| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
| 2026-09-01 | - |
| 2027-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Paralegal – Honours Bachelor
Overview
The Honours Bachelor in Paralegal (HBPL) program at Durham College is designed to meet the increasing demand for accessible legal services and representation in Ontario. As the legal landscape evolves, so does the need for trained professionals who can provide comprehensive legal support in a variety of settings. This degree program offers students a pathway to become licensed paralegals, preparing them with the necessary skills to advocate for clients and navigate the complexities of the justice system.
Program Details
- Credential: Bachelor’s degree (honours)
- Location: Oshawa
- OCAS Code: HBPL
- Next Intake: September 2025
- Faculty: Faculty of Social and Community Services (SCS)
- Length: Nine semesters
- Delivery: In person
Admission Requirements
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or Mature Student Status
- Six Grade 12 U or M courses with a combined minimum average of 65% including:
- Grade 12 U English with a final minimum grade of 60%
- OR
- Six post-secondary credits with a combined minimum average of 65% including:
- College or university English or Communications with a final minimum grade of 60%
Tuition
- Year one domestic: $6,555 (CAD)
- Year one international: $19,141 (CAD)
Semester 1 Courses
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Communications for The Paralegal Profession (COMM 11001)
- The Private Law Of Torts and Contracts 1 (LAWW 11000)
- Introduction to The Law and Legal Systems Of Canada (LAWW 11001)
- Constitutional Law and The Charter (LAWW 11002)
Ministry Consent
Durham College (DC) has been granted consent by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to offer this applied degree for a seven-year term starting October 12, 2022. In conformity with the Minister’s criteria and requirements, DC will submit an application for the renewal of the consent for this program 12 months prior to the expiration of the consent. DC will ensure that all students admitted to this program will have the opportunity to complete the program within a reasonable time frame.
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 sixth and seventh 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.
Entrance Award
All eligible applicants to the Honours Bachelor of Paralegal degree program for the upcoming academic year, with a combined minimum non-weighted average of 75 percent and higher, will be considered to receive a first-year entrance award:
- 75% average – $500
- 80% average – $1,500
- 85% average – $2,000
- 90% average – $3,000
Paralegal Honours Bachelor Degree 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.
Paralegal Courses
Semester 1
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Communications for The Paralegal Profession (COMM 11001)
- The Private Law Of Torts and Contracts 1 (LAWW 11000)
- Introduction to The Law and Legal Systems Of Canada (LAWW 11001)
- Constitutional Law and The Charter (LAWW 11002)
Semester 2
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Technology for The Paralegal Profession (COMP 12000)
- The Private Law Of Torts and Contracts 2 (LAWW 12000)
- Provincial Offences: Prosecution and Defense (LAWW 12001)
- Research and Writing for The Paralegal Profession (RSCH 12000)
Semester 3
- Legal Accounting Principles and Practice (ACCT 21000)
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Small Claims Court (LAWW 21000)
- Criminal Justice System and Summary Convictions (LAWW 21001)
- Administrative Law: Procedural Fairness (LAWW 21002)
Semester 4
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- History and Philosophy Of Law (HIST 22000)
- Rights and Duties Of Residential Landlords and Tenants (LAWW 22000)
- Insurance Law: Automobile and Workplace Safety (LAWW 22001)
- Employment Law: Bargaining, Hiring and Disputes (LAWW 22002)
Semester 5
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Indigenous Law: Rights, Treaties and Protections (LAWW 31002)
- Critical Race Theories (SOCI 31000)
- Statistics (STAT 31000)
Semester 6
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Professional Ethics and Responsibilities (ETHC 32000)
- Field Placement Preparation (Non-Credit) (FDPL 32001)
- Paralegal Practice Before Administrative Tribunals In Ontario (LAWW 32001)
- Courtroom and Tribunal Advocacy Strategies (LAWW 32002)
- Research Methodologies In Law (RSCH 32002)
Semester F
- Field Placement - Degree (HBPL 46001)
Semester 7
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Methods and Strategies for Alternative Dispute Resolution (COMM 41000)
- Special Topics In Law (LAWW 41001)
- Adjudication and Writing Decisions (LAWW 41002)
- Thesis Project: Research Proposal Seminar (RSCH 41000)
Semester 8
- Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
- Evidence and Litigation Rules, Principles and Process (LAWW 42000)
- Courtroom and Tribunal Advocacy: Weekly Mock Trials (LAWW 42001)
- Paralegal Practice Management (MGMT 42002)
- Thesis Project: Research Analysis and Summary (RSCH 42000)
Costs for the Paralegal Honours Bachelor Program
Paralegal - Honours Bachelor 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 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
Paralegal - Honours Bachelor Year 3 Costs
- Semester 5
- Tuition: $3,277.35
- Program Fee: $0
- Ancillary Fee: $474.19
- DCSA Ancillary Fee: $430
- Total: $4,181.54
- Semester 6
- Tuition: $3,277.35
- Program Fee: $0
- Ancillary Fee: $474.19
- DCSA Ancillary Fee: $120
- Total: $3,871.54
Paralegal - Honours Bachelor Year 4 Costs
- Semester 7
- Tuition: $3,277.35
- Program Fee: $0
- Ancillary Fee: $474.19
- DCSA Ancillary Fee: $430
- Total: $4,181.54
- Semester 8
- Tuition: $3,277.35
- Program Fee: $0
- Ancillary Fee: $474.19
- DCSA Ancillary Fee: $120
- Total: $3,871.54
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.
Land Acknowledgement
Durham College is situated on the traditional lands of the First Peoples of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. These lands are covered under the Williams Treaties and rest within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to the Indigenous Peoples who care for and, through the treaty process, share the lands on which we live, learn, teach and prosper today.