Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Paralegal Studies

Program Overview

The online Paralegal Studies emphasis prepares students for entry-level careers in the legal field by developing essential knowledge and skills in substantive law, legal research and writing, legal ethics, and law office management. Students gain hands-on experience with the legal processes, professional standards, and technologies used in modern legal environments.

The curriculum emphasizes professional communication, critical thinking, organizational leadership, and ethical decision-making to ensure graduates are prepared to support attorneys and legal teams with confidence and integrity. Through practical coursework and real-world applications, students build the competencies needed for success in law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and other legal settings.

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Admission Requirements

Official transcripts
Freshman students must provide a high school transcript or equivalent (GED)
Transfer students must provide transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities. If the student has not successfully completed 28 college credits, they will be required to provide their high school transcript.
Minimum GPA requirement: 2.0 on a 4.0 scale

Learning Path

The criminal justice online degree program requires 120 total credit hours. 21 credit hours along with a legal internship are included in the Paralegal Studies emphasis. 48 credit hours are major/related coursework including courses such as:

CRJ 101 Intro to Criminal Justice
CRJ 212 Corrections Systems
CRJ 214 Policing in America
CRJ 246 Criminology
CRJ 400 Prof Ethics / Criminal Justice
CRJ 311 Crim. Law & Judicial Process
CRJ 417 Diverse Populations & CRJ
CRJ 403 Capstone
SSC 220 Research Methods
SSC 230 Intro to Statistics
PSC 121 US Government
PSC 343 Constitutional Law
PSY 120 General Psychology
PSY 231 Abnormal Psychology

CRJ Electives: 6 credit hours (Choose at least 2 - At least 1 chosen course must have a CRJ prefix. Chosen courses in this section may not be the same as courses chosen in another section)

BUA 341 Corporate Finance
BUA 361 Human Resource Management
BUA 462 Organization Behavior

Paralegal Studies emphasis courses: 21 credit hours along with a Legal internship.

LEX 110 Introduction to the Law

LEX 220 Law Office Management

LEX 230 Legal Research & Writing

LEX 320 Torts
LEX 330 Civil Litigation

LEX 340 Criminal Law and Procedure
LEX 350 Family Law

LEX 490 Legal Internship

Core curriculum requirement: 30‑32 credit hours

Electives

Students must complete electives or a minor to fulfill the 120-credit hour graduation requirement.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition Rate: $405 per credit hour

Included Fees / Costs:

Application fee — No fee to apply
Student Services fees — included in tuition
Course Resource fee —included in tuition
Testing fees — included in tuition

Other Expenses:

Enrollment fee — $100
Books and Supplies — varies by course; approx $100-$300 per course
Technology fee — $50 per subterm
Transcript fees (for transferring schools) —varies by institution; typically $20-$30 per school

Financial Aid and Grants: