

American National University’s Paralegal studies online curriculum was designed with input from working professionals in the legal industry, focusing on relevant legal subjects such as real estate, bankruptcy, immigration, and tort law. You will also develop an understanding of how to use industry-standard legal research skills as well as skills in understanding legal terminology and drafting legal documents in our paralegal associate’s degree program.
Students are required to take 16 quarter hours of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction. Remember: paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
In addition to comprehensive paralegal training online, you will gain career skills needed to succeed in a highly competitive legal marketplace through an optional 120-hour externship at a local business or organization. Students will take the Paralegal Certification exam offered through Lexis+® Certification Program as part of the PLG207 Legal Research and Writing course.
ANU’s online paralegal associate degree program is designed to provide graduates with a broad based understanding of the core areas of law and the court system. This includes legal terminology and how to understand legal documents, contracts, and other legal material. Graduates are prepared to draft routine pleadings and other legal documents, interview clients, conduct independent research of non-legal matters and simple legal questions, and draft legal memoranda. The coursework and instructors will prepare graduates to take the national paralegal certification exam.
Upon successful completion of our paralegal degree program, graduates will be able to:
Our online paralegal associate degree program is available through ANU’s eUniversity. With our distance learning program, we bring the university to you. You can take all your required paralegal classes online with videoconferencing.
Also available, Paralegal Studies Certificate.
American National University is an institutional member of AAfPE (American Association for Paralegal Education).
Distance = Synchronous video & asynchronous online learning.
See our eLearning page for details on our exciting and innovative course delivery methods.
92 credit hours required/184 quality points required. All courses are 4 credit hours
Program Core (Required) 28 total credit hours required
PLG102 Introduction to Paralegal Studies
4 Credit Hours
This course provides students with an overview of what a paralegal should be prepared for in the workplace. All of the basic areas of paralegal studies are covered: careers, ethics and professional responsibility, pretrial preparation, trial procedures, criminal law, legal interviewing and investigation, legal research and analysis, computer-assisted legal research, legal writing, and the impact technology is having on the profession. This course also provides instruction in substantive law, including bankruptcy, contracts, intellectual property, torts, product liability, real property, estates, business organizations, and family law.
PLG207 Legal Research and Writing
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – ENG102, PLG102) This course is designed to provide an introduction into the basic principals in the study and practice of legal research and writing. Students will learn the methods and tools necessary to conduct legal research and analysis and how to write legal documents. Students will take the Paralegal Certification exam offered through Lexis+® Certification Program as part of this course.
PLG214 Family Law
4 Credit Hours
This course introduces the students to the fundamental concepts of family law as they pertain to marriage and divorce. Topics covered in the course include ethics, adoption, divorce, marriage, child support and custody, and the agreements encountered in family law.
PLG215 Torts and Personal Injury
4 Credit Hours
This course goes through the general concepts of civil law and then proceeds to the intentional torts and defenses, followed by an in-depth examination of negligence law. From there, the student will learn about product liability, business torts, ethics, and an explanation of the impact of insurance coverage on bringing and defending tort cases. This course discusses how technology is impacting the day-to-day practice of law and the impact it can have on practitioners.
PLG229 Legal Office Procedures
4 Credit Hours
Legal Office Procedures provides an overview of the legal industry, law office functions, and the essential skills students will use throughout their legal career. Students will learn the parameters and policies of the business of law, ethics, and the functions and procedures common to a law office environment.
PLG250 Pretrial Discovery and Trial Preparation
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – PLG207) This course combines the theories and principles of law with the practical paralegal skills, ethics, and the goals and needs of the paralegal profession. Students will learn about client counseling and investigative techniques and processes, draft pleadings and motions, explore the discovery process, and learn about what the paralegal’s role is in assisting at trial. This course also examines how technology relates to the civil litigation arena.
