How to Join the DEA

The Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, is one of the most elite crime-solving units in the country. Though it gets less attention than the FBI and CIA, the DEA is responsible for getting guns and drugs off the streets and bringing down cartels and gangs. Passing and qualifying all of the strict requirements to join the DEA is no easy task, but it will put you in line for a very rewarding career.

Instructions

1. Read the basic requirements. The DEA, as do all federal agencies, makes its basic requirements public and easily accessible. The current requirement for all DEA Special Agents, which is the name for all field agents, is to have a bachelor's degree and some experience in criminal investigations. The DEA also hires research specialists, forensic pathologists and others, and each job has specific requirements.

2. Contact your local recruiter. This person will be your contact as you try to join the DEA. You will need to attend a required orientation session in which you will find out more about the job. Should you still want to join the DEA after this session, you begin the application process, which can take up to one year.

3. Take the written requirements exam. This exam will give the DEA an idea of your understanding of what they do and your qualifications and intellectual abilities.

4. Take the physical tests. The DEA requires all applicants to pass a drug screen and a pretty rigorous physical exam. You should prepare yourself for this exam by working out and getting your body into excellent shape. The Physical Task Test, or PTT, is a very difficult set of physical requirements needed to do the job, and you must pass it in order to continue on in the application process.

5. Take the psych exams. Because of the stressful nature of DEA work, all agents undergo psychological screens and polygraphs to make sure that they are both prepared to do the job and honest about their lives.

6. Submit to a full investigation into your life. The DEA does not do your basic background check. They launch a full-scale investigation into your life. While it may be intrusive, they are trying to determine whether you have any questionable associations and whether you will be able to handle the rigors of the job.

Tips & Warnings

• You cannot start the process if you are older than 37. Make plans now to get into the DEA before that time.