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General Studies Paralegal studies
#11
Right up front I'll say everyone else who has posted are the experts and I am NOT.  Just wanted to say if your own personal roadmap is to get a degree to be a paralegal, that's great.  I personally know someone who graduated from TESU with a liberal arts degree who was accepted into law school.  You might not have to take a detour to get there just aim straight for it?
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#12
(08-09-2021, 10:46 PM)k-k-k-katy Wrote: Right up front I'll say everyone else who has posted are the experts and I am NOT.  Just wanted to say if your own personal roadmap is to get a degree to be a paralegal, that's great.  I personally know someone who graduated from TESU with a liberal arts degree who was accepted into law school.  You might not have to take a detour to get there just aim straight for it?

Agreed.  I think I'm confused by the OP's wants/needs.  Do you want to become a paralegal?  Or do you want to go to law school?  Or both?

I think if your goal is to go to Law School, your best bet is getting a degree where you'll have more graded credits, and it doesn't matter what the degree is in.  English is supposed to be a popular major as pre-law, since you're going to be doing a TON of writing in law school.

Either way, you need to do your research on which law school you want to go to, and see what they require - do they want a paralegal degree? (I seriously doubt it).  Do they want a CJ degree? (again, prob not).  If you can get ANY degree, then it's just a matter of choosing something you enjoy that you'll get good grades at.  Also make sure you have the number of graded credits they want to see (60? 30?). Then go get the degree you need.
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers  DSST Computers, Pers Fin  CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone  Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats  Ed4Credit Acct 2  PF Fin Mgmt  ALEKS Int & Coll Alg  Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics  Kaplan PLA
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#13
Do not get a criminal justice degree! It has little to do with law. CJ is for law enforcement, corrections, community supervision, and human services. It has little benefit in the legal field unless you want to only focus on helping the destitute in criminal law. CJ is a social science.

If you want to become a paralegal, complete a certificate program. If you want to go to law school, complete a bachelor's degree in anything. Political science is the most common degree among law students, but that's due to self-selection. In other words, it just so happens that political science majors are most interested in law school; it doesn't improve your chances of getting into law school. Those who score the highest on the LSAT tend to have majored in something that required strong analytical skills, such as physics or philosophy.

You should major in something that will lead to a career you will like or can tolerate just in case you change your mind or can't get into law school.

Note: CJ is one of the worst majors for law school because of the low LSAT scores and law schools' low opinions of the academic rigor of CJ programs. I wrote a research paper on this.

If you find yourself wanting a law-related degree, even though it is neither required nor recommended for law school, search for legal studies programs. Legal studies degree programs are more numerous than paralegal studies degree programs.

As of January 1, 2020, ABA approves 100% online paralegal programs. I made a thread in the general distance education sub-forum.
Graduate of Not VUL or ENEB
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AAS, AS, BA, and BS
CLEP
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DSST
Life Dev Psych 62, Fund Coun 68, Intro Comp 469, Intro Astr 56, Env & Hum 70, HTYH 456, MIS 451, Prin Sup 453, HRM 62, Bus Eth 458
ALEKS
Int Alg, Coll Alg
TEEX
4 credits
TECEP
Fed Inc Tax, Sci of Nutr, Micro, Strat Man, Med Term, Pub Relations
CSU
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SL
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#14
Hi there,

If I may, I recommend you take a degree program that is more general in nature like English or Psychology. You don't need a Paralegal degree to work as one and it may hurt you in the future to have one in case you change your mind about the field. What you do need is to understand human nature and write well, as most of your job will be interviewing people and looking up laws and creating documents for attorneys. You will also need writing and understanding people as skills in any job. What I did to supplement my degrees was a paralegal certificate course. They can be completed online- they do NOT have to be ABA approved, but those that are ABA approved will likely cost more. (Check your state requirements as regulations will vary by state but in most cases an ABA program is not needed.)

At Charter Oak, up until recently, all degrees were General Studies with a concentration but now Charter Oak does offer some non-general studies tracks. I have had some employers confused about what general studies means, but largely, it has not hurt my chances of getting a good job. However, I think that may have more to do with my other qualifications than the degree itself.

