The Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies program combines legal theory and practical skills to prepare you for a career in the legal field.
Paralegal Studies - B.A.
Contact Us
- Program Coordinator: Amanda Paar-Conroy | apaar@kent.edu | 330-672-4148
- Speak with an Advisor
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor
Program Information
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Program Description
Full Description
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Paralegal Studies combines a liberal arts background with law-related specialty courses to provide students with communication, critical reasoning and analytical skills; knowledge of the legal system; and practical hands-on experience.
The program prepares students for the Certified Paralegal exam from the National Association of Legal Assistants. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.
Professional Licensure Disclosure
This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.
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Admissions
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.
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Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Analyze a legal problem as well as identify and evaluate alternative solutions.
- Formulate logical solutions to problems and construct logical arguments in support of specific positions as well as evaluate solutions and arguments.
- Determine which areas of law are relevant to a particular situation.
- Apply principles of professional ethics to specific factual situations.
- Identify interrelationships among cases, statutes, regulations and other legal authorities.
- Apply recognized legal authority to a specific factual situation.
- Analyze factual situations to determine when it is appropriate to apply exceptions to general legal rules.
- Apply exceptions to general legal rules.
- Distinguish evidentiary facts from other material and/or controlling facts.
- Identify factual omissions and inconsistencies.
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Coursework
On This Page
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) PLST 18000 INTRODUCTION TO PARALEGAL STUDIES AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS 3 PLST 28001 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING 3 PLST 28004 CIVIL PROCEDURE 3 PLST 36792 INTERNSHIP IN PARALEGAL (ELR) 1 6 PLST 38006 APPLIED LEGAL RESEARCH AND LITIGATION (WIC) 2 3 Legal Specialty Electives, choose from the following: 24 PLST 28003FAMILY LAW AND PROCEDURE PLST 28007ESTATE AND PROBATE ADMINISTRATION PLST 35001ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FOR PARALEGALS PLST 35003HEALTH LAW PLST 35005LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW FOR PARALEGALS PLST 35007ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES LAW PLST 38003ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND PROCESS PLST 38005TORT LAW PLST 40095SPECIAL TOPICS IN PARALEGAL STUDIES PLST 42701EVIDENCE AND E-DISCOVERY PLST 42705BANKRUPTCY LAW I: BASIC FUNDAMENTALS PLST 42706BANKRUPTCY LAW II: CREDITOR-DEBTOR RELATIONS PLST 42708REAL ESTATE LAW PLST 48002CONTRACT LAW PLST 48300LAW OF CORPORATIONS AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS PLST 48401PATENT LAW PLST 48403PATENT PROSECUTION PLST 48404COPYRIGHT LAW I PLST 48407TRADEMARK LAW PLST 48408TRADEMARK PROSECUTION Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) 14-16 Kent Core Composition 6 Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning 3 Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) 9 Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) 6 Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) 6-7 Kent Core Additional 6 General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credits hour, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 27 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 - 1
Although required minimum hours for internship is 6 credit hours, it is recommended that students enroll in more than one internship.
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A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA 2.000 2.000 Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
- Intermediate I of the same language
- ARAB 21401
- ASL 19401
- CHIN 25421
- MCLS 10001
- MCLS 20001
- MCLS 20091
- MCLS 21417
- MCLS 21420
- MCLS 22217
- MCLS 28403
- MCLS 28404
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All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.
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Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.
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Roadmap
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits PLST 18000 INTRODUCTION TO PARALEGAL STUDIES AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS 3 UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 14 Semester Two PLST 28004 CIVIL PROCEDURE 3 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Three PLST 28001 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING 3 Legal Specialty Electives 6 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Four PLST 38006 APPLIED LEGAL RESEARCH AND LITIGATION (WIC) 3 Legal Specialty Electives 6 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Five Legal Specialty Electives 6 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Six Legal Specialty Electives 6 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Seven ! PLST 36792 INTERNSHIP IN PARALEGAL (ELR) 3 General Electives 12 Credit Hours 15 Semester Eight ! PLST 36792 INTERNSHIP IN PARALEGAL (ELR) 3 General Electives 12 Credit Hours 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 -
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus
- Delivery:
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Accreditation
The B.A. degree in Paralegal Studies is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries
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Paralegals and legal assistants
10.5%
much faster than the average
337,800
number of jobs
$52,920
potential earnings
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Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
-2.6%
decline
63,600
number of jobs
$48,820
potential earnings
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Legal support workers, all other
-1.2%
decline
50,400
number of jobs
$59,540
potential earnings
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Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.