UP Paralegal Programs
The University of Providence appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Best Value Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Paralegal Studies.
The University of Providence offers one of the only paralegal studies programs in the western United States with approval from the American Bar Association (ABA). There is both an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Paralegal and Legal Studies, which can be completed online. The university’s associate program takes just two years to finish and serves as an introduction to the world of legal studies. Many students will go to work for local law firms, but a small number actually stay at the university to earn a full bachelor’s degree. Both programs can prepare students for working as compliance officers and paralegals as well as for attending law school.
Students can actually major in both paralegal studies and go pre-law at the same time. This helps them meet some of the requirements that law schools have and prepares them to take the law school entrance exam. The Associate program includes 28 credits of legal courses, including Commercial Law, Introduction to Law, Introduction to Legal Analysis and Legal Research and Writing. Those working on a bachelor’s degree must take 22 credits of required courses such as Litigation and Trial Experience and Legal and Paralegal Capstone. They will also do a field experience. Some of the popular electives in this program include Military Law, Debt-Creditor Law, Personal Injury Law and Negotiations and Mediations.
The university also offers programs designed for future paralegals who want to work for the military. It has partnerships with both the Air Force and the Army that allow those in the military to sign up and take classes while they meet their enlistment orders. Each program teaches students how to do the research required to handle military court cases. University of Providence military students can earn an associate or a bachelor degree and transfer their credits when needed.
About University of Providence
The University of Providence is a small private university in Great Falls, Montana. Established in 1932 as a junior college, it opened as the Great Falls Junior College for Women. The college offered two-year programs for young women and had teachers from local religious groups running its classes. Citing the needs of male students, the college allowed young men to enroll in its programs just a few years later. Though the Great Falls Normal School later opened in the city, it merged with the junior college to form a brand new school. This school would serve as the College of Great Falls and then the University of Great Falls before becoming the University of Providence in 2017.
Also called UP, it now has a Telecom Distance Learning Program that allows students from all around the world to enroll in any of its programs. This distance learning program also meets the needs of military students and allows them to earn both undergrad and graduate degrees before they retire from the military. The university has both a School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a School of Health Professions. Both schools offer a wide range of classes and programs in fields such as paralegal studies, criminal justice, business, and education. Some of its paralegal studies majors take criminal justice courses. With both undergrads and graduate students included, UP has an enrollment of around 1,300 students.
University of Providence Accreditation Details
The NWCCU granted regional accreditation to UP. This is the main organization that handles accreditation in the northwest. The university only received its accreditation after showing that its programs actually offer real training and education for students. It created its own review committee of professors and students who work together to make sure that the university will retain its accreditation. The paralegal studies programs offered by the university have approval from the American Bar Association because each one meets the standards that the ABA put in place for programs of this type.
University of Providence Application Requirements
UP requires that students use the Common Application to apply. The Common Application allows students to create accounts and upload information or fill out sections. They can then use that same info as they apply to UP and any other colleges that interest them. The university also asks for official transcripts from the high schools and colleges that students attended, including any colleges where they took classes while in high school. They must provide an ACT or SAT score too. The university typically sends out decision letters within two weeks of receiving a completed application packet.
Students who receive an acceptance letter and want to attend UP must do a few other things. The university requires that they submit the FAFSA and apply for financial aid. Students must also pay a deposit of $150 that ensures the university reserves a spot for that individual in the coming semester. Those who want to live on the UP campus will also need to put down a $250 housing deposit. Prior to registering for classes, the university asks that students provide their official high school transcripts and vaccination records. Their transcripts must show the dates that they graduated from their high schools.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Most students attending UP will pay $814 per credit hour as a part-time student and $12,484 per semester as a full-time student. Part-time students can take up to 11 credits, while full-time students can take up to 18 credits. Online students will pay the same rate that part-time students do, no matter how many classes they want to take. Students who need to take prerequisite courses only pay $275 per credit hour for those classes. Military students who want to enroll in the paralegal studies program receive a discount that reduces their cost to only $250 per credit hour.
Financial aid packages are available to students who complete the FAFSA and use the UP school code on that document. This form determines whether undergrads will get any federal or state aid such as grants and student loans. More than 95% of UP students receive grants and scholarships from the university too. Any student with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher can apply for an academic scholarship. These scholarships provide students with a minimum of $16,000 a year, but students may get a full-tuition scholarship too. The University of Providence also offers a Catholic scholars scholarship for Catholic students who major in paralegal and legal studies.
