with an alphabet group such as DEA/FBI/CIA?

2015-07-11T04:11:55-04:00

I've searched through numerous websites trying to narrow down what exactly is best degree to help increase my odds of being picked up by one of the numerous agencies out there. The only answer, I've generally been able to find says the "requirements change constantly so there isn't a specific degree to being working on".

Does anyone have any personal recommendations or just general advice on procuring a career in any of those agencies?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2015 4:20 AM

2015-07-11T04:20:13-04:00

I can list simple ones - find contacts in the specific field you're looking into, work toward a degree (if you don't have one yet), continue to improve in the skills you plan to utilize with these organizations, and maybe you could try something more aggressive such as talking with your local police station for further guidance.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 11 at 2015 4:23 AM

2015-07-11T04:23:05-04:00

SSG Private RallyPoint Member it really depends on your chosen field of employment.
For example if you decide on a career in IT, certifications are more favored than degrees, especially in the government sector.
If in law enforcement or intelligence, I would say criminal justice or political science.

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2015 7:08 AM

2015-07-11T07:08:04-04:00

I can't answer this from personal experience, but anytime I've known someone who went into Federal Law Enforcement or the intel community it was not based on a specific degree but their life experience and practical job skills. Also, keep in mind that within all those organizations there are a variety of jobs which would require many different skills and some specific education. Their websites give varying degrees of hints and guidance. Good luck.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Jul 11 at 2015 11:16 AM

2015-07-11T11:16:45-04:00

SSG Private RallyPoint Member My daughter is a Sophomore at Ohio State targeting the same agencies for employment. She is dual major International Studies/Homeland Security with Russian as a language specialty.
Look for a major university with internship programs with these agencies. Most these agencies want significant language capability in the candidates with a focus on: Arabic, Farsi, Chinese or Russian. My daughter started in criminal justice and decided to move to International studies.
If I were you, I would find a local field office and start up a conversation. If you want the Department Chair contact information at OSU, I can get that information for you.

Response by Cpl Tim Lang made Jul 11 at 2015 11:19 AM

2015-07-11T11:19:30-04:00

SSGT, I'm not sure there is a "best degree" but electronics or computer science related are high on the list. However, I would say that these agencies are diverse in their needs and employ people of numerous disciplines. I am not an employee of any of these agencies but have worked with one of them on numerous occasions. My general advice is to follow your heart. What aspect of working with these agencies interests you? Is it cyber technology, law enforcement, psychology, etc Decide that and then look at degree programs that make you an expert. You can also look at their job database and see what specific degrees they require for certain positions.

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Jul 11 at 2015 1:30 PM

2015-07-11T13:30:00-04:00

I once had a nice, long conversation with a couple of people in the CIA and FBI a few years back, and here was the main point of our discussion regarding higher education. You're normally better off with getting a focused degree (rather than a broad degree), and then trying to find jobs (within those agencies) that need your degree. Most jobs have specific requirements, and many times those requirements are best filled through having a focused degree, combined with relevant work experience. So, pick an academic area that really interests you, and then search for jobs that need your skill set and experience.

Interested in computers? Get a degree in Information Management, Computer Science, etc.
Interested in white-collar crime? Get a degree in Finance, Accounting, Law, etc.
Interested in foreign intelligence? Get a degree in a foreign language, or in foreign affairs, etc.
Etc., etc.

Then, once you have the degree, target the jobs needing those skills. The problem with the broader degrees (like Criminal Justice, Political Science, Sociology, etc.) is that they may make you minimally qualified for a bunch of jobs, but optimally qualified for few jobs.

Good luck!

Response by SSG Jason Collins made Jul 11 at 2015 11:03 PM

2015-07-11T23:03:46-04:00

Accounting is the best for FBI is what I have seen in the past. I am not positive anymore though but you should look into forensic accounting.

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Jul 13 at 2015 4:30 AM

2015-07-13T04:30:48-04:00

There is always ONE degree they all love. Accounting. Feds love asset forfeiture.

