Paralegal Studies (Legal Assisting), AS

Program Summary

The Associate in Science in Paralegal degree shall be awarded upon completion of 64 semester credit hours. This program is designed to prepare students for employment as paralegals in law offices, government agencies, insurance offices, corporations, financial institutions and title insurance companies. This program also is designed to provide supplemental training for persons already employed as paralegal assistants. Students who wish to transfer any credits from this program to another institution must accept the responsibility for securing approval in advance from that institution.

Federal CIP Code: 220302

Florida CIP Code: 1722030200

Admission Information

To be admitted to the Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degree programs, students must ensure the following documents have been received by the Admissions and Student Records office:

1. A PHSC Application for Admission indicating the intent to pursue an AA or AS degree.
2. An official high school transcript indicating graduation with a standard high school diploma or an official transcript of GED scores indicating receipt of a high school equivalency diploma.
3. An official transcript from each U.S. college or university attended.

Students graduating from institutions outside of the United States must follow the procedures for submitting transcripts outlined in the International Non-Immigrant (F Visa or M Visa) Student Admission section.

Students who have received special diplomas are not eligible for admission to degree programs.

General Education Courses

POS 2041	American Federal Government	3 cr.
CGS 1100	Microcomputer Applications	3 cr.
ENC 1101	English Composition I	3 cr.
	Any Area II Mathematics course listed in the Associate in Science Degree Program Requirements	3 cr.
	Any Area III Natural Sciences course listed in the Associate in Science Degree Program Requirements	3 cr.
	Any Area V Humanities course listed in the Associate in Science Degree Program Requirements	3 cr.
Total Credit Hours:		18

Program Courses

OST 1100	Document Formatting and Keyboarding	3 cr.
	or
OST 1764	Word Processing—Microsoft Word	3 cr.
	and
OST 2335	Business Communications	3 cr.
BUL 2241	Business Law	3 cr.
PLA 1003	Introduction to Law and Legal Ethics	3 cr.
PLA 1201	Civil Procedure	3 cr.
PLA 1260	Evidence and Trial Practice	3 cr.
PLA 1303	Criminal Law for Paralegals	3 cr.
PLA 2104	Legal Research and Writing I	3 cr.
PLA 2114	Legal Research and Writing II	3 cr.
PLA 2273	Torts	3 cr.
PLA 2615	Real Property Law	3 cr.
PLA 2600	Wills, Estates, and Trusts	3 cr.
PLA 2800	Family Law	3 cr.
PLA 2940	Paralegal Internship	3 cr.
	or
BUL 2561	Cyberlaw	3 cr.
PLA 2763	Law Office Management	3 cr.
SLS 2401	Career Enhancement	1 cr.
Total Credit Hours:		46

Note: Students pursuing the AS degree in Paralegal should complete PLA 1003 Introduction to Law and Legal Ethics during their first semester of attendance. PLA 1201 Civil Procedure is a prerequisite to PLA 1260 Evidence and Trial Practice. Please see course descriptions for other prerequisites and corequisites.

Total Credit Hours: 64