Advising
The program coordinator is your academic advisor for the ABA-approved Paralegal Studies Program. This means that you should contact the program coordinator as soon as you are accepted at Eastern Michigan University and/or have declared your major as paralegal "intent". All transfer students, incoming first-year students and second bachelor’s degree candidates should also contact the Program Coordinator after your acceptance at EMU and your initial meeting with EMU’s Academic Advising Office. Program students want to get started on the right foot towards a successful degree path. Skipping the step of contacting the program coordinator for help with academic advising is ill advised.
There are a few tips that will help you have a successful academic advising meeting with the program coordinator. Remember that you are entering a profession and you should always be prepared for meetings! If you follow these TIPS, you will be on your way to an exciting Inside the Law Program of Study:
Eight tips for planning for your advising appointment:
- Prepare ahead of time.
- Review the EMU Catalog and/or the website so that you know what Gen Ed and other courses you need to take to complete your degree.
- Review the Standard course schedule on this website. The schedule will tell you when the required Paralegal Studies courses are offered, allowing you to plan around other course work and employment.
- Look at the standard schedule of paralegal courses and the EMU Catalog to make sure you know what prerequisites are required for the courses you want to take.
- You need a minimum of 124 total hours to receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Paralegal Studies, which may not include prerequisites. There are other graduation requirements so review the EMU Catalog.
- You need a minimum of 50 credit hours to receive a second bachelor’s degree. If you are a transfer student, make sure all of your transcripts have been sent to EMU’s Office of Admissions. The program coordinator cannot assess transfer credit until the credit has been accepted by the University.
- If you are a second bachelor’s degree student, first meet with the second bachelor’s degree advisor, in EMU’s Academic Advising Office, and then bring your program of study to the program coordinator for review and approval.