Paralegal Degrees Offered at The Sage Colleges
Check out our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Paralegal Degree Programs.
The Sage Colleges offers a pre-law studies minor, Bachelor of Science in Law and Society, and an Accelerated Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science to Juris Doctorate.
The pre-law studies minor is recommended for students seeking to attend law school. Students learn about modern political systems, economics, human behavior, and ethics and theories of justice. The program requires 18 credit hours. The courses include Research in Law and Government, Writing as Persuasion, Constitutional Interpretation, and Presidential Speeches. Students also select three additional pre-law courses after discussion with their advisor.
The Bachelor of Science in Law and Society involves an interdisciplinary study of law, criminal justice, sociology, and psychology. The program focuses on the connection between law and human behavior and the role of law in today’s society. A total of 120 credits are needed for completion of the degree. The courses include Introduction to Law, Criminal Justice Functions and Processes, Writing in Law and Society and Beyond, Legal Research, Current Constitutional Issues, Psychology and Law, Restorative Justice, Legal Ethics, Capstone Seminar in Law and Society, and Field Internship in Law and Society. Students must also complete a pathway in criminal justice, legal, psychology, or sociology.
The Accelerated Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science to Juris Doctorate is offered through a partnership with Sage College and Albany Law School. Students start at Albany Law School after completion of their junior year at Sage College. They receive a bachelor’s degree and then a Juris Doctorate. Students select a major that can be completed in three years at Sage College. Students must take the Law School Admission Test and receive a score at or above the median score from the previous year’s entering class as Albany Law School.
About The Sage Colleges
The Sage Colleges is a private institution of higher learning in Troy, New York. It is made up of the Russell Sage College for women in Troy, New York and the Sage College of Albany for both men and women in Albany, New York. The Sage Colleges was founded in 1916 by Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage. It was established to honor Margaret’s late husband. It started out as a school for women. The college granted its first bachelor’s degree in 1918 and first graduate degree in 1942. It began educating men in 1949. Today, The Sage Colleges is home to more than 3,000 students on its Troy and Albany campuses. It operates on the semester-based academic calendar.
The Sage Colleges offers more than 50 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees through Russell Sage College, Sage College of Albany, Sage Graduate Schools, and Sage Professional and Continuing Education. It offers competitive programs in the liberal arts and sciences and interdisciplinary programs in biology, business, law, and various other areas. The college is committed to providing a lively learning environment that offers varied interdisciplinary academics, community engagement opportunities, study abroad options, and an array of athletic and artistic activities. The Sage Colleges is also dedicated to the empowerment of students. It provides students with various opportunities to advance both professionally and personally to achieve life goals. The college encourages students to practice creative problem solving, leadership, critical thinking, collaboration, community engagement, and design thinking. The student to faculty ratio is 10 to one, with the average class size of 16 students. The most popular majors include business, marketing, management, performing arts, biological sciences, social sciences, and health professions.
The Sage Colleges Accreditation Details
The Sage Colleges is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to grant bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
The Sage Colleges Application Requirements
The Sage Colleges is deemed less selective, with a 93 percent rate of acceptance every year. Students must submit the following materials for the application process:
Undergraduate
- Online application or the Common App
- Official high school transcript
- Official transcripts from previous colleges and universities
- Personal essay or graded paper
- One guidance counselor and one teacher recommendation
- Optional submission of standardized test scores
Graduate
- Online graduate application
- Official transcripts from previous colleges and universities
- Current resume
- One to two-page career goals essay
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition
Undergraduate
- Full-time students: $15,192 per semester
- Part-time students: $1,013 per credit hour
- Online: $400 to $590 per credit hour
Graduate
Tuition varies by the specific program, ranging from $645 to $940 per credit hour for campus-based courses. Online courses range from $590 to $725 per credit hour.
Financial Aid
The Sage Colleges is dedicated to offering high-quality affordable education. About 89 percent of full-time undergraduate students receive some type of need-based financial assistance. The average amount is $18,231. The Sage Colleges offers scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study options to assist students.
Scholarships
- Sage Merit Scholarships
- The Sage Grant
- Alumnae/Alumni Award
- Opalka Family Scholarship
- Barbara Gural-Steinmetz RSC 1972 Endowed Scholarship
- Upton Scholarship
Grants
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
- Tuition Assistance Program
Loans
- Federal Subsidized Direct Loan
- Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan
- Federal Parent Direct PLUS Loan
- Federal Graduate Direct PLUS Loan
Federal Work-Study
The Federal Work-Study program is funded by the federal government, and it allows eligible students to work on a part-time basis to earn money to help pay for college-related expenses. Students must demonstrate a significant financial need on their FAFSA. Those who qualify have the ability to work up to 20 hours per week while they are enrolled in classes. The pay depends on each student’s situation, but the hourly rate is no less than the current federal minimum wage.
Paralegal and related degrees provide students with a solid understanding of the concepts and practices of law and today’s dynamic legal field. The paralegal degrees offered at The Sage Colleges prepare students for an array of jobs in various sectors, including law firms, government agencies, nonprofit entities, and legal departments of businesses and organizations.
