Archived Article

Why It Matters

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has no plan to strengthen partnerships with academic institutions to counter threats from nontraditional intelligence collectors (NTCs), according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published Oct. 16. Without stronger partnerships, GAO concluded, the FBI's ability to protect U.S. research, intellectual property, and technological advantage is hindered. Unlike intelligence officers, NTCs function independently of established intelligence organizations, and FBI officials said they are difficult to identify and investigate. ​

Broader Context

FBI officials said identifying and investigating NTCs is difficult because their conduct may not violate the law until they transfer information to a foreign entity. Cultural differences compound the problem: Academic institutions promote the free exchange of information, and FBI officials said universities may not want to be perceived as "turning over" their students. FBI officials and representatives from academic associations identified cultural differences and communication barriers as challenges in addressing threats posed by NTCs.

The FBI offices responsible for mitigating and investigating NTC threats include the Office of Private Sector, which leads information-sharing and engagement with the private sector, and the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. The FBI also uses the National Counterintelligence Task Force and field office-based Counterintelligence Task Forces to coordinate with partner agencies on these matters.

FBI officials have publicly stated that relationships with academic institutions need strengthening to address research security issues. Academic association representatives said the FBI could improve outreach efforts, noting that FBI-university relationships are stronger at some universities than others. Despite those concerns, the FBI has not identified a plan to strengthen its partnerships with academic institutions.

The Bottom Line

GAO made one recommendation: The FBI director should develop and implement a plan to strengthen the bureau's partnerships with academic institutions to better facilitate information exchange and help address threats posed by NTCs. The FBI concurred with the recommendation, which remains open. GAO has not yet confirmed that the agency has taken sufficient action to address it.

FBI officials said they rely on tips from academia to identify potential nontraditional intelligence collectors, and GAO found that inadequate partnerships with academic institutions hinder the FBI's ability to counter those threats. Tracking whether the FBI moves from concurrence to developing and implementing a plan will be the clearest signal of whether the recommendation produces a change in counterintelligence practice.

A lot of people have said that a criminal justice degree is not a great degree for the FBI, or in general. If i was to become a special agent, one of the minimum requirements is having a bachelor’s in really any field. The FBI also heavily looks at experience and I know CJ doesn’t get you too far right out of college; but was there planning on getting into law enforcement and then moving up to FBI once i get experience which is when a bachelors would be needed.

I guess what im asking is, does anyone here have a CJ degree that has a good career? Would the FBI accept someone with a Criminal Justice degree?

Originally, I was planning on getting a major in Criminal Justice or Criminology once I got to college, but after seeing pretty much everyone dog on that degree. I’ve changed my mind.

I’m starting to seriously consider other degrees, and Finance came across my mind. Would it be a good degree to become an FBI Special Agent? Maybe to tackle white-collar crime or something?

What are the chances I could get my location changed on my conditional offer? There’s a closer office that I’d definitely prefer. The offered location is 1.5-2 hours with traffic 😖

I’m currently in the application pipeline for the FBI Special Agent position and preparing to take the Phase 1 exam soon.

I’ve downloaded and gone through the official FBI Phase 1 study guide, but I wanted to check in with those who have taken it recently:
Aside from the official guide, were there any specific prep resources (e.g., practice logic tests, situational judgment exercises) that you found particularly helpful?
For those coming from a law enforcement/federal background, is there any mindset shift you'd recommend when tackling the Situational Judgment or Personality/Preferences sections?

Any general pacing or time-management advice for test day?

Appreciate any guidance or insights!

The amount of drugs and cash intercepted by American Law Enforcement is roughly equivalent to one hole in a large colander.
The rate of capture is likely close to 1% of drugs and cash smuggled into or out of the United States.

Airports are designed to move people and luggage quickly and efficiently.
Airports are NOT designed for detection and interdiction.
The placement of detection equipment

The same playbook is always used by the Federal Agencies.
They lack creativity, ingenuity and the ability to do anything different from the same old system.

Corporations should be paying for their part in transportation of contraband.
I have solutions for this problem.

I have a number of effective solutions to identify and stop the movement of drugs, firearms, explosives and cash across International Borders.

If you are a Government Agency or a Company that has contracts with Governments for security I can help you.

https://vault.fbi.gov/robert-maxwell

FBI reports on Robert Maxwell.

The FBI sent me an email to complete the questionnaire within 7 days. But the email got lost in my Spam Folder. It’s only after they sent the reminder email that I realized they had sent the email 7 days ago. When I tried to complete it, my online account did not have anything and the link was not working anymore. Anyone with this kind of experience and what my options are? What can I do to reinstate my application? Thank you!

In the series, the x-files agent Scully often wear high heels. Do female FBI agents do this in real life. Did they do in the nineties when the series takes place. It seems rather stupid to wear high heels on a job whare you have the risk of getting into a gunfight. Could be the difference between life and death

Hi everyone,

I applied for the OCT position back in January 2026 and was interviewed in May, but I haven't received any updates regarding the outcome of my interview.

I just applied for the Electronics Technician (ET) position as well, and I'm wondering whether applying for another position while my OCT application is still pending could negatively impact my chances for either opportunity.

Also, for those who interviewed for the OCT position around May, have you received any updates or heard back regarding the next steps in the hiring process?

I would appreciate any insights or experiences you could share. Thank you!

I can log in to my portal but the Special Agent portal tab is not available anymore, the one where you can see our progress. Is this happening to anyone else? Or am I just rejected?