Paralegal Studies

Our fully online format allows us to be accessible to students all over the country and world. Courses are taught both synchronously and asynchronously by faculty with extensive professional backgrounds and real-life experiences working in the legal field.

ABA-Approved Certificate 

If you are ready to be a paralegal this certificate program is for you. It's offered full time over the summer or part time in the evenings during fall, winter and spring terms. Classes are delivered in a fully online format using both synchronous and asynchronous learning. 

Career Outlook

Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to continue to grow by 12 percent through 2030, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Statistics Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.

All prospective graduate students will be required to submit official transcripts from all colleges attended. Most programs require letters of recommendation and a personal statement. GMAT and LSAT scores are required for the schools of Business and Law, respectively. GRE scores are required for most doctoral programs and some master's programs. Other requirements could include a writing sample, resume, audition or interview.

International Students

If your undergraduate and/or graduate degrees are from an institution located outside of the United States, you must use a transcript credential evaluation service to obtain a course-by-course report. The official reports must be sent directly to Duquesne University from the organization you order through and will qualify as official transcripts. Please review our Transcript Credential Evaluation Instructions.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program. Many programs allow students to apply for the fall or spring semester. Some programs also allow for a summer start term.

Credit transfers

Generally, an academic department may accept credits from a regionally-accredited university that correspond to the Duquesne curriculum and in which you have earned at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
The program director of the program or department offering the course establishes the final determination of the acceptance or denial of transfer credits.