I earned my certificate through this website: https://www.legalstudies.com/paralegal-certificate/ It's $1595 now. I think when I took it, it was $1080. I think it's best to be qualified in certain fields that are vast and be able to fall back on so that even if the economy tanks, there is hope for employment somewhere and that will give you a leg up. Legalstudies.com actually partners with multiple schools. When you pick your course, you get to choose which school you graduate from. Since I'm from GA, I picked a GA school. I think the most prestigious schools you can partner with are Auburn University or Texas A and M. I did get my Victim Advocacy certificate as well as my Criminal Investigations certificate using LegalStudies.com as well and partnered with Texas A and M that way. I hope this helps! I consider it a really well-kept but awesome secret! Let me know if you have any further questions! Good luck!!!
(08-09-2021, 04:12 PM)Raine Wrote: I am looking for a paralegal degree to bolster my chances of getting a good job in that field. I was looking into schools and found charter oak. I am wondering what my official transcripts will say, will it say Bachelor's of General Studies in Paralegal studies? If so has anyone found that to be hinderance to them finding a job?
Harvard Extension School- HESA President- 2024
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Harvard Uni- Kennedy School of Gov.- PLC- Public Leadership Credential- 01/2023
Bottega Uni- MBA-Feb. 2022
Kennesaw State Uni- BA English-Dec. 2021
Charter Oak State College- BS/AS Psychology- 2013
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#15
(08-22-2021, 06:59 PM)sanantone Wrote: Do not get a criminal justice degree! It has little to do with law. CJ is for law enforcement, corrections, community supervision, and human services. It has little benefit in the legal field unless you want to only focus on helping the destitute in criminal law. CJ is a social science.

If you want to become a paralegal, complete a certificate program. If you want to go to law school, complete a bachelor's degree in anything. Political science is the most common degree among law students, but that's due to self-selection. In other words, it just so happens that political science majors are most interested in law school; it doesn't improve your chances of getting into law school. Those who score the highest on the LSAT tend to have majored in something that required strong analytical skills, such as physics or philosophy.

You should major in something that will lead to a career you will like or can tolerate just in case you change your mind or can't get into law school.

Note: CJ is one of the worst majors for law school because of the low LSAT scores and law schools' low opinions of the academic rigor of CJ programs. I wrote a research paper on this.

If you find yourself wanting a law-related degree, even though it is neither required nor recommended for law school, search for legal studies programs. Legal studies degree programs are more numerous than paralegal studies degree programs.

As of January 1, 2020, ABA approves 100% online paralegal programs. I made a thread in the general distance
[quote pid='345282' dateline='1629676788']
Sorry,  I don't mean to steal the OP's thread.
[/quote]
May I ask your opinion? My child wants to be a private investigator/ detective. Not law enforcement. I thought she should pursue a BACJ-TESU. Dual enrollment in CC offered some paralegal courses. I thought working as a paralegal would help her learn the system, do research/ interview, that kind of stuff. And then move up to PI with some experience. Upon further research, I found out that 6 particular courses allow her to take the paralegal Bar exam after she finishes her BACJ. So she is taking those paralegal courses as a highschool junior. The plan is to graduate high school, finish up with TESU, then do paralegal exam. Does it sound to you like we are on the right track for her end goal, PI? TIA
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#16
I would suggest maybe getting a generic degree at COSC (for generic employment purposes) and then enrolling at UMPI as soon as she turns 20: https://online.umpi.edu/programs/ The UL courses for a CJ degree at TESU aren't cheap. If she can get them for free/low cost through HS duel-enrollment, that might be worth it if she's going to get a CJ degree.
In progress:
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#17
(09-24-2021, 04:13 PM)Sunshine7612 Wrote:
(08-22-2021, 06:59 PM)sanantone Wrote: Do not get a criminal justice degree! It has little to do with law. CJ is for law enforcement, corrections, community supervision, and human services. It has little benefit in the legal field unless you want to only focus on helping the destitute in criminal law. CJ is a social science.

If you want to become a paralegal, complete a certificate program. If you want to go to law school, complete a bachelor's degree in anything. Political science is the most common degree among law students, but that's due to self-selection. In other words, it just so happens that political science majors are most interested in law school; it doesn't improve your chances of getting into law school. Those who score the highest on the LSAT tend to have majored in something that required strong analytical skills, such as physics or philosophy.

You should major in something that will lead to a career you will like or can tolerate just in case you change your mind or can't get into law school.

Note: CJ is one of the worst majors for law school because of the low LSAT scores and law schools' low opinions of the academic rigor of CJ programs. I wrote a research paper on this.

