How to Become a DEA Special Agent

Retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Brian Shanahan earned a bachelor of science in criminal justice from Northeastern University in 1990. After graduating, Brian Shanahan worked for eight years at the New York State Office of Court Administration and 20 years for the DEA.

The DEA has a lengthy hiring process, which can take more than 12 months to complete, with stringent requirements for agents. The agency has certain requirements candidates must fulfill to get hired.

All applicants have to be US citizens aged between 21 and 36. They have to possess excellent vision and hearing, as well as be in great physical shape. Candidates must possess prior experience in law enforcement, or a bachelor’s degree in one of several required fields. The DEA often hires accounting, information systems, and engineering graduates.

After application, a candidate must go to a Special Agent Applicant Orientation session conducted in recruitment facilities. After that, he or she must pass a written test and go to a panel interview. A drug test, polygraph, and medical examinations, including a psychological evaluation, come next, as well as background investigations. Successful applicants are sent to 18 weeks training of training after hire.