Graduate Degree???

[fsu_ranger]

For those that have been serving as 1811’s for some time, or those that have first hand knowledge of these situations these questions apply to you.

I am currently planning my transition from the Active Duty, Army to the federal sector. I am only interested in the SA positions and have made some headway with two of the organizations.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs with an emphasis in Finance from FSU. I also still have the GI bill to pursue further education upon my separation from AD.

My questions:
Have any one you ever hit an “education” wall, i.e. you have been restricted or hindered by only having a 4 year degree vs. a graduate degree?

Is there a significant difference between the two levels of education when in comes to promotion or consideration for certain leadership positions within the community?

What fields of study stand out the most for this career path? I am leaning towards getting my MBA, or returning to the international relations field over a CJ masters.

Any opinions from those currently in the field would greatly help my decision making.

Thanks,

[Injunkop]

I DO NOT HAVE A DEGREE and I have my 1811 cert, and a 0083 cert and a 1724 cert. all from FLETC. You need to look at ICE SAT. If you have a degree you should be good to go.
My 1811 class had like 40 people, 20 were going to ICE, 19 were OIG for various agencies, and me going back to my dept.
One last thing, I wouldnt be picky about just doing the 1811 gig, consider taking an 0083 gig to get your foot in the door, then transfer around to your fav agency, like most of people do.
Goodluck, and if ya make it to FLETC enjoy the chicken.:cool:

[MP_Steve]

I DO NOT HAVE A DEGREE and I have my 1811 cert, and a 0083 cert and a 1724 cert. all from FLETC. You need to look at ICE SAT. If you have a degree you should be good to go.
My 1811 class had like 40 people, 20 were going to ICE, 19 were OIG for various agencies, and me going back to my dept.
One last thing, I wouldnt be picky about just doing the 1811 gig, consider taking an 0083 gig to get your foot in the door, then transfer around to your fav agency, like most of people do.
Goodluck, and if ya make it to FLETC enjoy the chicken.:cool:

Sir with all due respect, get Verified on here if you are in fact a law enforcement officer. We get people here occasionally who claim to be things they aren't and until you prove us wrong, you've got an uphill battle if you plan to stick around.

Just a friendly word of advice, no offense. ;)

[Kimble]

Sir with all due respect, get Verified on here if you are in fact a law enforcement officer.

I shot him a PM. ;)

[Nole795]

For those that have been serving as 1811’s for some time, or those that have first hand knowledge of these situations these questions apply to you.

I am currently planning my transition from the Active Duty, Army to the federal sector. I am only interested in the SA positions and have made some headway with two of the organizations.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs with an emphasis in Finance from FSU. I also still have the GI bill to pursue further education upon my separation from AD.

My questions:
Have any one you ever hit an “education” wall, i.e. you have been restricted or hindered by only having a 4 year degree vs. a graduate degree?

Is there a significant difference between the two levels of education when in comes to promotion or consideration for certain leadership positions within the community?

What fields of study stand out the most for this career path? I am leaning towards getting my MBA, or returning to the international relations field over a CJ masters.

Any opinions from those currently in the field would greatly help my decision making.

Thanks,

I am an 1811 and a graduate of FSU (as you can tell). I have a BS in the CJ program, and started my career as a LEO with a PD before being picked up by my current federal agency.

I was an average student and my resume was no different from any other applicant who applied. If I could go back in time I probably would majored in something different to use as a secondary career choice. At the same time, I also say major in something that you enjoy.

Having a degree and military experience makes you an attractive applicant. Just remember it is dependant on the what the agency is looking for in it's hiring, timing of your application, and lots of luck.

Good luck to you.

[BP348]

For a 1811 position I would think the 4 year degree and the military time would be enough. I know a bunch of 1811's mostly ICE agents and less than 5 have a graduate degree.

It's been discussed here on RP and I believe the same holds true, many Bachelor degres and a few Masters.

As too the field of study, well that's been discussed a lot as well. If you're interested in a MBA then go for it. Many say they would get a degree in something other than CJ if they could go back and do it again but, like Nole said it would be for a secondary career choice.

If your getting ready to leave the military I would look into taking the test for the USMS. I believe they have a special test for people who have just seperated from the military.

Good Luck with the 1811 process, it takes a while.

[Stub]

If your getting ready to leave the military I would look into taking the test for the USMS. I believe they have a special test for people who have just seperated from the military.

The USMS discontinued targeting separating service members under Operation Shining Star. Currently, there are only two hiring programs open to the public:

The Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) and Centralized Student Career Experience Program (CSCEP)

http://www.usmarshals.gov/careers/deputy_positions.html

Have any one you ever hit an “education” wall, i.e. you have been restricted or hindered by only having a 4 year degree vs. a graduate degree?

I never experienced an education wall in the hiring process for FLE. For example, most in my basic class had a bachelor's degree. Only a small handful had a graduate degree. More than half had prior law enforcement experience. More than a third had prior military experience.

Is there a significant difference between the two levels of education when in comes to promotion or consideration for certain leadership positions within the community?

As I understand the promotion process for supervisors in the USMS, those with graduate degrees are given a point advantage and considered more competitive, but a graduate degree is not required.