Response by CPT John Nicodemus made Jul 14 at 2015 11:53 AM

2015-07-14T11:53:00-04:00

Living in the D.C. area, I can tell you that all the buzz is about Cyber Security

Response by SFC Sean Berryman made Jul 14 at 2015 12:13 PM

2015-07-14T12:13:19-04:00

I have regularly, for several years, looked through USAJOBS at various jobs I thought I might be interested in. It doesn't matter which agency you want; what matters is what job you want. The basics for IT are the same throughout; the specific functions they may want you to perform can be learned there. The FBI is the most specific. For street agents, I am not sure the degree matters. If you want to do accounting, do accounting. If you want to be an attorney for the FBI, go to law school. It boils down to: what do you want to do?

Response by SSG William Patton made Jul 14 at 2015 12:45 PM

2015-07-14T12:45:41-04:00

I recommend a degree in Criminal Justice with emphasis in psychology. To work in the federal system, I would also recommend a Masters. I know former fellow officers who have gone this route and are now employed in federal law enforcement. The CIA is not an enforcement arm and thus, CJ would not be a good degree here. Focus on languages or international studies if this is your area of interest.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jul 14 at 2015 1:03 PM

2015-07-14T13:03:29-04:00

Depends upon which alphabet group you are looking at? Some will like Juris Doctor, some will not require a degree? Language training is always a plus...but like the general question, a lot depends on your specifics.

Response by MAJ Jim Woods made Jul 14 at 2015 1:17 PM

2015-07-14T13:17:30-04:00

Off the top of my head and looking back on working with the Alphabet Agencies:
FBI=Accounting, Business, Psychology, Computer Science, or a Law Degree.
DEA=Criminal Justice, Chemistry, Sociology, or Psychology.
CIA= Criminal Justice, International Relations, or Psychology.
Of course any investigative or foreign experience is good. They have given more weight to those who have served in the Armed Forces and those who have advanced degrees.

Response by SFC Marvin Gilmore made Jul 14 at 2015 1:27 PM

2015-07-14T13:27:55-04:00

The best degree would always be English and political science when they had a job fair they told me the degrees they like.

Response by SFC Timothy Dutcher made Jul 14 at 2015 2:09 PM

2015-07-14T14:09:36-04:00

Forensic psychology, forensic accounting, economics, criminal justice, and law degrees are just a few that would be attractive. I would look for a specific agency and a specific role within that agency you would like to pursue and figure out an educational background which would match up best for the role. While there might not be specific degree requirements, you should be able to ascertain a general idea of what would be acceptable when you eventually apply.

Response by SSgt Jerome Rochon made Jul 14 at 2015 2:22 PM

2015-07-14T14:22:09-04:00

I work with placing veterans in jobs, my contacts in the FBI and DEA, all say a degree is justice helps, but anything in a business field, like ethics (works in the fraud department), chemistry (drugs), IT (cyber security). I would recommend that you got to ONET.org

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Jul 14 at 2015 2:55 PM

2015-07-14T14:55:16-04:00

I recommend to people thinking of getting into law enforcement to avoid a criminal justice degree. That may seem counter-intuitive, but the reason for this is that a criminal justice degree is not required to get a job in law enforcement and it is not easily applied to other fields. Law enforcement is a demanding field and a huge number of people find that it is not for them after a few years. A better plan is to get a business or computer related degree. You should also minor, or at least take a heavy course load in a foreign language. Criminal justice degrees rarely require foreign language courses, and although this makes them attractive to many students, it does them a disservice. There really is no better resume enhancer than fluency is a foreign language when it comes to getting a Federal 3 letter job. There are also great international jobs that are available after a career in LE if you have language skills, such as with OSCE or other agencies. Language skills will determine your assignment as well, so if you like the Northeast, French may be a better choice than Spanish. Similarly, Spanish fluency will likely draw you south or to major metropolitan areas. Other languages in high demand are Russian, and the various languages of Asia.
The application process for Federal LE is long - 6 months to a year is fairly common. The thing to keep in mind about Federal LE is that it is much more like the military in terms of where you will be located. You will almost always be assigned to a large city for your first tour in the FBI, USSS, etc. Field office assignments in nice places are hard to get. If you can get on with a good size police or sheriff's office before going to the feds, that can be really helpful, but NEVER tell anyone that is your plan. (State and local agencies lose some of their best people to the feds and they don't like investing in people if they know they are going to jump ship.)
Don't hesitate to shoot me a message if you would like any specific advice. I have worked extensively with many Federal agencies and would be happy to provide any insight I might have.

