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To become a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent, you will
need to apply at a DEA office in your region, pass a number of tests and
qualifications, and then train for several months before completion of the
program and graduation into the DEA. While federal law does dictate a few
policies and requirements that are necessary for you to become a DEA agent,
college education is not essential, though it can improve your eligibility. You
will also want to be sure you are in excellent physical and psychological
condition, as you will have to pass tests and examinations in both areas.A DEA
agent works for the DEA to help investigate, find, and apprehend criminals
involved in the illegal drug trade in the United States (US). If you become a
DEA agent, you will be expected to transfer if necessary to a region that is in
need of officers, maintain and be proficient with a firearm, and potentially go
undercover during investigations. You will also be a government employee with
all applicable benefits and part of the General Schedule (GS) pay scale. To
become a DEA agent, you should start by contacting your local DEA offices to
fill out the necessary paperwork and schedule an interview. Though a college
degree is not strictly necessary, preference is given to candidates with a
bachelor’s or master’s degree. Special consideration is also given to those who
have a degree in an especially useful field, such as criminal justice, police
science, foreign languages, computer science, and accounting. A grade point
average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher is also expected from candidates. As an eligible
candidate to become a DEA agent, you will need to be between the ages of 21 and
36 years old. The only exception made is for members of another similar agency
who have been with that agency from an age that was no more than 36 and wish to
transfer into the DEA. You will have to pass a background check to be given the
necessary security clearance of a DEA agent, and you must not have been
convicted of a felony. You must also not have been convicted of a misdemeanor
crime of domestic violence in order to become a DEA agent, as such a conviction
legally disqualifies you from any position requiring the possession of a firearm
or ammunition. The entire application process to become a DEA agent can take up
to 12 months and includes a written and oral assessment, panel interview,
urinalysis drug testing, a polygraph test, thorough physical examinations,
psychological assessment and background investigation. If you pass all of these
steps and are accepted into the training program, you will have to relocate to
Quantico, Virginia, for a 16-week Basic Agent Training (BAT) program. Successful
completion of this program is required to become a DEA agent, and upon
graduation, you will be assigned to your first position at an agency
location. |
