The Associate of Science in Legal Studies offers a foundation in legal doctrine, along with the analytical, technical, and communication skills often required in the legal field. This associate degree program will aid you in doing your part to help solve aspects of the complex societal challenges associated with the public’s ability to access justice by providing a foundation for those interested in nonlawyer paraprofessional fields, such as paralegal, legal assistant, legal analyst or technician. By equipping you for ethical service and leadership, the knowledge gained from this online program is applicable to many industries seeking individuals with legal expertise, such as law firms, government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations or businesses with legal departments.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Apply legal research and writing skills in realistic legal contexts.
- Develop critical thinking and legal analytical skills.
- Demonstrate proficiency with law office equipment and software.
Degree at a Glance
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Major Required | 21 | |
| Final Program Requirements | 3 | |
| Elective Requirements | 6 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 60 | |
Degree Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (30 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Arabic I | ||
| Arabic II | ||
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Survey of Photography | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Image Enhancement using Adobe Photoshop® | ||
| French I | ||
| French II | ||
| German I | ||
| German II | ||
| Introduction to Japanese | ||
| Literature of American Encounters, Revolution, and Rebellion | ||
| From Abolition to #MeToo: Literature of the American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Leadership in World Literature: Antiquity to the Early Modern Period | ||
| Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz and Rock | ||
| World Music and Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese | ||
| Introduction to the Study of Religion | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Russian I | ||
| Spanish I | ||
| Spanish II | ||
| Thinking and Acting Ethically | ||
| Civics, Political and Social Sciences (6 semester hours) | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| World Archaeology | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Humanities & Education | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Business | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Health Sciences | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in STEM | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Security & Global Studies | ||
| Social Media and Society | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Humane Education: A Global Interdisciplinary Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Geography | ||
| Practical Food Safety and Awareness | ||
| International Relations I | ||
| Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| American Government I | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Race & Religion | ||
| Hope and Resilience | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| American Popular Culture | ||
| Exploring Society and Cultures via Science Fiction | ||
| Communication: Writing, Oral, and Multimedia (9 semester hours) | ||
| COMM120 | Information and Digital Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL110 | Making Writing Relevant | 3 |
| ENGL115 | Argumentation and Rhetoric | 3 |
| History (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| American History to 1877 | ||
| American History since 1877 | ||
| World Civilization before 1650 | ||
| World Civilization since 1650 | ||
| Western Civilization before The Thirty Years War | ||
| Western Civilization since The Thirty Years War | ||
| African-American History before 1877 | ||
| African-American History since 1877 | ||
| History of the American Indian | ||
| History of Science | ||
| The History and Context of STEM | ||
| Mathematics and Applied Reasoning (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Accounting for Non Accounting Majors | ||
| Fundamentals of Programming | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| College Trigonometry | ||
| Pre-Calculus | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Math for Liberal Arts Majors | ||
| Calculus | ||
| Natural Sciences (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Biology | ||
| Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Introduction to Geology | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science | ||
| Introduction to Physics | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to STEM Disciplines | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110 - Making Writing Relevant. |
Major Required (21 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LSTD100 | Introduction to Law for Paralegals | 3 |
| LSTD201 | Litigation | 3 |
| LSTD202 | Real Estate Law | 3 |
| LSTD203 | Criminal Law and Procedure for the Paralegal | 3 |
| LSTD205 | Legal Research and Writing | 3 |
| LSTD207 | Civil Practice and Procedure | 3 |
| LSTD210 | Legal Ethics | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
Final Program Requirements (3 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LSTD298 | Sophomore Seminar in Legal Studies 1 | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 3 | |
| 1 | To be taken as the last course before graduation. |
Elective Requirements (6 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select any courses comprised of lower (100-200) level courses not already taken to fulfill the requirements listed above. Additional general education courses may be taken to fulfill elective requirements. | 6 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 6 | |