Response by SGT Tevis Burke made Jul 14 at 2015 3:46 PM

2015-07-14T15:46:22-04:00

I earned my BSc in Public Administration and that, combined with military experience, was more than sufficient to be hired by any local or state law enforcement agency in California. I was actively recruited by LAPD, LA Sheriffs, and the CHP but elected to go into a career in education. In college I had a number of instructors who were retired law enforcement from local, state and federal agencies. The advice they gave to those wanting to go federal was to get a BA/BSc in a law enforcement related major like Public Admin, Criminal Justice, Psychology, or PoliSci, gain employment with a state or local agency, and then get a graduate degree in a specialized area such as Computer Science or Forensic Accounting. According to them degrees in Law were no longer in high demand. There are also fields that require very specific degrees such as Forensic Medicine (which requires an MD), Engineering, Chemistry, Cryptology (which requires heavy duty Math) and Languages (Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Persian, Russian as well as French and Spanish). My Capstone adviser was employed by the DoJ Office of the Inspector General and was responsible for doing field observations, inspections and audits of all federal LE operations in So. California, Nevada and the four corner states. he dealt with the Border Patrol, INS, DEA, FBI, US Marshals, IRS, USDA, even the Postal Inspectors. He started as a local sheriff's deputy in Tennessee, got his degree on the GI Bill after Vietnam and joined the ATF hunting moonshiners and pot farmers up and down the Appalachians. He later got his MBA from Georgetown and got another Masters in accounting and was one of the first forensic accountants in the ATF (and all of federal LE outside of the IRS). Still works as a consultant to various agencies since his retirement.

Response by TSgt Gwen Walcott made Jul 14 at 2015 3:56 PM

2015-07-14T15:56:07-04:00

Probably like a lot of other endeavors, the most demanded and secure is IT or IT support (especially with a cyber-focus)

Response by SSgt David Love made Jul 14 at 2015 4:03 PM

2015-07-14T16:03:32-04:00

Anything Cybersecurity related or certs that match DoD directive 8570. ...I tried posting earlier so if this is a dupe, apologies.
Don't download ANYTHING illegally, oddly, some agencies view this worse than drug use.
Most of the job openings have what degrees they're looking for: http://www.intelligence.gov/how-to-apply/career-search.html

Intelligence.gov

As we previously mentioned, you need to visit individual Intelligence Community (IC) member sites to apply for jobs as many agencies only post their vacancies on their own websites. Intelligence jobs are numerous and varied. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the specific qualifications each agency and position requires. This will help you discover where you will best fit within the IC.

Response by LTC Tony Temsupasiri made Jul 14 at 2015 4:06 PM

2015-07-14T16:06:23-04:00

The only advice that I can provide is to get a degree in the Information Technology. It will definitely give you a job for the next 10 years. It is a high demand job for any highly qualified IT Specialist who understand a problem-solving and think out-of-a-box. You can specialize in the Cybersecurity Engineer or Information Assurance. Due to a recently OPM's PII Data Breach of over 22 Million Government Civilian personnel, Contractors and family members, there are going to get worst in the next 5 years. If you have a credential or skill sets that I mention, you don't have anything to concern to get hired. Based on my experiences as a Cyberspace Operations Planners instructor, the bad guys are always doing their best to hack into the Federal Government agencies and major corporations to steal our intellectual assets. Those agencies will hire you to defend their networks.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 4:19 PM

2015-07-14T16:19:40-04:00

I will throw my two cents worth in. Generally speaking, the "requirements change constantly so there isn't a specific degree to being working on". anecdote is true because the agencies have certain numbers of personnel with specific specialties in certain allocated positions. Not unlike the military, when they suffer retirements or employment losses of these people moving on to somewhere else, they need to fill those specific needs left vacant. Sometimes they need more people in Forensic Accounting to "follow the money" so to speak or they may need people with specialized knowledge in computer systems and informational technology. Overall, from my experience with working with DEA and FBI Agents was that many had Criminal Justice Degrees and were prior military. That was predominant with the Agents I worked with over the past 25 years anyhow. Personally, I completed a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology and later completed a Master's Degree in Management with a Specialization in Organizational Management that served me well and still does.
I would recommend a Major in Criminal Justice and Minor in something like Computer Sciences or Accounting. That way you are making yourself more marketable to the agencies than just relying solely on your Major in a degree. Hope that helps! Good luck to you!