PLG262 Criminal Law and Procedure
4 Credit Hours
This course provides an in-depth and thorough presentation of criminal law as it applies to the paralegal. Topics covered in the course include ethics, search and seizure, confessions and Miranda, arraignment, specific kinds of crimes, including crimes against person, crimes against property, and crimes against public morality and health. Students will also learn the day-to-day activities of paralegals, from meeting with the clients to preparing appellate briefs.
Program Core (Select 4) 16 total credit hours required
BUS223 Sales and Contract Law
4 Credit Hours
This course provides an examination of the principles of law as they relate to contract and the application of the uniform commercial code as it relates to sale-of-goods contracts.
MED160 Health Care Law and Ethics
4 Credit Hours
Introduction to law and ethics pertinent to medical careers. Topics include legal issues that are important to health care professionals, including the foundations of law and ethics as well as professional, social, and interpersonal health care issues.
PLG213 Medical Records Analysis
4 Credit Hours
Students taking this course will study medical terminology, major body systems, HIPAA, medical records, Functional Capacity Evaluations, Medicare Set-Asides, Physician Opinion Letters, Life Care Plans, Subpoenas for medical records and medical release forms.
PLG216 Estate Administration and Elder Law
4 Credit Hours
This course is divided into two parts. In the first 5 weeks, the students learn wills, trusts, and estate administration. During this time, students learn the responsibilities and duties that a paralegal performs under the supervision of an attorney when drafting a will, trust, or assisting with the administration of a decedent’s estate. Students also learn the terminology and general principles of law that are the bases for drafting wills and trusts or planning and administering an estate. This course includes material on inheritance rights for same-sex couples, estate tax changes, and the disposition of assets.
In the last 5 weeks of the course, students learn the terminology and legal framework of Elder Law. Topics discussed in the course include advance directives, guardianships/conservatorships, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, estate planning, housing, discrimination, end-of life issues, and ethics.
PLG232 Bankruptcy and Collections Procedures
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – PLG207) This course provides the student with the fundamentals of bankruptcy law. Students will learn the substantive law of bankruptcy, the rules of procedure that control how the substantive law of bankruptcy is implemented, and ethics.
PLG252 Real Estate Practices
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – PLG207) In this course, students will learn the legal concepts necessary for a thorough understanding of real estate law. This course provides instruction in the fundamental concepts of real estate law, residential and commercial closings, landlord and tenant law, real estate litigation, basic ownership rights, estates and tenancies, methods of title holding, various categories of real property, governmental and private ownership restrictions, legal descriptions of property, real estate brokers, the basic real estate contract, deeds, liens on property, real estate financing, and title examination and insurance. This course also discusses ethics and the potential ethical problems that may rise in real estate practice.
PLG299 Paralegal Externship
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – PLG207, PLG229, PLG250 and must be taken in the last two terms) This course offers paralegal students the opportunity to obtain practical experience and apply paralegal theory in practical settings by working 120 hours in a business or organization under supervision of experienced legal/paralegal professionals.
Career Support (Select 5) 20 total credit hours required
BUS+ Business Elective
BUS+ Business Elective
BUS+ Business Elective
BUS+ Business Elective
COM151 The Microsoft® Office
4 Credit Hours
This is an introductory course that provides a comprehensive study of The Microsoft® Office. This course is a combination of lecture and hands-on training.
COM235 Spreadsheet Applications
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – COM151) Students taking this course will learn how to use Microsoft® Access and Microsoft® Excel to prepare databases and spreadsheet applications.
General Education: At least 1 from each discipline required; 28 total credit hours required
Written and Oral Communication
ENG102* English Composition
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – ENG090 if applicable) Students taking this course will study and discuss rhetoric, style, and composition, with special emphasis on written communication skills.
ENG126 Oral Communication
4 Credit Hours
Students taking this course will develop the ability to express themselves effectively in public and private settings.
Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic
LOG215 Thinking Critically
4 Credit Hours
This course introduces students to the process of critical thinking and offers knowledge and experience that can be applied to academic, professional, and personal growth. Students will learn to examine and evaluate the information they are exposed to, confidently select appropriate evidence from conflicting data, and craft that evidence into viable answers or solutions. Material will be drawn from examples and scenarios based on actual academic and professional situations so that the application of knowledge will easily transfer to events outside of the classroom.
MAT101 Understanding Mathematics
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MAT090 if applicable) Students taking this course will examine the fundamental principles of mathematical theory and grow to understand the logic and inter-relationship of various mathematical functions.
MAT214 Algebra
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MAT090 if applicable) Students will learn algebraic problem solving, radicals, quadratic equations, polynomials, inequalities, and applied problem solving.
MAT220 Algebra and Basic Statistics
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. MAT090, if applicable) This course introduces algebra topics and basic elements of exploratory data analysis. This course will cover constructing, evaluating and analyzing mathematical models, specifically linear and exponential functions, to represent relationships in quantitative data.
Arts and Humanities
ETH205 Ethics
4 Credit Hours
Students taking this course will study ethical thought and ideals, with emphasis on the central assumptions of personal and social morality. Students will also investigate ethics and related problems in industry, civil society, and the typical American community.
GEN241 Cultural Appreciation
4 Credit Hours
The need for cultural awareness doesn’t just apply to one’s relationship with others; conflicting cultural perspectives often exist within the individual. Students will learn to appreciate their own heritage and understand how their heritage influences their perspectives while gaining an appreciation for the cultural heritage of those around them. Students will be challenged to think and discuss their beliefs and opinions in light of cultural influence and understand how those values affect their work ethic and working relationships. Course content will incorporate experiences similar to those that will occur in the vocation’s students have chosen to study.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
POL202 Political Science
4 Credit Hours
This course provides the student with the means and opportunity to engage their government as a concerned individual. Global political systems and principal theories will be examined and compared to events and decisions affecting each student at the local level. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to become participants in their local government and to recognize and understand the various challenges that influence local decisions. The information and skills students learn in this course may be applied to many professional fields.
PSY127 Psychology
4 Credit Hours
This course provides students with an overview of the fundamental principles and methods of psychology. Topics for discussion include biological basis of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, learning, motivation, developmental changes, personality, social behavior, and behavioral disorders.
PSY200 Human Growth and Development
4 Credit Hours
This course is designed to study human growth and development across the life span with emphasis upon normal growth and milestones achieved in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional systems. Professional consideration is given to understanding changes that occur at different stages of development, and how care and interaction with individuals needs to be appropriate for their stage of development.
SOC103 General Sociology
4 Credit Hours
This course is a combination of applied sociology, communications and interpersonal relations designed to acquaint the student with the tools for self-examination and understanding of business and social relationships.
Physical/Natural Science
ENV101 Environmental Science
4 Credit Hours
Environmental Science is a general course for non-biology majors in which students will explore the following basic principles: concepts required to understand interrelationships of the environment and the natural world; environmental problems both natural and man-made; risks associated with air, water, land pollution; health of humans and ecosystems; deforestation and climate change; overpopulation, and environmental law, economics, and ethics.
BIO101 Introduction to Biology
4 Credit Hours
Introduction to Biology is a general biology class for non-biology majors in which the following basic principles are explored: Characteristics of Life, Basic Biochemistry, Cell Structure and Function, Cell Metabolism and Reproduction, Genetics and Heredity, and Scientific Method. This class is intended for students who have never studied biology or who need to review basic biology.
CHM105 General, Organic and Biochemistry
4 Credit Hours
This course covers an introduction to general principles of chemistry providing an integrated approach to aspects of general, organic, and biochemistry. The course is designed to provide a background for students in nursing and other related allied health areas.
For all courses: See course description for applicable prerequisites.
* This program requires this General Education course or equivalent.
+Business Elective – Student may choose from any business course being offered.
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