Bachelor's Degree in Paralegal Studies

Our Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies (BSPS) major in Paralegal Studies provides the skills needed to perform delegated, substantive legal work under the supervision of a lawyer. It also provides the verbal and written communication skills required by the profession.

Depending on your professional job responsibilities or career goals, you might consider specializing your degree by taking other paralegal and law classes in a variety of topics including Constitutional law or legal issues related to technology.

The role of the paralegal continues to expand in the legal sector. One of a paralegal’s most important tasks is helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials and corporate meetings. Our BSPS major in Paralegal Studies provides the skills to perform these and other legal tasks.

While the program does not provide the breadth, depth or rigor of a law school education, our students get a feel for law as a general subject and gain skills valuable to law offices and corporate legal departments.

The BSPS requires 120 semester hours of coursework, including 30 hours for the major in Paralegal Studies. You may transfer up to 60 semester hours into the degree.

Program Details

  • Degree Requirements

    BSPS Program of Study

    Total: 120 semester hours

    General Education

    30 semester hours. Includes Common Seminar and Areas of Study.

    Common Seminar

    6 semester hours

    • ADED 301U Knowledge Management: Seminar Across the Disciplines I
    • ADED 302U Knowledge Management: Seminar Across the Disciplines II

    Areas of Study

    24 semester hours. At least one 3-hour course from each of the following areas:

    • History
    • Literature
    • Natural Sciences
    • Social Sciences and Cultural Studies
    • MATH 103U Finite Mathematics (or higher)
    • The Arts

    General Distribution

    60 semester hours. Coursework selected from across the curriculum. Minors may be drawn from this area. Foundation Coursework applies toward General Distribution.

    Foundation Coursework

    The student’s placement test score, along with advising recommendations, will determine the pathway of foundation courses before other required coursework.

    • ENGL 101U Strategic Reading and Writing
    • ENGL 201U Critical Writing and Research I
    • ENGL 202U Critical Writing and Research II
    • MATH 103U Finite Mathematics

    Major

    30 semester hours. Select from Data Analytics, Human Resource Management, Information Security, IT Management or Paralegal Studies.

  • Major Requirements

    PS Major Program of Study

    The undergraduate major in Paralegal Studies is available to students earning the Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies (BSPS).

    Total: 30 semester hours

    Professional Core

    9 semester hours

    • LDSP 368U Leadership in the Global Environment
    • HUM 300U Applied Ethics
    • MATH 265U Applied Statistics

    Required Core

    12 semester hours

    • LA 301U Paralegal I
    • LA 303U Legal Research and Writing I
    • LA 304U Legal Research and Writing II
    • LA 306U Litigation

    Focus Courses

    9 semester hours selected from the following courses.

    • LA 310U Real Estate
    • LA 312U Family Law
    • LA 313U Evidence
    • LA 315U Torts
    • LA 316U Contract Law
    • LA 320U Environmental Law
    • LA 321U Criminal Law
    • LA 322U Legal Technology and Electronic Discovery
    • LA 323U Elder Law
    • LA 325U Wills, Trusts and Estates
    • LA 398U Selected Topics
    • LAW 300U Business Law
    • LAW 303U Constitutional Law
    • LAW 304U First Amendment Law
    • LAW 315U Social Media Law and Ethics
    • LAW 322U Employment Law and Policy
    • LAW 325U CyberLaw
    • LAW 398U Selected Topics
  • Admissions

    Admission to Bachelor's Degree Programs

    Minimum requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (BALA) or Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies (BSPS) degree program are:

    • An earned high school diploma or GED
    • A 2.0 average on any attempted college-level work

    To be admitted, applicants must submit the following:

    • A completed online bachelor's degree application (with application fee)
    • Original transcripts from all college-level work attempted (or evidence of high school graduation or GED)

    Admission placement requires ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills test scores and an admission decision meeting with a student advisor. All incoming bachelor's degree applicants must take the ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills tests for placement.

    Applicants are notified about scheduling a testing session after submitting the undergraduate application.

    • Test scores are used to route applicants into an appropriate course of study that best enables academic success.
    • Student advisors will review ACCUPLACER test scores and admission pathway to determine if accepted students will place into ENGL 101U, ENGL 201U, ADED 300U or ADED 301U. Academic advisors will provide admission guidance and options after receiving applicant test scores.
    • Test scores are good for one year. Applicants may provide evidence of ACCUPLACER scores earned within the last 365 days for consideration and placement.
    • An applicant may opt to retake the placement test once at his or her own expense of $10. Applicants may register through their academic advisor for a retest on the next scheduled placement test date. The highest test score within a given session will be considered.
    • Students whose ACCUPLACER scores are deemed by their advisor not to qualify them for ENGL 101U or higher will be given the opportunity to take the noncredit course, English Foundations. At the end of English Foundations, students who re-take the ACCUPLACER but still do not achieve a score high enough for placement into ENGL 101U will be permitted to take English Foundations one additional time. No student may take the course a third time without permission from the Associate Dean for Academic & Student Affairs.

    Non-native English speakers may be required to submit valid TOEFL scores.

    Admissions Decisions

    The School uses a selective admissions process to evaluate applicants. The most important predictor is an applicant's ability to do college-level work. As such, the School offers several undergraduate admission pathways depending on college experience, writing aptitude and GPA.

    1. Well Qualified Transfer Admission

    Applicants who have recently completed college-level study at a regionally-accredited community college or four-year institution may be candidates for well qualified transfer admission (WQTA). WQTA applicants are given priority and must successfully demonstrate the following:

    • Minimum 24 semester hours of transferable coursework completed in the past 10 years
    • Minimum 2.5 GPA on all previously attempted college coursework
    • Earned a 'B' or better in English Composition and a 'C' or better in college-level math
    • Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores

    2. Online Interdisciplinary Studies Admission

    Applicants to the Online Interdisciplinary Studies program must successfully demonstrate the following:

    • At least 45 semester hours of transferable college credit
    • Minimum 2.0 GPA on all previously attempted college coursework
    • Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on all attempted coursework at the School
    • Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores

    3. Transfer Admission

    Applicants who have completed some college-level study at a regionally-accredited community college or four-year institution but do not meet the minimum requirements for WQTA may qualify for transfer admission (TA). TA applicants must successfully demonstrate the following:

    • Minimum 3 semester hours of transferable college-level coursework
    • Minimum 2.0 GPA on all previously attempted college coursework
    • Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores

    4. Non-Transfer Admission

    Applicants who have never studied at the college level or do not meet the minimum requirements for TA will only be considered for non-transfer admission (NTA). NTA requires applicants to complete foundation coursework at the School pursuing part-time study (registering for no more than nine semester hours) while completing these requirements. NTA applicants must successfully accomplish the following:

    • Complete all foundation coursework with a grade of 'C' or better in the first 3 semesters at the School
    • Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on all attempted coursework at the School
    • Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores

    Students admitted to any undergraduate or degree program, without prior college experience, may enroll (register) in a maximum of nine (9) semester hours of credit in the first semester of study in SPCS.

    Admission Notifications

    Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions by letter, generally during an interview with an academic advisor. If admitted to a degree program, the admissions letter will include a University ID to be used in establishing a BannerWeb account and network ID.