How to Become an FBI Intelligence Analyst: A Q&A With Jason Collins
Updated September 24, 2026
FBI Intelligence Analyst candidates complete a 13-week Basic Field Training Course (BFTC) at the FBI Academy in Quantico, training alongside Special Agent trainees on a separate curriculum. Education requirements vary by role and position grade rather than a single blanket minimum, though FBIIAA spokesperson Jason Collins reported a bachelor’s degree as the floor when he was interviewed. Every candidate goes through the FBI’s required security and suitability process.
CriminalJusticePrograms.com spoke with Jason Collins, national spokesperson for the FBI Intelligence Analysts Association (FBIIAA), in an interview conducted some years ago, about how the analyst side of the Bureau works. His answers below reflect the Bureau’s practices and policies at the time he was interviewed. Where current FBI guidance differs, we’ve noted it separately. The FBIIAA is a private, non-profit professional association for FBI analysts, and is not part of the FBI or acting on the FBI’s behalf.
Q: How did you get started in the FBI intelligence field?
A: I have a bachelor’s in political science and history…and a master’s in criminal justice and intelligence. I worked in law enforcement as a volunteer, but I had a very wide-ranging education in political science and history. That is why I went the analyst route instead of law enforcement. I had other educational experiences that I wanted to utilize.
Q: What kind of training, in general, is needed to work in FBI Intelligence?
A: The FBI is always looking for analysts with varied backgrounds. Social sciences are always good: history, political science, and social studies. But the FBI also looks for people with hard sciences, business degrees, etc. The FBI is the largest investigative agency for the Department of Justice; it has a lot of different programs that it is responsible for. We have FBIIA members that are working in criminal justice, financial fraud, political corruption, etc. We have scientists with PhDs in hard sciences who work with weapons of mass destruction. The FBI can be an option for more people than some other intel agencies.
Once on board, the FBI is very generous in its support of education and building skills; funding is available for advanced education for analysts. The FBI funded Ph.D. level coursework for me in biodefense, for example. If you can find academic or professional training that is applicable to your specialization, you can get support toward that training.
Q: How can someone stand out during the interview process?
A: The analysts in the Bureau are a very educated group. Last time we checked, 60 percent had an advanced degree. Now, we require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Having an advanced education or having experience in the field is going to make you stand out. The Bureau hires people both at the entry level and at the experienced level. If you’ve had directly related experience to the intelligence world-law enforcement experience in which you’ve done intelligence work or intelligence education-highlight that. In general, we’re always looking for people with some exposure to the government because the government has kind of a steep learning curve. You have to learn how the government does business. It’s a little easier to get someone up to speed on how the FBI does business if they’ve already operated within the federal government.
Q: Is there anything that would disqualify someone from working in FBI intelligence?
A: You have to be a US citizen to work in the Bureau. Also, we look very closely at the individual’s background. There is a limit to the number of times you could have experimented with certain drugs. If someone is starting out and they’ve experimented with drugs, they need to stop now. There are certainly things in your background that can hurt your chances of being employed by the FBI. Felony convictions are definitely going to provide a challenge. The FBI jobs website (http://www.fbijobs.gov/) lists the drug use rules and explains the security background process-people are interviewed; they have to go through a polygraph. We are always looking for people with international travel and regional expertise, but if you’ve traveled a lot, that might slow down your security check.
Q: Are there any specific traits that work well in this career?
A: In the Bureau, because it’s part of law enforcement culture, people who are extroverts or extrovert/introvert mixes do very well. All intelligence agencies, though, are looking for people who are intellectually curious, interested in current events, and well-traveled. We’re a domestically based agency, but we have international duties as well. The general things you need to do well to be an analyst are: read, write, and speak well.
Q: What should someone expect as he/she starts an FBI analyst career?
A: In the very first month, people can expect to be reading a lot depending on the roles they will fill. In the FBI, we have analysts who work tactically and support investigations, and we have strategic analysts who watch multiple investigations over a region or a functional assignment like weapons of mass destruction. If you’re new to the FBI, you’re going to be learning about the FBI. You’re going to go to a mandatory training assignment, which is about 11 weeks. You’re going to get introduced to what the intelligence community does, how the different agencies work together, how we protect our information, and how to write.
Q: Are there any particular challenges in the field that students should be aware of?
