By Michael J. Morse | MorseCode Cyber
In the fall of 2024, I packed up and drove to Quantico, Virginia for one of the most significant professional experiences of my career. From September 29 through December 12, I attended the FBI National Academy as part of Session 292 -- eleven weeks of academic coursework, physical training, guest speakers, travel, and the kind of peer network you simply cannot build anywhere else.
The FBI National Academy is not a training academy in the way most people picture it. It is a graduate-level leadership development program for mid- to senior-level law enforcement professionals. Selection is competitive and nomination-based. Roughly 250 officers attend each session, drawn from agencies across the United States and dozens of countries around the world. I was one of them -- representing the Portsmouth, Rhode Island Police Department after nearly two decades in law enforcement.
Here is what it was actually like.
What the FBI National Academy Is
The Academy has been running since 1935. It is hosted at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia -- the same campus where FBI Special Agents train -- located on a Marine Corps base in Northern Virginia, about an hour south of Washington D.C.
Each session runs approximately ten to eleven weeks. Students live in the dorms on campus, attend classes during the week, and participate in a structured program of academic coursework, physical fitness, and leadership development. Credits are awarded through the University of Virginia, and students can earn up to 18 credit hours at the undergraduate or graduate level during their session.
It is, in short, a residential university program for law enforcement leaders -- one that happens to be run by the FBI, on a Marine base, with some of the most accomplished guest speakers in the country.
Getting There and Settling In
I drove down, which turned out to be the right call. Having a car on campus made a significant difference throughout the eleven weeks -- being able to get off base, make runs into Northern Virginia, and join group trips on my own terms was something I would not have wanted to give up.
Arrival for most domestic students is the Saturday before the session begins. The first full day -- Sunday -- is Orientation. You report to the auditorium in business casual attire, get assigned to your section (which is determined by your PT block selection), and spend the day working through administrative onboarding: purchasing your uniform, setting up your devices on the Academy Wi-Fi, getting your ID squared away.
One of the first things I noticed: the food is genuinely excellent. Three meals a day are included for the entire stay -- every day, including weekends and holidays. From the first meal on arrival day through graduation, you are fully fed. It is not what you would expect from a government cafeteria. It is one of the small but real quality-of-life elements that makes the experience comfortable.
The Uniform
From Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 5:35pm, the NA Uniform is what you wear. No exceptions during business hours -- jeans, shorts, and t-shirts are off limits until the day is done. The uniform is purchased on Orientation Day and consists of NA-branded polo shirts, 5.11 tactical pants, fleece and gym gear, and a warm-up suit. My department covered the cost, which I understand is standard practice for most agencies sending officers to the program.
Evenings and weekends were casual, which was a welcome change of pace at the end of a long day.
The Academic Program
The academic structure is one of the things that surprised people the most when I described it after coming home. This is a serious academic program. You select five courses before you arrive -- one must be a leadership course, and PT counts as a mandatory sixth. A seventh slot, Networking and Enrichment, is fixed for everyone.
Three courses meet on Monday and Thursday; the other three meet Tuesday and Friday. Wednesdays are structured differently -- a Morning Fit Challenge, afternoon programming or free time, and mandatory Wednesday evening Enrichment Seminars.
All courses are worth 3 credit hours each through the University of Virginia, for a total of 18 hours. Both undergraduate and graduate versions are available. The courses are taught together in the same classroom -- graduate students complete additional work, typically an extra paper or project. I chose the graduate track. For someone working toward a degree, the graduate path is absolutely worth it for the credential alone. I chose that track just to add to my credentials of having another graduate certificate.
My courses for Session 292 were:
I deliberately built a well-rounded schedule rather than concentrating in one area. The instructors at the Academy are genuinely among the best in their fields. You are not going to have this kind of concentrated access to this level of expertise again in one place, so it pays to spread your intellectual net wide.
The PT Section
My PT instructor was EJ O'Malley -- widely known as the toughest PT instructor at the Academy. High intensity, demanding, and results-driven. I signed up knowing what I was getting into and it was the right call. Your PT selection also determines your section for the entire program, which matters for how you spend the next eleven weeks. I was in a great section and built strong relationships throughout.
I structured my schedule so that the C Block (right after lunch) was open for PT and fitness. Eat lunch, go train, shower, and get back into afternoon classes. It worked well and I would do it the same way again.
The Monday Speed Dating Add/Drop
On Monday of Week 1, the Academy runs what they call "speed dating" -- you sit through a 20-minute version of every class you are enrolled in, and all the instructors set up tables outside the classrooms so you can talk to them directly. It is a genuine second chance to adjust your schedule.
