The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Legal Studies prepares graduates for career advancement in legal assisting, paralegal, and other law-related professions. The program is designed to provide in-depth understanding of the legal system as it relates to the law, the courts, clients, and lawyers. The curriculum encompasses both generalist and specialist courses as recommended by the American Bar Association. The core curriculum provides a solid foundation of legal, ethical, technical, and communication skills. Subsequent to completion of the core, students have an opportunity to focus on specific areas of interest by taking elective coursework in the areas of litigation, probate, family law, criminal law, and international law.
Program Admission Requirements
Submit a FGCU Undergraduate Admission Application and satisfy all applicable university admission requirements.
Satisfy common prerequisites with a grade of C or better.
Satisfy general education program requirements.
Program Requirements
FGCU General Education Program (GEP) (36 hrs) Refer to the General Education Program for more information.
Communication (6 hrs)
Mathematics (6 hrs)
Humanities (9 hrs)
Social Sciences (6-9 hrs)
Natural Sciences (6-9 hrs)
Note: At least one Natural Sciences course must include a laboratory or field component. Courses meeting this requirement contain a “C” or “L” in their course numbers.
Common Prerequisites None.
Required Courses in the Major (45 hrs*)
CCJ 1020 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)*
CJE 1000 Introduction to Law Enforcement (3)*
CJL 4064 Constitutional Criminal Procedure (3)
CJL 4510 Courts and Legal Issues (3)*
PLA 1003 Introduction to Law (3)*
PLA 3203 Courtroom Techniques (3)
PLA 3273 Negligence & Tort Litigation (3)
PLA 3428 The Law of Contracts (3)
PLA 3700 Ethics for Legal Assistants (3)
PLA 3763 Law Office Management (3)
PLA 3800 Family Law Issues (3)
PLA 4116 Research & Document Drafting (3)
PLA 4600 Florida Trusts, Estates & Probate (3)
PLA 4612 Commercial & Residential Real Estate Transactions (3)
PLA 4850 American Jurisprudence Seminar (3) *These courses are waived for students with an AS in legal studies or paralegal assisting from a Florida public community college. This waiver reduces the total required hours in this category to 33.
Restricted Electives (12 hrs)
Select 9 hours from the following:
CJL 4110 Substantive Criminal Law (3)
PLA 3240 Alternative Dispute Resolution (3)
PLA 3433 Business Organizations (3)
PLA 3572 Travel Law (3)
PLA 3632 Condominium & Association Law (3)
PLA 3634 Land Use and Ownership (3)
PLA 3733 Legal Technology (3)
PLA 4530 Elder Law (3)
PLA 4614 Real Estate Litigation (3)
PLA 4565 Certified Legal Assistant Review (3)
PLA 4570 Globalization and the Rule of Law (3)
PLA 4608 Probate Litigation (3)
PLA 4913 Independent Research (1-3)
PLA 4933 Special Topics (3)
PLA 4940 Internship (1-6)
Or other upper division electives approved in advance by the advisor in criminal justice, political science, law, business, or other fields
Select 3 hours of communication courses (COM, ENC, SPA, and SPC prefix) at the 3000 level or higher. See an advisor for approval.
University Requirements (3 hrs)
IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3)
Additional Electives (variable)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS REQUIRED: 120 HRS
Additional Graduation Requirements
Students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 120 credit hours.
A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
At least 48 of the 120 hours must be in the upper division (3000 and higher).
At least 30 of the last 60 hours must be earned at FGCU.
Satisfy CLAST, Gordon Rule writing and computation, and foreign language entrance requirements
Satisfy Service Learning requirement. See www.fgcu.edu/connect/