A: It can tend to be kind of an introverted career. You’re going to be doing a lot of reading and a lot of writing that is punctuated by short bursts of excitement. It’s not the James Bond type of career that people might think of. You get to meet some very important people, but that is a reward of building up expertise. It may be a very slow pace. You need to have an interest in supporting an investigation; you won’t necessarily be doing the investigation. It can be confusing for people who think they are going to be doing the exact same work as an FBI agent. Expectations of the job are very important.
Q: How has the FBI analyst position changed in the last few years?
A: There are more of us now. When I started in 2002, there were 800 people; now there are almost 3000 people. With more resources, there are more responsibilities and more expectations. We’re doing a lot more work for the Bureau now, and there’s a greater variety to the work. We’ve been trying to make it more of a career path-more professionalization and more standardization of training. Since 9/11, there have been a lot more opportunities for analysts.
Q: How does the analyst position fit into overall law enforcement?
A: Analysts in the FBI have the opportunity to interact with their law enforcement partners. You’re going to work with many local police departments, international agencies, and national investigative agencies. The analyst in the field or in headquarters has a lot of opportunities to do both the intelligence and the law enforcement mission. I had opportunities to work the national security mission with terrorism, counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber missions, but I’ve also worked the criminal side of the FBI.
Q: Any other recommendations for students hoping to enter FBI intelligence?
A: What we’re really paying for is for you to think. We’re asking people to take information from multiple sources and make sense of what is going on. We want analysts who look at something and can see the multiple actions people might take. We always have to account for what’s most likely to happen, but we’re also looking for people who can say, ‘this might also be a possibility, and this is why.’
Please note that the interview above is with the national spokesperson for the FBIIAA, a private, non-profit professional association for FBI analysts, which is not part of the FBI or acting on the FBI’s behalf. The training, degree, and workforce figures Collins cites reflect FBI policy and staffing at the time of the interview, not current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an FBI intelligence analyst actually do?
Collins described two broad types of work when interviewed: tactical analysts who support active investigations day to day, and strategic analysts who watch a region or a functional area, like weapons of mass destruction, across multiple investigations. Current FBI materials describe analyst work more broadly than a strict two-track split, so treat this as one working analyst’s description rather than an official org chart.
What’s the current FBI Intelligence Analyst application process?
The FBI’s current process runs through several stages: application and initial screening, a Phase I online assessment covering analytic thinking and logical reasoning, a Phase II timed writing assessment, a Phase III structured interview, then a conditional offer and the federal background process, followed by the Basic Field Training Course (BFTC) and placement.
What degree do you need to become an FBI intelligence analyst?
Current FBI guidance sets education and experience requirements by role and position grade rather than one fixed minimum. When Collins was interviewed, he reported a bachelor’s degree as the Bureau’s floor at that time, with about 60 percent of analysts then holding an advanced degree. Check the current vacancy announcement for the requirements attached to a specific position.
What disqualifies someone from working in FBI intelligence?
Under current FBI eligibility rules, a felony conviction is a disqualifier, not just a complicating factor. Drug use is evaluated against specific recency rules rather than a general history check: current FBI recruiting materials describe no marijuana or cannabis use within the previous year and no other illegal drug use within the previous ten years. These rules can change, so confirm current eligibility policy directly with the FBI before applying.
Is FBI intelligence analyst work the same as being an FBI agent?
No. Analysts support the investigation rather than run it, and Collins describes the day-to-day as reading- and writing-heavy rather than field-heavy. Both roles do go through Basic Field Training at Quantico, but on different curricula built for their different jobs.
Key Takeaways
- Education requirements vary by role and grade – there’s no single current bachelor’s-degree floor. Check the specific vacancy for what it requires.
- Your major doesn’t have to be criminal justice – Collins came in through political science and history. The FBI also recruits hard sciences and business degrees.
- A felony conviction disqualifies you under current FBI policy – and drug use is evaluated on specific recency windows, not a general history review.
- Training is the 13-week Basic Field Training Course at Quantico – practical exercises alongside Special Agent trainees, not a classroom-only program.
- It’s not the field-agent job – expect a reading- and writing-heavy role supporting investigations, not running them.
Wondering how the analyst track fits into the bigger criminal justice picture? See where intelligence work sits alongside the courts, corrections, and other law enforcement career paths.
Read: Criminal Justice Careers
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