Paralegal Programs Offered by Massachusetts Bay Community College
Massachusetts Bay Community College appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Paralegal Degree Programs.
Paralegals provide licensed attorneys with help as they prepare for upcoming cases and as they work in their offices. Massachusetts Bay Community College offers two different programs that include classes for future paralegals. The first is a paralegal studies certificate, which is available from the college’s Division of Business & Professional Studies. Students only take two semesters of classes, but they will take at least four classes each semester. Those classes include Litigation for Paralegals, Legal Research and Writing and Principles of Business Law. The program also includes Introduction to Paralegal Studies, which is a course that goes over some of the things that paralegals do on the job.
An Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies is another program offered by the college. Though it is available from the same division, this program includes more classes and four semesters of work. Students must take Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Litigation for Paralegals and Legal Research and Writing before they can do an internship. The internship allows students to see what paralegals do on the job and form some connections in the legal field in Massachusetts. Most students do an internship at the beginning or the end of their second years.
To earn a degree in paralegal studies, students must take a minimum of 62 credits of classes. In addition to paralegal studies courses, they’ll also take general education courses. The college offers placement tests to determine if students need to take introductory classes in math and English or if they can take more advanced courses. Some students can place out of those subject areas too. To give students a better understanding of business and management, the college requires that they take both Principles of Business Law and Principles of Management. Massachusetts Bay Community College expects paralegal studies majors to also take Legal Research and Writing II.
About Massachusetts Bay Community College
Massachusetts Bay Community College is a junior college that commonly uses the nickname MassBay. Established in 1961, it is one of the largest community colleges in Massachusetts. The college opened during a time when students wanted to receive practical training and earn degrees that did not require they spend four years in school. MassBay was one of the first community colleges established in the state for those students. It opened with two campuses in Boston and Watertown that welcomed fewer than 500 students. More than a decade later, the college established a permanent campus in Wellesley Hills after taking over an old high school campus. The popularity of that campus led to the college opening new branches in Framingham in the 1970s and Ashland in the 2000s. That Ashland campus is now home to the automotive technology programs offered by the college.
MassBay offers a number of opportunities for current students and prospective students. It has a mentor program that pairs minority students with mentors working in STEM fields. This program helped increase the number of students enrolling in its STEM programs since its introduction in 2014. Another program helps reduce the costs of earning a bachelor’s degree for students who spend at least two years at MassBay. The college also offers cheap tickets for students who want to attend orchestra events on the campus. MassBay now has an enrollment of close to 5,000 students across all the certificate and degree programs offered on all its campuses.
Massachusetts Bay Community College Accreditation Details
The criminal justice and early childhood education programs are just some of those offered by MassBay that have program accreditation. MassBay itself also has regional accreditation. That comes from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). After an extensive review of the college’s policies and standards, the organization found that it met the requirements for accreditation. MassBay can help students in different ways due to this accreditation, including giving them federal and state financial aid and letting them bring credits with them from high school or college.
Massachusetts Bay Community College Application Requirements
As MassBay does not have an application deadline, students can apply whenever they want or need. It takes an average of one week for the college to process an application and send a response to that student. Those applying must have either a high school diploma or an equivalent, though the college also accepts students who finished a home school program. Prospective students who have questions about the application or the college itself can attend an information session. MassBay often attends college events on campuses across the state too. Once they submit the application, they can send in their transcripts.
Not all students attending MassBay need to follow the same steps. Those taking one or two classes can register online. The college does not ask for an application and allows those students to transfer the classes to another school. This is a good choice for full-time university students who want to take classes in the summer. Students applying for dual enrollment credits while in high school will use a different application that asks about where they currently go to school. The college also has a separate application for those who previously attended MassBay and want to enroll again.
Tuition and Financial Aid
MassBay offers different tuition rates for its many students. Students who are Massachusetts residents and take daytime or traditional classes pay $24 per credit hour for tuition, but with fees added in, they pay $212 per credit hour. This price rises to $428 for nonresidents taking traditional classes. Students pay the same rate based on whether they are residents in the evening and weekend programs offered by the college. The nursing programs at MassBay charge higher rates.
One of the best ways to pay for college is with student employment. Students who demonstrate more need on the FAFSA qualify for work study. They can get jobs from the college that pay at least minimum wage, and the college will make efforts to find positions that relate to their majors. The FAFSA can help students get other types of aid, including grants and subsidized loans. MassBay has payment plans for students who need more time to pay their expenses too. Both the paralegal studies programs at Massachusetts Bay Community College allow students to take out loans and use other types of financial aid.
