If you're interested in working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there are a number of qualifications you'll have to meet. Receiving adequate education, as well as gaining a significant amount of experience, will put many people are who working toward an FBI career on the right track to becoming an agent.
Age and Residency Requirements
All interested applicants in the FBI must be between 23 and 37 years of age. U.S. citizenship, or citizenship of the Northern Mariana Islands, is required. To prove residency and age, applicants must have a valid driver's license and may also have to present a current passport for verification.
Educational Requirements
Before you apply for a position in the FBI, you must complete a four-year college degree. Graduates with degrees in disciplines such as computer science, foreign language or law enforcement are encouraged to apply, as are individuals who have graduated from law school. The FBI also looks for candidates who have professional, hands-on experience in the areas of physics, computer network security and forensics. Candidates who have graduated from law school and wish to join the FBI have to have at least two years of on-the-job experience.
Special Agent Requirements
In addition to the other requirements listed, anyone wishing to become a special agent with the FBI must have three years of relevant work experience in addition to a college degree. A special agent must also qualify under one of the five programs that the FBI offers, which are: accounting, law, language, diversified and computer science/information technology. Special agents must also be physically fit, and are required to take a fitness test, which includes doing sit-ups, push-ups, sprints and running while being timed, as well as a vision and hearing test.
Professional Staff Requirements
To be part of the professional staff for the FBI, it is important to know what is required of the bureau's professionals in applied science, linguistics, or business management. Professionals who are academically and professionally trained in biology and chemistry are considered for applied science positions with the bureau, as well as those who have degrees and on-the-job training in fields such as telecommunications and forensic science. Linguistic professionals who wish to work for the FBI should be completely fluent in another language besides English--which includes writing, reading and speaking in the alternate language. Candidates with a degree in business management will likely be responsible for properly filing secure documents and managing detailed FBI records.
Tags: applicants must, applied science, business management, college degree, computer science, from school