Criminal Justice Associate Degree Online, Paralegal Degree ?
Q: I am contemplating getting a degree in paralegal studies through a
correspondence course or something similar.
Can someone recommend a good, legitimate, and relatively lost cost
correspondence or distance learning school, and their website, that
offers either an associates or bachelors degree in paralegal studies?
A:Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has an associate and bachelor degree.
They're regionally accredited (North Central Assn.). This is a Roman
Catholic women's college, mostly, but if you're not Roman Catholic, I don't
think it really matters for this program; it is substantially a secular
field.
http://www.smwc.edu/acad/ ("WED" is their distance learning
program--Women's external degree program)
http://www.smwc.edu/acad/sbs_dept/paralegal/
University of Maryland University College BA with major in Legal Studies
Regionally accredited (Middle States)
http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/majors/lgst.shtml
Keiser College, an AA degree with paralegal major. Regionally accredited
two year college (Southern States)
http://www.keisercollege.cc.fl.us/para_dol.htm
I am the Division Chair for a community college in Kansas that has recently
put their Paralegal degree online. We have had great success with our
online Criminal Justice degree (which is fully accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission of the North Central Association -- the regional
accrediting agency for this area), and expect the same for our Paralegal
program.
Here are a few facts about our degree program.
1. You can earn either (or both) a Certificate or Associate of Applied
Science Degree. NOTE: The certificate is a thirty (30) hour program and
Associate is a traditional sixty-two (62) hour program. Most students start
with the certificate (this helps get them the first job) and then complete
the Associates degree as they go.
2. We are FULLY accredited by the State of Kansas, the North Central
Association, and most recently have joined the American Association of
Paralegals and the Kansas Association of Paralegals.
3. Our tuition is VERY reasonable. Because we are a state sponsored school
we have a two-tier tuition system (set by the state legislature). In state
students pay $53.50 per credit hour while out of state students pay just
over $90 per credit hour. Compare that to many private schools that charge
as much as $250 per credit hour. We also compare very favorably with most
state schools as well.
4. ALL law classes are