With a Bachelor of Science Degree in Legal Studies from the Montgomery campus of Faulkner University, graduates are ready to work as paraprofessionals, assisting lawyers and specialists throughout the legal field. This program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), and graduates will receive an ABA-approved paralegal certificate along with the legal studies degree. Furthermore, students who plan to pursue a legal studies degree find that the B.S. in Legal Studies program provides them with the experience and education they need to make a strong application to law school.
Goals and Curriculum
In this exciting and challenging course of study, students receive a solid foundation in communication skills, western tradition, mathematics, sciences, ethics, and Bible studies. The intensive legal studies portion of the Bachelor of Science degree in legal studies covers a wide variety of legal principles and skills that prepare graduates for work in civil, criminal, family, and probate law.
Requiring a total of 120 credit hours to earn the degree, the Christian-faith-based curriculum consists of the following:
Core Curriculum (56 hours)
- Christian Literacy: 18 hours
- Biblical Worldview I: 3 hours
- Biblical Worldview II: 3 hours
- Understanding the Bible: 3 hours
- Christian Ethics: 3 hours
- Marriage & Family: 3 hours
- Christian Cultural Heritage: 3 hours
- Cultural Heritage Literacy: 9 hours
- Western Tradition I: 3 hours
- Western Tradition II: 3 hours
- American Heritage: 3 hours
- Information and Communication Literacy: 9 hours
- English Composition I: 3 hours
- English Composition II: 3 hours
- Survey of English Literature I or Survey of American Literature I or Survey of American Literature II: 3 hours
- Mathematical and Scientific Literacy: 7 hours
- Finite Math (or higher): 3 hours
- One course from Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, or Physics, with companion lab: 4 hours
- Personal and Social Literacy: 7 hours
- Lifetime Fitness: 3 hours
- Faulkner Foundations or Faulkner Foundations - Transfer: 1 hour
- Introduction to Criminal Justice or any social science: 3 hours
- Speech Communication: 3 hours
- Computer Apps: 3 hours
Professional Literacy (64 hours)
- Legal Studies: 37 hours
- Introduction to Paralegalism I: 3 hours
- Legal Research and Writing: 3 hours
- Law Office Management: 3 hours
- Paralegal Ethics: 3 hours
- Tort Law: 3 hours
- Principles of Litigation: 3 hours
- Evidence for Paralegals: 3 hours
- Advanced Legal Writing: 3 hours
- Professionalism Seminar: 3 hours
- Constitutional Law: 3 hours
- Interview and Interrogation: 3 hours
- Directed Study: 3 hours
- Internship: 3 hours
- Mock Trial: 3 hours
- Choose three of the following: 9 hours
- Criminology: 3 hours
- Private Security: 3 hours
- Terrorism: 3 hours
- Cyber Crime Investigations: 3 hours
- Criminalistics: 3 hours
- Courts: 3 hours
- Criminal Justice Ethics: 3 hours
- Criminal Behavior Analysis: 3 hours
- Juvenile Justice: 3 hours
- Corrections: 3 hours
- Community-Based Policing: 3 hours
- General Electives: 18 hours (at least 6 hours of the general electives must be upper-division credits)
Guidelines for Transferring Credits
Students who plan to transfer existing credits when applying to the B.S. in Legal Studies degree program should be aware of the following:
- The ABA-approved program is available only at the Montgomery campus of Faulkner University.
- At least 9 hours of Legal Specialty courses must be taken in the traditional or synchronous classroom setting (not online).
- A minimum residency of 40 percent at the Montgomery campus is required for all transfer students.
- Faulkner University requires at least 36 upper-level credits for all bachelor’s degree programs.
In addition, the Legal Studies degree program accepts no more than 50 percent of legal specialty courses in transfer. These must be from regionally accredited institutions. Transfer students also must complete a handful of other requirements. See our student handbook for complete information.
Objectives:
- To offer a curriculum in which Legal Studies’ students demonstrate a broad understanding of substantive law and procedural law.
- To prepare Legal Studies’ students to apply non-complex legal concepts to factual situations, compose basic legal arguments, and produce basic legal documents such as pleadings, contracts, discovery, briefs, motions, settlement and closing forms, and wills.
- To prepare Legal Studies’ students to demonstrate the ability to conduct basic legal research of primary and secondary sources, validate research results, and cite primary and secondary sources using Bluebook citation form and use appropriate legal terminology that is common in written and oral legal communication.
- To prepare Legal Studies’ students to demonstrate the personal and professional ethics that are expected in the workplace, identify appropriate work ethics for a law office or other legal environment, and demonstrate application of these ethics.
- To prepare Legal Studies’ students to demonstrate interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace.
- To graduate Legal Studies’ students who have an understanding of the paralegal career, skills needed, and employment opportunities available in private practice, government agencies, and corporate legal department.
Start Your Career with a Legal Studies Degree in Montgomery, AL
For students who are attracted to a career in law, whether as a paraprofessional or a lawyer, the B.S. in Legal Studies degree at Faulkner University is a great choice. The program at the Montgomery campus is approved by the American Bar Association, and graduates also receive an ABA-approved paralegal certificate. With an ethical course of study, solidly based on Christian values, students are prepared to uphold equal justice and social responsibility in the AL legal system. Apply now or request more information about our legal studies degree today.