School of Legal Studies

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Paralegal and Legal Studies Programs

Transfer of Legal Specialty Credit and Legal Specialty Credit by Examination of Portfolio Policies
To ensure that the quality and integrity of legal programs are maintained, the following policies apply to Legal Specialty courses:

• At least 40% of approved Legal Specialty courses must be completed at South College.
• Up to 60% of Legal Specialty courses may be submitted for evaluation by Program Director to ensure that the proposed transfer credit can be classified as Legal Specialty, meets the course objectives and practical skills to be developed for the course for which credit is proposed to be awarded, meets the needs of the legal community the program serves, and is comparable to course work offered within the program.
• The program reserves the right to refuse proposed transfer credit of any Legal Specialty course or other course offered by another institution.
• Legal Specialty course credit will not be awarded or accepted in transfer solely on the basis of portfolio or examination.
• A minimum of 16 quarter-credits or 10 semester-credits in total approved Legal Specialty courses must be completed in a traditional classroom format.

Graduate Programs

Admission

Applicants interested in graduate programs offered in the School of Legal Studies are required to meet individually, either in person or on the telephone, with an admissions representative and program faculty to discuss the program and all requirements. Applicants must provide a completed South College application for admission and a programmatic application. Those selected for admission will meet the following criteria:

• Evidence of successful completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• Evidence of a cumulative 2.5 undergraduate grade point average

For applicants who are unable to meet the aforementioned requirements of admission, conditional admission is an option. Students who are admitted conditionally may take graduate Criminal Justice courses and, if they attain a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their first three (3) graduate Criminal Justice courses, be admitted to the program. Any courses successfully completed by a conditionally admitted student satisfy the course requirements for graduation, as if the student was initially admitted in good standing. The faculty of the School of Legal Studies reserves the right to evaluate each application for conditional admission on a case-by-case basis. The Admissions Committee takes many factors into consideration, including but not limited to:

• Grade point average in the courses constituting the core of the applicant’s undergraduate major;
• Amount of time that has transpired between the applicant’s undergraduate degree completion and application to South College;
• Applicant’s work experience and accomplishments in their profession;
• Grade point average in graduate work at other accredited academic institutions.

Advanced Placement and Transfer of Credit

Applicants interested in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program should be aware that all courses in the curriculum are required and must be completed at South College. Transfer credits, experiential learning, or advanced placement from another institution’s program are not allowed.

Academic Standards, Student Progress, and Grading

Upon entering the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program, students are required to confer with the Dean of the School of Legal Studies to map out their course curriculum and requirements for degree completion. Students are also required to meet each quarter with the Graduate Program Coordinator for an academic progress review and registration approval for the next quarter. If a student voluntarily withdraws from the program, a formal application for reentry is required, and program requirements in effect at that time must be met. The student will be required to meet with the Dean of the School of Legal Studies for approval to reenter the program. Students will only be allowed to be readmitted to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program once.

The Dean of the School of Legal Studies will review each student’s scholastic achievement record at the end of each quarter. The academic standards that must be met by each student are outlined in the Academic Participation section. If a student fails to meet academic standards, the Dean will meet with the student in question. Depending on the nature of the academic deficiency, the Dean will determine the status of the student’s academic standing, which may include warning, probation, or dismissal from the program. The Categories of Academic Standing are:

Good Standing: Status of a student who has met course requirements in a satisfactory manner, and has demonstrated good professional behavior.
Warning: Status of a student whose performance in an academic course places him/her in jeopardy of falling below the minimum stated standards, or who has exhibited questionable professional behavior.
Probation: Status of a student whose performance in the program has fallen below the minimum stated standards, or who has exhibited unacceptable professional behavior.
Dismissal: Action whereby a student will be dismissed from the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program due to failure to adhere to academic standards. Dismissal will occur after review of the student’s academic or professional deficiency by the Dean of the School of Legal Studies.

Professional Behavior: For the purposes of this policy, unacceptable professional behavior shall be defined as inappropriate interpersonal communications (either written or verbal) directed towards South College faculty, staff, or fellow students, or actions and demeanor deemed inappropriate by the Dean of the School of Legal Studies.

The causes of and consequences for receiving a Warning, Probation, or Dismissal are:

Warning

A student who receives a grade of less than 70% on any key course assessments will receive a warning from the Criminal Justice Graduate Program Coordinator or the Dean of the School of Legal Studies.

Warning for Key Course Assessments.
Students placed on an intervention are provided a written plan that details learner outcomes to be remediated and a timeline for completion. The Master of Science Graduate Program Coordinator will prepare the plan and work with the student to ensure its completion. Successful completion of the intervention plan is required before approval is granted for enrollment in coursework the following quarter. Failure to complete the intervention plan may result in the receiving an unsatisfactory final grade.