The Wednesday Enrichment Seminars
These deserve their own section because they were some of the best experiences of the entire eleven weeks, and I did not expect that going in.
Every Wednesday evening, the Academy brings in outside speakers -- nationally recognized figures, subject matter experts, leadership authorities, people you would not normally get access to in a professional context. They are mandatory, and every single one was worth attending. Over eleven weeks, the range of topics covered was remarkable. I left most of them with something I was still thinking about days later.
If you have heard of the National Academy and wondered what makes it more than just a training program -- the Wednesday seminars are a big part of the answer.
The Events: Where the Real Experience Lives
The academic program is excellent. But the events -- both mandatory and optional -- are where the session becomes something you carry with you for the rest of your career.
Patch, Pin and Coin Night (Week 3)
One of the best nights of the session. Law enforcement officers from across the country and around the world set up tables loaded with patches, pins, and coins from their departments and trade freely. It sounds simple and it is -- but it is also one of the most genuine networking experiences I have had in twenty years of law enforcement. I left with a collection of items from agencies I never would have encountered otherwise.
Flag Night (Week 2)
An evening event connecting NA students with FBI Special Agent students who are training at the same facility. Some of those agents were heading to regions where my session colleagues work -- it is a surprisingly practical networking opportunity wrapped in a social event.
The Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony (Week 4)
A mandatory Wednesday trip to Washington D.C. that I will not forget. We visited the National Law Enforcement Museum and participated in a student-led ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Officers who wore their department uniforms were incorporated into the ceremony itself. It was a meaningful experience regardless of where you are in your career, and it hit differently after twenty years on the job.
The NYC Trip (Week 4)
On the Saturday of Week 4, the majority of the class went on busses with police escorts all the way to NYC. This was coordinated through the session NYPD students It was a great weekend and exactly the kind of thing that makes the NA more than just a classroom experience.
D.C. Museum Day (Week 6)
A mandatory Friday trip to Washington D.C. visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Museum of the American Indian. A full day in casual attire, moving through three of the most significant museum experiences in the country. I went in without strong expectations and came out genuinely affected.
The Frontline Freedom Hike (Weeks 8/9)
A multi-day physically and emotionally demanding hike. I did not go, and I genuinely regret it. If you ever attend the NA, do not make the same choice.
The Philadelphia Trip (Week 5)
There was a group trip to Philadelphia on the Saturday of Week 5. My group mostly skipped it and so did I. No regrets on that one.
Going Home
I went home three times during the eleven weeks -- Columbus Day weekend, Veterans Day weekend, and Thanksgiving. As long as there was no major event planned, I absolutely recommend it. Pack light, grab a short flight, recharge. Eleven weeks is a long stretch and being able to reconnect with family makes you a better participant when you come back.
The Culture: Sections, Networking, and the Boardroom
The NA is built around sections -- small groups determined by your PT block that become your core community for the eleven weeks. I was in a great section and those relationships were among the most valuable things I took away from the experience.
Beyond your section, the broader session is full of professionals from every corner of law enforcement -- local, state, federal, and international. The Discord the session used to coordinate was active from before arrival through graduation, and the group outings it organized -- D.C. tours, the NYC trip, private access to places the public never sees -- would not have happened without it.
The Boardroom on campus is a lounge where students gather in the evenings over drinks to decompress and connect. It is genuinely a great place to build friendships across sections. The balance I tried to strike: be there enough to build relationships, not so much that it becomes a nightly habit. Some people leaned too heavily on it. The experience is better when you stay balanced.
What I Came Away With
On December 12, 2024, I graduated from the FBI National Academy as part of Session 292. I walked away with 18 credit hours from the University of Virginia, a network of law enforcement professionals spanning the country and several continents, and a perspective on leadership, organizational change, and the future of policing that I could not have built any other way.
The NA challenged me academically, physically, and professionally. It put me in rooms with people I never would have met otherwise and exposed me to ideas I was not expecting to encounter. It is the kind of program that changes how you think about your work -- and given that I was near the end of a nearly twenty-year career in law enforcement, that is saying something.
If you know someone who has been selected to attend, or if you work in law enforcement and are wondering whether to pursue a nomination, the answer is yes. It is worth every week.
Michael J. Morse is the founder of MorseCode Cyber LLC and a retired Deputy Chief of Police with nearly 20 years in law enforcement. He is an FBI National Academy graduate (Session 292), holds a CISSP certification and an MS in Cybersecurity from Roger Williams University, and serves as adjunct faculty at Salve Regina University teaching graduate-level courses in AI and cybersecurity. Connect with him at morsecodecyber.com or on LinkedIn.
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