Paralegal Studies

This outline covers all four semesters of your at-home degree program. You will receive credit for previous college coursework if you meet Penn Foster standards. If you wish to receive credit for previous coursework, contact the college you attended and ask that your transcripts be forwarded to Penn Foster for evaluation. There is a non-refundable transcript processing fee of $30. All previous college work must have been completed with a grade of "C" or better, and as much as 50% of the required credits may be transferred. We will also credit your tuition for all the courses that are acceptable.

System Requirements
You will need access to a Microsoft® Windows®-based computer to complete this program.  Penn Foster recommends the following as minimum specifications: Pentium® II or better processor, using Microsoft® Windows® XP or later. You will also need access to the Internet and Microsoft® Office 2007 to complete portions of this program.

If English is not your primary language.
All applicants whose primary language is not English or who have not earned a degree or diploma from an accredited institution where English is the principle language of instruction, must receive a TOEFL score of 500 on the paper-based test (TOEFL) 61 on the IBT or its equivalent. For more information, please refer to www.toefl.org.

SEMESTER ONE

Basic Skills Assessment
All degree applicants are required to complete two Basic Skills Assessments, one in reading and one in math, to determine the level of readiness for beginning their selected program. Additional studies may be required.

PLS101 — Introduction to Paralegal Studies (1 credit)
Introduction to the paralegal occupation and a discussion of strategies for completing the paralegal studies program as an independent learner. Value of the paralegal to the practice of law as it is conducted in the traditional legal community as well as in government, education, and business.

ENG103 — Information Literacy (1 credit)
Teaches students to become effectively literate in finding and utilizing information at libraries and other information centers, and through electronic resources available in libraries and on the Web.

PLS105 — Legal Terminology (2 credits)
Introduces the student to the broad range of basic legal terminology needed to begin a career as a paralegal. Instructs how to avoid inaccuracies that can give rise to serious legal consequences. Also presents the basics of critical thinking as essential to the drafting of good legal arguments.

ENG100 — English Composition (3 credits)
Develops the basic principles of good writing. Students learn to write clear, coherent, and structurally varied sentences, providing details to support their ideas. Also teaches how to revise and edit writing. (Required textbook included with this course.)

PLS110 — Ethics (2 credits)
Professional responsibilities that apply to paralegals as they assist their employers and their clients. These responsibilities include maintaining confidentiality and competence, handling fees and funds carefully, and avoiding unauthorized practice of law, conflicts of interest, and potential malpractice.

PLS113 — Law and the Legal System (2 credits)
Students will define law, learning the moral and value systems from which our laws have sprung. The material will then cover the federal and state court systems as well as the trial and appellate process.

CSC104— Computer Applications (3 credits)
Computer and Internet basics; computer hardware and software; digital electronics and file management; introduction to Windows®; pc applications in word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software.

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER TWO

HUM106 – Interpersonal Communication (1 credit)
Developing more effective personal communication skills to increase chances for professional success; increasing skills levels involving the use and selection of words, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions, listening skills, as well as overall physical appearance.

PLS114 – Investigations and Interviews (2 credits)
Types of questions that can be used in an interview; identification of the objectives of
an interview; ethical considerations about interviewing; summarizing the information obtained through an interview.

PLS121 – Torts (3 credits)
Principles of tort law that an attorney applies in a personal injury practice; the importance of the attorney-paralegal team in the practice of personal injury law; basics of the legal system, and the elements of the most common intentional and unintentional torts are discussed.

BUS213 – Business Law 1 (3 credits)
American court practice and procedure; torts; employment law; international law; environmental law; contract law.

BUS214 – Business Law 2 (3 credits)
Sales; consumer law; commercial paper; property law; agency relationships; partnerships, organizations, and limited liability companies.

MAT106 – Mathematics for Business and Finance (3 credits)
Percentages; discounts; interest; present worth; sinking funds; installment buying; pricing; depreciation; investments; insurance; use of symbols and their applications, equations and formulas; importance of statistics.

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER THREE

BUS121 – Economics 1 (3 credits)
Macroeconomics; the cost of living; monetary systems; international factors; short run economic fluctuations.

PLS202 – Legal Research and Writing (4 credits)
Provide training in the kind of research and writing that students will actually be doing as paralegals, including the use of lexis.com, other online resources and traditional print sources in order to complete three writing and research projects.

General Education Elective (choose one) (3 credits)

SSC130 – Essentials of Psychology
Biology and behavior; consciousness; memory; thought and language; intelligence; personality and gender; stress; community influences.

SSC150 – Foundations of Political Science
The normative questions of politics; logical and empirical analysis of political questions.

PLS205 – Civil Litigation (3 credits)
Use of the court system to resolve disputes; involvement of paralegals in litigation support, including discovery; alternative dispute resolution methods; how paralegals can develop their skills as arbitrators and/or mediators in these methods.

General Education Elective (choose one)( 3 credits)

HUM102 – Art Appreciation
Artistic media; historical periods and artistic movements; roles of the artist and the viewer; art criticism.

HUM104 – Music Appreciation
Appreciating music; roles of composer and listener; principles of music theory and instrumentation; historical periods; varying styles of music.

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER FOUR

PLS211 – Criminal Litigation (3 credits)
Introduction to the practice and theory of criminal law; substantive criminal law; criminal procedure; criminal responsibility; major felonies recognized in most if not all jurisdictions; constitutional dimensions of criminal procedure; practical aspects of the criminal justice process.

ENG121 – Business and Technical Writing (3 credits)
Writing styles; ABC method of organizing material; grammar (parts of speech, active and passive voice, complete sentences vs. sentence fragments; parallel construction); using action verbs; constructing paragraphs; writing memos, business letters, and e-mails; organizing material; conducting research; documenting sources; outlining; providing illustrations; writing reports, proposals, descriptions, instructions, articles, and manuals.

PLS213 – Family Law (3 credits)
Description of the current state of family law and the role of the attorney-paralegal team within it; changes in the practice of family law.

PLS215 – Real Estate Law (3 credits)
Introductory course in real property law; basics of real property law; areas of a modern real estate practice; preparation for assisting transactional real estate attorneys; legal forms used in real estate law.

PLS217 – Wills and Estates (3 credits)
Basic, practical, everyday duties of paralegals working in the fields of wills, trusts, and estate administration; terminology and general principles of law that are the basis for drafting wills and trusts; planning and administering estates.

General Education Elective (choose one) (3 credits)

SCI140 – Nutrition
Personal decision-making about nutrition; nutrition science; water; exercise; human growth and aging; safety of the food supply; the global view.

SCI120 – Introduction to Biology
An introductory course that explains the origin of life and the relationships between all living things. It describes how a significant number of organisms are structured and how they work, in order to enable students to discuss intelligently the various forms of life and their processes

Proctored Examination*

A High School Diploma or GED is required to enroll in the Paralegal Studies program. Although this outline covers all four semesters of the Paralegal Studies Degree Program, you receive lesson materials for each semester as you enroll.

* As a degree candidate, you will take a proctored examination at the end of each semester on selected courses within that semester. We make it easy because you pick the location and the person you want to supervise the exam, as long as Penn Foster College's established policy and qualifications are met. Complete information packets with procedures will be provided well in advance, before completion of final semester coursework.

NOTE: Advanced standing student shipments may vary from the above schedule

Requirements for employment as a paralegal may vary from state-to-state. You should contact your state bar association for information on the educational requirements for paralegals in your state.

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.

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