Types of Training Programs Available

There are more than 500 paralegal programs in the United States.  Each program is designed to meet the needs of various geographic areas and students.  Some programs are designed for the high school graduate entering a junior college for a two-year degree.

Other programs offer a four-year degree with a major or concentration in paralegal studies.  Still others are located within continuing education divisions. The program at Texas State is a graduate study program in which a student, after receiving a bachelor’s degree, enters a concentrated post-graduate course of study and earns a professional certificate, along with a master's degree.

Paralegal programs can be distinguished as either a “proprietary” school, which is a business and not connected with an educational institution or funded by tax revenue, or an educational program connected with a college or university whose curriculum, faculty, and goals are regulated by the state.