Response by Sgt Terry W Drake made Jul 14 at 2015 5:08 PM

2015-07-14T17:08:04-04:00

MBA

Response by MSgt Scott Ames made Jul 14 at 2015 5:19 PM

2015-07-14T17:19:48-04:00

The first thing you need to decide is what are you interested in and what do you actually want to do. Just chasing whatever pays the most will not lead to a happy and fulfilling life. Once you decide what you actually want to do when you grow up, you can then do the research and determine the educational and experience requirements to actually succeed in that career.

Response by Sgt David Fuller made Jul 14 at 2015 7:24 PM

2015-07-14T19:24:25-04:00

Well, that probably depends on which alphabet agency, and what your skill set is. Years ago the FBI had lots of accountants, and hacker types getting hired. There are lots of agencies out there to choose from. What do you enjoy? How do you want to spend your time? It's probably less about the degree, and more about you, and finding the right place for you to fit in. You might have your heart set on the idea of operations, speaking Arabic, and sleeping in the sand. The reality might be that you prefer quiet evenings by the fire reading a Tom Clancy novel, and working a nice federal job somewhere people are not trying to shoot you. I'd say do some soul searching, and pick the degree that best matches you as a person. Then get hired at the agency that is a really good fit for who you are as a person.

Response by LtCol Ray Collins made Jul 14 at 2015 7:46 PM

2015-07-14T19:46:45-04:00

I suggest a BS in Forensic Science followed by a Law Degree.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jul 14 at 2015 7:51 PM

2015-07-14T19:51:45-04:00

Well, your military job could have helped, if you'd chosen something lateral to what those agencies do -- even without a degree.

Fun anecdote: I was a CTO when I was in, which means I had an SCI clearance. Being young and dumb, I figured this made me a shoo-in for the CIA, so I wrote them a letter asking about employment. They eventually responded 2 months later that they couldn't discuss employment with me while I was overseas...a response that came a year after I'd returned. I kinda scratched my head at that, heh.

Response by LTC Robin P. made Jul 14 at 2015 8:23 PM

2015-07-14T20:23:21-04:00

Actually the single biggest asset as a veteran seeking employment with CIA/FBI is a security clearance. They will still do their own background investigation and you still need to have skills or experience they are interested in, but having a clearance already is a huge plus.

Upon retirement, I had a job offer from a contractor for a DIA contract, and an offer from FBI. Both offers were based on my experience, more than on my degree in National Security Affairs. State was also interested but I did not apply there. In my observation, people leaving the service tend to land in jobs pretty close to the last active duty job they had. It's your most recent experience, and your freshest professional network of contacts.

Response by SGT Kathryn Fish made Jul 14 at 2015 8:58 PM

2015-07-14T20:58:06-04:00

Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

Response by CMSgt Michelle Siau made Jul 14 at 2015 9:29 PM

2015-07-14T21:29:29-04:00

If you have a law or accounting degree, you have a much higher opportunity than others.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 9:40 PM

2015-07-14T21:40:26-04:00

Each agency have different requirement. On a broad scale focus on Law enforcement type of degrees. Criminal Justice, Homeland Security and even Forensic Science.

Response by MSgt David Heil made Jul 14 at 2015 9:59 PM

2015-07-14T21:59:51-04:00

Well....I'm currently looking for someone and a Master's in Forensic Science would be helpful. It's an agent position specializing in computer forensic analysis. DC Metro area.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 11:17 PM

2015-07-14T23:17:57-04:00

Accounting or IT

Response by Lt Col James McMichael made Jul 15 at 2015 1:02 AM

2015-07-15T01:02:00-04:00

My response might sound a tad boring but in reality, it is not. Accounting is a very sought after discipline especially forensic accounting. Why? Based off of the "follow the money" paradigm. Go for a Masters in accounting with perhaps a Bachelors in either accounting or finance then add a CPA with a Certified Financial Forensics (CFF) credential along the way and the alphabet soup agencies will be beating down your door. I hope this helps.

Response by LtCol Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 2:10 AM

2015-07-15T02:10:26-04:00

Computer science and computer engineering.
If you are multi-lingual play that up, especially if the languages happen to be Russian, Farsi and Arabic

Response by CPT Bruce Rodgers made Jul 15 at 2015 4:16 AM

2015-07-15T04:16:41-04:00

Mine was chemistry and worked great as an entry level degree for DEA

Response by Cpl Jason Robert Bruno, CPA, CISA, CFE, MPA made Jul 15 at 2015 4:36 AM

2015-07-15T04:36:00-04:00

Cybersecurity, Accounting or Law. If you go the JD route, I'd suggest undergrad in Cybersecurity or Accounting. Depending on which agency you choose, international studies and fluency in key foreign languages would likely help.

