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| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Program Overview
The Honours Bachelor of Paralegal (HBPL) program is grounded in the entry-level competencies of a licensed paralegal in Ontario and the complex legal thinking required to practice in court and tribunal proceedings. In Canada, legal services are not exclusively provided by lawyers; there are professions that provide legal services under varying degrees of lawyer supervision, including law clerks, legal assistants and paralegals. In Ontario, Paralegal is established as a licensed and regulated profession that can work independently within a prescribed scope of practice.
Intakes and Availability
| Date | Domestic Availability | International Availability |
|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | Open |
Program Highlights
- Resources
- Resources
Admission Requirements
- Ontario College Diploma in Paralegal from Durham College with a minimum average of 60 per cent to be eligible to receive a block of transfer credits.
Tuition
- Year one domestic: $6,555 (CAD)
- Year one international: $19,141 (CAD)
Semester 1 Courses
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Constitutional Law and The Charter (LAWW 11002)
- Indigenous Perspectives on Canadian Law (LAWW 31002)
- Statistics (STAT 31000)
Career Options
- Licensed Paralegal
- Community legal worker
- Prosecutor
- Legal assistant
- Law clerk
- Tribunal Adjudicator
Experiential Learning
Students will have the opportunity to gain work-integrated learning experience in a supervised setting through a 14-week, 420-hour mandatory field placement between the second and third semesters. Field placement is an integral part of this degree program that allows the integration of fieldwork with academic studies to enable students to better understand the practical application of methods and techniques for organizing activities and working collaboratively in the field.
Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials
The Honours Bachelor of Paralegal degree program will develop future practitioners who have the requirements to apply to the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) to become a licensed paralegal or apply to graduate studies.
Meet Your Faculty Experts
- Dalton Burger
- Faculty Member, Faculty of Social and Community Services (SCS)
- Designations: LL.M. Osgoode Hall; LL.B. University of Ottawa; B.Soc.Sc. University of Ottawa. Credential: Lawyer
- Dalton Burger is a lawyer and full-time Professor of Law within the Faculty of Social and Community Services at DC. In addition, Professor Burger is a Deputy Judge of the Superior Court of Justice presiding over civil actions. He is also Vice-Chair of the Social Benefits Tribunal. In this executive position, he brings a wealth of leadership and focuses on the most complex legal appeals of social justice cases in Canada. A practicing lawyer of over 21 years and a Durham College faculty of over 11 years, he is a champion for access to justice through the use of technology involving virtual court hearings and is fluently bilingual, holding hearings in English and French.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate substantive, legal, and procedural issues to determine the legal remedies and facilitate access to justice.
- Present legal issues, arguments and solutions using a client-centred service-oriented practice to demonstrate alignment with client needs, objectives, and goals.
- Conduct research by identifying the legal context, issues, case law, legislation, and organizational rules and guidelines to interpret, summarize, and present legal research findings.
- Develop a cogent legal argument in accordance with/and supported by leading statutes and case law based on an organized body of relevant facts.
- Evaluate case details and seek support or referral to appropriate legal counsel to ensure compliance with the scope of practice for a paralegal.
- Advocate for a client’s legal position and access to the justice system by strategically employing methods of negotiation and analytical reasoning.
- Complete with accuracy, clarity, conciseness and organization a variety of documents used in paralegal practice.
- Evaluate personal and professional competence and access professional development opportunities to support continuous learning with the goal of meeting client needs.
- Manage and maintain personal and professional lifelong learning.
Course Delivery
- In person: Students will come to campus to complete in-person learning requirements. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
Costs
The fees below are estimates only based on information available at the time of publication, and do not include the cost of textbooks. There may be additional costs; however, not all courses require textbooks.
- Residency: Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident/International
- Started Academic Year In: Fall/Winter/Spring
Paralegal - Honours Bachelor (Paralegal Pathway) Year 1 Costs
| Semester 1 | Tuition: | $3,277.35 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fee: | $0 | ||
| Ancillary Fee: | $493.77 | ||
| DCSA Ancillary Fee: | $430 | ||
| Total: | $4,201.12 |
| Semester 2 | Tuition: | $3,277.35 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fee: | $0 | ||
| Ancillary Fee: | $493.77 | ||
| DCSA Ancillary Fee: | $120 | ||
| Total: | $3,891.12 |
Paralegal - Honours Bachelor (Paralegal Pathway) Year 2 Costs
| Semester 3 | Tuition: | $3,277.35 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fee: | $0 | ||
| Ancillary Fee: | $474.19 | ||
| DCSA Ancillary Fee: | $430 | ||
| Total: | $4,181.54 |
| Semester 4 | Tuition: | $3,277.35 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fee: | $0 | ||
| Ancillary Fee: | $474.19 | ||
| DCSA Ancillary Fee: | $120 | ||
| Total: | $3,871.54 |
Courses
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.
Semester 1
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Constitutional Law and The Charter (LAWW 11002)
- Indigenous Perspectives on Canadian Law (LAWW 31002)
- Statistics (STAT 31000)
Semester 2
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Field Placement Preparation (Non-Credit) (FDPL 32001)
- History and Philosophy Of Law (HIST 22000)
- The Private Law Of Torts and Contracts 2 (LAWW 12000)
- Research Methodologies In Law (RSCH 32002)
Semester F
- Field Placement (Mandatory non-credit) (HBPL 33000)
Semester 3
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Special Topics In Law (LAWW 41001)
- Adjudication and Writing Decisions (LAWW 41002)
- Thesis Project: Research Proposal Seminar (RSCH 41000)
- Critical Race Theories (SOCI 31000)
Semester 4
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Courtroom and Tribunal Advocacy: Weekly Mock Trials (LAWW 42001)
- Thesis Project: Research Analysis and Summary (RSCH 42000)
Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
