Best Degree to get for Air Force Intelligence Officer

[Vinny03]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this forum and would like some advice. I currently am getting my bachelors in Intelligence Studies with a concentration in Terrorism studies. After I graduate, I would like to go to the AF as an Intelligence Officer. Do you think my degree type is a good choice?

I would like to be a counter-terrorism analyst someday for a federal agency.

Regards,
Vinny

 

[kinnem]

I think you picked the right major for your future desires. That being said, what you major in during your college years has almost nothing to do with what your job will be in the military.

 

[MMShape]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this forum and would like some advice. I currently am getting my bachelors in Intelligence Studies with a concentration in Terrorism studies. After I graduate, I would like to go to the AF as an Intelligence Officer. Do you think my degree type is a good choice?

I would like to be a counter-terrorism analyst someday for a federal agency.

Regards,
Vinny

Vinny - those sound like great fields of study--what university are you at?

 

[jipsyjips]

What would be a good major if you’re attending the Air Force academy? Cyber security? I have heard law is a better option

 

[fencersmother]

Law a better option for intelligence than Cyber security? Jipsy, who tells you these things? Why would they suggest that?

 

[FMHS-79]

Have you looked at https://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/intelligence-officer?

Here are the minimum education qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in one of the following: science, humanities, social sciences, structured analysis, engineering or mathematics
• Some level of foreign language study is highly desirable.

Much of the specific course work will be provided during the post-commissioning Intelligence Officer Initial Skills course, so make sure you meet the listed qualifications, but are enrolled in a major that you enjoy and one which you can excel at. IMHO.

 

[Blackbird]

DS is currently an Intel officer. Graduated from USAFA with a BS in Political Science with an emphasis in Nuclear Proliferation as well as 2 years of Russian language. While that is an ideal background for Intel, many in the field have other majors and he learned the basics of his job during Intel training at Goodfellow AFB. Once in the field, one can always get a graduate degree that is more focused on Intel.

 

[jipsyjips]

Law a better option for intelligence than Cyber security? Jipsy, who tells you these things? Why would they suggest that?

I saw it on a forum somewhere :/ Something on the lines of “it’ll help develop analyzing skills and understand dense complicated information..” but forget it, I don’t know why I took that advice seriously.

 

[BlahuKahuna]

Law a better option for intelligence than Cyber security? Jipsy, who tells you these things? Why would they suggest that?

Based on the majors that USAFA currently offers, law might actually make more sense than one of the comp sci related majors. Law with a handful of polisci electives would be a good option, so would polsici or FAS with a mix of electives or a foreign language minor. Law/polisci double major has been done a few times as well. There are quite a few Polisci/FAS teachers that are intel officers. I know a lot of people that had social science/humanity majors and went into intel, a lot of my compsci major friends either went into cyber or rated fields.

Compsci/CNS are both very desirable and technical majors, but I wouldn't recommend them unless you have a passion for programming. 99/100 times, whenever I've seen people pick a USAFA major primarily because they think it'll help with AFSC selection, they end up suffering until they either switch majors or keep cycling on and off academic probation. If you're interested in intel, odds are that polisci/FAS/law are interesting to you on some level. Pick whatever major you can get excited about losing sleep writing papers/doing projects for, and you'll have a much better time at USAFA.