Probation

A student will be placed on probation if his/her cumulative GPA falls below a 2.33 on a 4.00 scale.

Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.33.
A student with a cumulative GPA below 2.33 at the end of any quarter will receive notification from the Dean of the School of Legal Studies that he/she is on Probation. If the student fails to raise his/her cumulative GPA to a 2.33 at the end of the next quarter, he/she will be dismissed from the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Program. If the student raises his/her cumulative GPA to a 2.33 or higher at the end of the next quarter, he/she will be removed from Probation. If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below a 2.33 a second time, he/she will be dismissed from the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program.

Dismissal

Action whereby a student will be dismissed from the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program due to failure to adhere to academic and program requirements.

1. A student fails (a grade below 70%) any course;
2. A student has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.33 at the end of any quarter and then fails to raise his/her cumulative GPA to a 2.33 or higher at the end of the next quarter;
3. A student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.33 a second time:
4. A student’s professional conduct violates the performance standards set forth in the South College Academic Honor Code, the South College Standards of Student Conduct, or for unprofessional behavior of criminal activity.

South College reserves the right to dismiss at any time a student who, in its judgment, is undesirable and whose continued enrollment is detrimental to him/herself or his/her fellow students or whose presence is disruptive tothe learning environment, or the orderly operation of the College.

Following dismissal, a student may appeal the dismissal by providing the Dean of the School of Legal Studies a written letter of appeal. The appeal will be considered by the associated School of Legal Studies faculty and Dean. If the appeal is approved, the student will be allowed to return to the program for the designed period in a probationary status. All stipulations of the approved appeal must be met in order for the student to be returned to Good Standing. Failure to meet appeal stipulations will result in program dismissal.

Grading

Course instructors determine the final grade in all courses. Grades are based on the requirements of each course and the performance of each student on these requirements that include course participation, completion of assignments, and a final examination or final research project. Examples of assignments include writ- ten assignments, research projects or papers, presentations with use of technology, reading assignments, and professional development activities. The weight or value of assignments is found on the course syllabus.

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of 2.33 to remain in the graduate program.

Academic Participation

Students are expected to log in and participate in weekly online class sessions each quarter. Online participation includes, but is not limited to, logging into Canvas course sites each week, completing online assignments, completing quizzes, and participating in discussion boards or online chats. For each quarter credit hour assigned to a course, students should expect 10 hours of direct faculty contact and 20 hours of out of class work.

Course Syllabi and Objectives

For every course, students will be provided with a complete syllabus, which includes specific, measurable, course goals and learning objectives, outlining the intended scope of the course. Course descriptions and course schedules will also be included. Students are expected to learn all information identified in the course goals and learning objectives and should expect to be tested on such material. Each instructor, in concert with the Dean of the School of Legal Studies, reserves the right to alter the syllabus as time, teaching material, or the necessity of a sequenced, integrated Criminal Justice curriculum dictate. Any altered materials will be made available to the student. If there are questions regarding course goals, course objectives, learning objectives, or expected course outcomes, the student is expected to direct his/her questions first to the Course Instructor, then to the Dean of the School of Legal Studies.

Graduation Requirements

In order for a student to graduate from a graduate level program in the School of Legal Studies, the student must be in a good academic and professional standing, have had satisfactory progress in all quarters of the academic program, and satisfactorily complete the following:

1. Successfully complete the required quarter credit hours of academic course work.
2. Evidence a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.33 or above for the required coursework.
3. Achieve a letter grade of “C” or better in all academic courses.
4. Complete all required South College and Program documents in preparation for graduation.
5. Honor all professional and financial obligations to South College.

South College reserves the right, and the student, by the act of matriculation, concedes to give South College the right to require withdrawal at any time the college deems it necessary to safeguard the standards of scholarship, conduct, and compliance with regulations, or for such other reasons deemed appropriate by South College as set forth in the South College Student Handbook and/or the South College Catalog.

Additional Requirements

South College provides computer and Internet access to staff, faculty, and students while on-campus. Online students are required to secure their own access in their personal environments. Each student should bring his/her laptop to the on-campus orientation at the beginning of the program and to the end of the program sessions. Developing computer skills is critical to the success of students in the program and in practice. Though not a requirement for admission, students are expected to possess computer skills prior to matriculation. Please see the South College website for information regarding minimum computer requirements. Students are required to purchase a student version of SPSS (computer program used for statistical analysis) at the beginning of the program at a cost of approximately $100.

Programs

• Paralegal Studies, AAS

• Criminal Justice, AS
• Investigation and Security, AS
• Paralegal Studies, AS

• Criminal Justice, BS
• Legal Studies, BS

• Criminal Justice, Certificate
• Investigation and Security, Certificate
• Paralegal Studies, Certificate
• Paralegal, Certificate
• Public Administration for CMJ Professionals, Certificate

• Criminal Justice, MS

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