Legal Studies, BA

Description of Program

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Legal Studies, approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), builds upon the foundational legal specialty courses that make up the Paralegal Certificate curriculum, by enhancing the students’ critical thinking, analytical and theoretical skills. This combination of legal specialty, business, and liberal arts coursework ensures that each student develops an understanding of and respect for different ways of knowing and a desire for lifelong learning. This degree offers students an excellent foundation for law school and other graduate school programs.

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Learning Outcomes

The Legal Studies programs will provide students with the knowledge, skills, tools, and values necessary to be effective members of a legal team.

At the end of the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies curriculum, students should be able to:

• Conduct legal research using appropriate sources and databases
• Apply legal analysis to predict outcomes to specific factual situations
• Articulate legal analysis through written and oral communications
• Use software applications commonly utilized in a legal environment
• Draft legal documents
• Describe the ethical obligations and limitations of legal professionals in specific factual situations

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a minimum of 36 semester credits of college transferable credit which include at least 18 semester credits of general-education in three categories. A minimum of 3 credits of freshman English or college composition must be completed with a C or better prior to admission.

For consideration into the program, applicants must submit an application for enrollment, forward official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended and complete the specific writing sample contained in the admissions packet for the program. If a prospective student does not meet the above academic requirements, the student should contact Enrollment to explore possible other options.

Academic Calendar 2021/2022

2021

2022

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies degree requires 120 semester credit hours.

• A Grade Point Average of 2.0 (letter grade of “C”), or higher is required to remain in academic good standing and to be eligible for graduation
• Official transcripts are required to be on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
• All financial obligations must be met before the student will be issued their complementary diploma and/or degree posted transcript
• Official documents must be on file demonstrating all requirements of basis for admissions have been met

School of Law Undergraduate Program Enrollment Status

For the purpose of financial aid and enrollment verification enrollment status is determined by the number of units per semester:

Transfer Credit Policy

The University may accept a maximum of 90 semester credit hours in transfer toward the bachelor’s degree for coursework completed at an accredited or approved college or university with a grade of “C” or better.

Students seeking to transfer in Legal Specialty Courses will have their coursework evaluated by the School of Law. Coursework must meet the following criteria:

• The legal specialty course must carry upper-division academic credit.
• The legal specialty course must be equivalent in content, length, and nature to the University’s course.
• The legal specialty course must be from an ABA-approved paralegal program and taken within the last 7 years.

General Education Degree Requirements

Students in School of Law programs must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours in General Education. This requirement may be satisfied through transfer credit or complete at the University. 

To be considered for transfer credit, the general education courses must be completed with a C or better at the associate and bachelor degree levels; remedial and developmental courses cannot be accepted as transfer credit. Courses must also be completed at a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution. Applicants must submit an application, forward official transcripts from all colleges and universities they attended and complete the specific writing sample as outlined in the admission packet for the program.

Program Requirements

Course Sequence

The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies can be completed in 120 credits. 

Students enrolled in programs under the School of Law start their program as part of a cohort.

Note: The schedule sequence is subject to the term in which the student enrolls.

• PLS-3001 - Introduction to Law *
• PLS-3004 - Legal Ethics *
• PLS-3005 - Tort Law *
• PLS-3002 - Legal Research *
• PLS-3003 - Legal Writing *
• PLS-3023 - Criminal Law
• PLS-3008 - Litigation I *
• PLS-3061 - Criminal Procedure
• PLS-3010 - Legal Technology Applications *
• PLS-3009 - Litigation II *
• PLS-3015 - Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
• PLS-3011 - Paralegal Capstone *
• Focus Course 1 *
• PLS-3111 - Law and Social Justice
• PLS-3101 - Accounting for the Legal Professional
• Focus Course 2 *
• PLS-3103 - Advanced Legal Writing
• PLS-3063 - Constitutional Law
• PLS-3029 - Evidence
• PLS-3400 - Advanced Business Communication
• PLS-3006 - Contract Law
• PLS-3025 - Business Organizations/ Corporations
• PLS-3113 - Critical Thinking in Law & Business
• PLS-3040 - Internship
• PLS-3012 - Legal Studies Capstone

Note

*Students will earn the Paralegal Certificate as they complete the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies program.

** Students that complete the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies will come away with a certificate from the National Society for Legal Technology that will set them apart from other paralegals by demonstrating their competence with legal technology.