For getting your foot in the door, Accounting, IT and Law have all been in demand for at least the last decade. For IT, Cyber is hot and likely will be for many years. Accounting and Law will also likely be in demand in the foreseeable future.

Most importantly, you should choose a field that interests you. That passion will show while you work on your education and in your professional experiences.

You seem to have set your goal as being employed within a narrow scope of agencies. That's your main goal. Always keep that in mind. Seeking advice on which fields will help you reach that goal is the next logical step in a series of several intermediary goals you'll need to achieve to reach your main goal.

You're on the right track. Once you choose a field, stay dedicated and persevere through any challenges. Adapt and overcome and you will reach your goal. Or, you may end up somewhere you never imagined.

The choices you make now are an investment in yourself. Education will always be an excellent investment in you personal and professional growth. Keeping that main goal in focus will naturally have you achieving intermediary goals. Internships, certifications, networking, etc.

In the end that will all pay off. Anything you can do to better yourself will benefit you.

Good luck and congratulations on beginning the next chapter of your life!

Response by MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect made Jul 15 at 2015 8:37 AM

2015-07-15T08:37:18-04:00

If you go into Cyber or Information Security, you cant go wrong with Sec+ or a CISSP or CISM. A BA in Business or Computer Science from a regionally accred. school (emphasis on that) is good. A Master's degree always helps but make it in the field you want. I would say just don't get a degree just to have a degree. But in IT, certs are king...

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 9:40 AM

2015-07-15T09:40:44-04:00

For DEA and FBI, a degree in Forensic Accounting would be very desirable. They need people who can work fraud and money laundering cases (as Special Agents).

Response by SFC Robert Wheeler made Jul 15 at 2015 10:30 AM

2015-07-15T10:30:27-04:00

I have heard, and I can't verify this, that an education in political science is useful.

Response by SGT Stephen George made Jul 15 at 2015 9:24 PM

2015-07-15T21:24:26-04:00

Master of Public Administration ...the federal government has a fast track for those with MPA's to begin as mid-level management positions regardless of agency specialization ....what they're looking for are people who can effectively manage & lead groups of people.

Response by SPC(P) Abdul Halim made Jul 16 at 2015 3:50 PM

2015-07-16T15:50:54-04:00

Some type of Project Management background along with Specific interested line of Role.
These alphabetical organizations often will overlook certain qualifications depending on the primary requirements.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2015 4:28 AM

2015-07-18T04:28:06-04:00

Thank you all for your insight. You all really helped provided me with a great deal of information of which I will be utilizing.

Response by TSgt Mario Guajardo made Jul 20 at 2015 9:06 PM

2015-07-20T21:06:35-04:00

A number of Law Enforcement Officers in the Forest Service have a degree in Criminal Justice but as others have said, contact agencies you're interested in for their input.

Response by Capt Christian D. Orr made Aug 7 at 2015 8:24 AM

2015-08-07T08:24:54-04:00

My example is strictly anecdotal, but FWIW, my B.A. was in International Relations, and it reaped the following benefits with the "letter" agencies of the Federal government:

(1) An interview with the CIA in 1997 (but which was apparently unsuccessful, as I didn't advance further in the recruitment process);
(2) An interview with NGA in 2006 (resulted in a job offer, which I turned down for the agency listed in #4);
(3) An interview with DEA in 2006, which was unsuccessful;
(4) An alternate selection with FBI in 2006 as an Operations Security Specialist (a position they ultimately chose to eliminate instead of hiring anybody for the position);
(5) A job offer with CBP as a CBP Officer which I accepted, serving from 2006-2009;
(6) A job offer with ICE as a Special Agent which I accepted, from 2009-2011.

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you, Eric!

Response by SMSgt Thomas V. made Aug 7 at 2015 8:31 AM

2015-08-07T08:31:49-04:00

The FBI likes Account and Financial degrees. Homeland Security is probably your best bet currently in my opinion. The best I ever worked with was the U.S. Marshals, great agency to grow within.