Bachelor's Programs in Paralegal Studies

Students attending a college or university full-time can typically earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, after completing approximately 120 semester or 180 quarter units of formal coursework. Majors, minors and emphases are available in paralegal studies, and usually require between 18 and 45 semester hours of courses specific to the field. General education classes, such as mathematics, science, history and English, and elective classes comprise the remainder of the semester hours. Graduates may earn a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science in paralegal studies, depending on the issuing institution.


With the additional two years of study allotted to a bachelor’s degree program, students may elect to take both a survey of legal specialty classes that will allow them to work as generalists and to begin to specialize within one or more areas of the law. Areas of specialization include intellectual property, estate planning and probate, corporate law and family law. Management classes may also be available to paralegal students. Between the general liberal arts education, legal generalist courses, legal specialization and management, graduates with a bachelor’s degree may pursue a wide variety of employment options. ABA approved paralegal schools can be found here.