Admission Requirements

You will normally be granted regular admission status under the following standards:

• A grade-point average of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale) calculated on: a) the last 60 hours of undergraduate work before receipt of the baccalaureate degree, or b) the last 60 hours of undergraduate work before receipt of the baccalaureate degree plus any graduate course work taken at an accredited college or university.
• All applicants must complete an interview with the director of legal studies. The interview with the director is an approximately half-hour meeting to introduce prospective students to the program, and the paralegal profession generally, and discuss program requirements, course selection, and academic and career advising. Applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview once their admissions application is complete.

Students with complete admission documents (transcripts, application, and test scores) who do not meet the above minimum requirement, but who have at least a 2.5 minimum grade point average (as calculated above) may apply for conditional admission.  The request should include a personal statement explaining any special circumstances that would otherwise qualify the student for admission to the program; and letters of recommendation from persons who could comment upon the applicant’s ability to perform in the requested area of study. If the applicant is approved for conditional admission, the director of legal studies will recommend to the dean of The Graduate College the stipulations and requirements for conditional admissions.

International students must have a score of 530 or better on the paper-based TOEFL, 78 (internet-based) with minimum section scores of 19/reading, 19/listening, 19/speaking and 18/writing, or an IELTS (academic) score of 6.5 or higher with minimum individual module score of 6.0 before being considered for admission. This requirement is not waived for an international student who has a degree from a university in the United States.

Both the M.A. and paralegal studies programs have been approved by the American Bar Association and offer graduate instruction. These programs do not qualify persons to practice law.