How to Start a Career in Homeland Security

Depending on the career you choose, you will generally need at least an associate—in most cases a bachelor’s—degree to work for the DHS.

You can earn a degree in Homeland Security from some schools to prepare for a career in the department. Other common degrees that will prepare you include Criminal Justice, Criminology, Emergency Management, Public Administration, Sociology, Forensic Science, Intelligence Analysis, and Computer Science.

Homeland Security jobs that usually require a bachelor’s degree include:

• Federal air marshal
• Secret Service special agent
• Cybersecurity analyst
• Federal Protective Service officer

There are only a few positions that may require an associate degree or less. Obtaining one of these positions could allow you to enter the profession sooner and potentially continue your education part-time while gaining valuable work experience. For example, transportation security screening jobs require a high school diploma, and border patrol jobs will accept work experience in combination with education instead of a bachelor’s degree.

Earning a degree from an accredited school can help set you on the right path to a successful career in the DHS. Accreditation means the college or university has met standards and requirements outlined by the accrediting organization; it essentially guarantees you are receiving a high quality education.

Many online programs are accredited as well. Online programs allow students to study remotely, at their own pace. These programs are particularly beneficial to working students and those individuals with family and other responsibilities who need flexible schedules. They also allow students to take advantage of specific programs that may be geographically distant.

Requirements to be accepted into a bachelor’s degree program at the college or university of your choice will vary. In general, however, you will need:

• High school graduate. You must have earned a high school diploma or GED.
• Have a solid GPA. Highly competitive schools will expect a grade point average of 3.5 or higher while other schools will admit students with 2.0 to 2.5 high school GPAs.
• Complete the prerequisites. Some programs require that you have specific math or science prerequisites met before entering the program. These courses can sometimes be taken concurrently with your degree program if necessary.
• Meet minimum SAT Scores. Some schools may require a minimum SAT or ACT score for admittance.

A bachelor’s degree will take about four years of full-time study to complete. It may take longer in some cases, particularly if you enrolled part-time. Your studies may include a variety of courses such as Intelligence, Security, Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Terrorism.

Many degree programs may also expect you to complete an internship. Homeland security offers internships through local or state law enforcement, FBI, CIA, and other organizations designed to give students supervised experience. A capstone or class project may also be required.

Each role within the Department of Homeland Security is unique, and therefore the application process for different positions will also be different. Some positions, such as Secret Service Special Agent, are highly competitive, while other positions, including a TSA security officer, are less so.

Regardless of the position, the application process will include a background check, drug screening and health examination. For most jobs you will need to be a U.S. citizen (sometimes a U.S. national is qualification enough).

There are many steps to the hiring process and it can take a year or so to complete. These steps can include:

• An online application
• Written assessments
• Panel interviews
• Physical assessment
• Background checks
• Drugs tests

Federal law enforcement agents can advance in their career path or sometimes change jobs within the federal hiring system. Advancement is based on performance and experience. In some cases, additional education such as earning an advanced degree, may also help agents land a higher position.

As an example, U.S. Air Marshals can be promoted to supervisory air marshal, a role in which they will oversee others, assign and evaluate work and assist in budget and planning. To be promoted, they need to be an air marshal in good standing and have at least one year at minimum pay grade.