If you find yourself wanting a law-related degree, even though it is neither required nor recommended for law school, search for legal studies programs. Legal studies degree programs are more numerous than paralegal studies degree programs.

As of January 1, 2020, ABA approves 100% online paralegal programs. I made a thread in the general distance
[quote pid='345282' dateline='1629676788']
Sorry,  I don't mean to steal the OP's thread.
May I ask your opinion? My child wants to be a private investigator/ detective. Not law enforcement. I thought she should pursue a BACJ-TESU. Dual enrollment in CC offered some paralegal courses. I thought working as a paralegal would help her learn the system, do research/ interview, that kind of stuff. And then move up to PI with some experience. Upon further research, I found out that 6 particular courses allow her to take the paralegal Bar exam after she finishes her BACJ. So she is taking those paralegal courses as a highschool junior. The plan is to graduate high school, finish up with TESU, then do paralegal exam. Does it sound to you like we are on the right track for her end goal, PI? TIA
[/quote]


Which state are you in? Knowing the licensing requirements for private investigators is important. My state will only give credit for a bachelor's in CJ.
Graduate of Not VUL or ENEB
MS, MSS and Graduate Cert
AAS, AS, BA, and BS
CLEP
Intro Psych 70, US His I 64, Intro Soc 63, Intro Edu Psych 70, A&I Lit 64, Bio 68, Prin Man 69, Prin Mar 68
DSST
Life Dev Psych 62, Fund Coun 68, Intro Comp 469, Intro Astr 56, Env & Hum 70, HTYH 456, MIS 451, Prin Sup 453, HRM 62, Bus Eth 458
ALEKS
Int Alg, Coll Alg
TEEX
4 credits
TECEP
Fed Inc Tax, Sci of Nutr, Micro, Strat Man, Med Term, Pub Relations
CSU
Sys Analysis & Design, Programming, Cyber
SL
Intro to Comm, Microbio, Acc I
Uexcel
A&P
Davar
Macro, Intro to Fin, Man Acc
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#18
(09-24-2021, 04:13 PM)Sunshine7612 Wrote:
(08-22-2021, 06:59 PM)sanantone Wrote: Do not get a criminal justice degree! It has little to do with law. CJ is for law enforcement, corrections, community supervision, and human services. It has little benefit in the legal field unless you want to only focus on helping the destitute in criminal law. CJ is a social science.

If you want to become a paralegal, complete a certificate program. If you want to go to law school, complete a bachelor's degree in anything. Political science is the most common degree among law students, but that's due to self-selection. In other words, it just so happens that political science majors are most interested in law school; it doesn't improve your chances of getting into law school. Those who score the highest on the LSAT tend to have majored in something that required strong analytical skills, such as physics or philosophy.

You should major in something that will lead to a career you will like or can tolerate just in case you change your mind or can't get into law school.

Note: CJ is one of the worst majors for law school because of the low LSAT scores and law schools' low opinions of the academic rigor of CJ programs. I wrote a research paper on this.

If you find yourself wanting a law-related degree, even though it is neither required nor recommended for law school, search for legal studies programs. Legal studies degree programs are more numerous than paralegal studies degree programs.

As of January 1, 2020, ABA approves 100% online paralegal programs. I made a thread in the general distance
[quote pid='345282' dateline='1629676788']
Sorry,  I don't mean to steal the OP's thread.
May I ask your opinion? My child wants to be a private investigator/ detective. Not law enforcement. I thought she should pursue a BACJ-TESU. Dual enrollment in CC offered some paralegal courses. I thought working as a paralegal would help her learn the system, do research/ interview, that kind of stuff. And then move up to PI with some experience. Upon further research, I found out that 6 particular courses allow her to take the paralegal Bar exam after she finishes her BACJ. So she is taking those paralegal courses as a highschool junior. The plan is to graduate high school, finish up with TESU, then do paralegal exam. Does it sound to you like we are on the right track for her end goal, PI? TIA
[/quote]

I would not get the BACJ at TESU, it's much too expensive, as you can't get it entirely with alt-credit.  Instead, I would look for more Dual Enrollment courses in CJ, trying to get some UL if possible.  And if you want/need a CJ degree, I think you're better off waiting for her to be old enough for UMPI, or else going to a school that will take some ACE credit, and allowing 90cr of transfer.  Here are a few I know about that cost <$12k for the residency-portion using discounts if available):

Franklin University is $398/cr, they give a 10% discount if you take 4 SL courses, and they accept 94cr for transfer including ACE, D grades, NA schools, and they have 3+1 programs with 237 CC's in 30 states

SNHU is $320/cr, and they accept 90cr for transfer including ACE

UMGC is $300/cr, they offer a 10% discount if you bring in 4 SL courses, or a 25% discount if you bring in 1 OD course; they have a max transfer policy of 70cr from CC/Alt-credit combined + 20cr from a 4yr school (so max 90cr), but they accept 90cr of transfer from Study.com (under a partnership agreement)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS INFO HASN'T BEEN CHECKED IN A WHILE, SO I'M GOING BASED ON WHAT I KNOW FROM THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WITH THESE SCHOOLS - PLEASE VERIFY THIS BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS!!
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers  DSST Computers, Pers Fin  CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone  Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats  Ed4Credit Acct 2  PF Fin Mgmt  ALEKS Int & Coll Alg  Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics  Kaplan PLA
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#19
(09-24-2021, 04:58 PM)sanantone Wrote:
(09-24-2021, 04:13 PM)Sunshine7612 Wrote:
(08-22-2021, 06:59 PM)sanantone Wrote: Do not get a criminal justice degree! It has little to do with law. CJ is for law enforcement, corrections, community supervision, and human services. It has little benefit in the legal field unless you want to only focus on helping the destitute in criminal law. CJ is a social science.

If you want to become a paralegal, complete a certificate program. If you want to go to law school, complete a bachelor's degree in anything. Political science is the most common degree among law students, but that's due to self-selection. In other words, it just so happens that political science majors are most interested in law school; it doesn't improve your chances of getting into law school. Those who score the highest on the LSAT tend to have majored in something that required strong analytical skills, such as physics or philosophy.

You should major in something that will lead to a career you will like or can tolerate just in case you change your mind or can't get into law school.

Note: CJ is one of the worst majors for law school because of the low LSAT scores and law schools' low opinions of the academic rigor of CJ programs. I wrote a research paper on this.

If you find yourself wanting a law-related degree, even though it is neither required nor recommended for law school, search for legal studies programs. Legal studies degree programs are more numerous than paralegal studies degree programs.

As of January 1, 2020, ABA approves 100% online paralegal programs. I made a thread in the general distance
[quote pid='345282' dateline='1629676788']
Sorry,  I don't mean to steal the OP's thread.
May I ask your opinion? My child wants to be a private investigator/ detective. Not law enforcement. I thought she should pursue a BACJ-TESU. Dual enrollment in CC offered some paralegal courses. I thought working as a paralegal would help her learn the system, do research/ interview, that kind of stuff. And then move up to PI with some experience. Upon further research, I found out that 6 particular courses allow her to take the paralegal Bar exam after she finishes her BACJ. So she is taking those paralegal courses as a highschool junior. The plan is to graduate high school, finish up with TESU, then do paralegal exam. Does it sound to you like we are on the right track for her end goal, PI? TIA


Which state are you in? Knowing the licensing requirements for private investigators is important. My state will only give credit for a bachelor's in CJ.
[/quote]
North Carolina
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#20
North Carolina requires three years of private investigator experience or three years of investigative experience with a law enforcement or other government agency. Some private investigations companies will hire entry-level surveillance investigators, so that's an option to gain experience. I checked Indeed, and there are only a few entry-level openings for private/surveillance investigators in the entire state. You should probably start a separate thread.
Graduate of Not VUL or ENEB
MS, MSS and Graduate Cert
AAS, AS, BA, and BS
CLEP
Intro Psych 70, US His I 64, Intro Soc 63, Intro Edu Psych 70, A&I Lit 64, Bio 68, Prin Man 69, Prin Mar 68
DSST
Life Dev Psych 62, Fund Coun 68, Intro Comp 469, Intro Astr 56, Env & Hum 70, HTYH 456, MIS 451, Prin Sup 453, HRM 62, Bus Eth 458
ALEKS
Int Alg, Coll Alg
TEEX
4 credits
TECEP
Fed Inc Tax, Sci of Nutr, Micro, Strat Man, Med Term, Pub Relations
CSU
Sys Analysis & Design, Programming, Cyber
SL
Intro to Comm, Microbio, Acc I
Uexcel
A&P
Davar
Macro, Intro to Fin, Man Acc
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