Program Overview

Paralegal Specialty Certificate Programs

The University of South Florida offers Paralegal Specialty Certificate programs designed to help individuals advance their legal careers. These self-paced online programs provide the opportunity to concentrate on high-demand segments of the law.

Program Details

• Complete the online programs at your own pace, with no trips to campus required.
• Learn from a distinguished faculty of legal professionals. Each participant is assigned their own judge mentor and facilitator.
• Earn a sought-after credential backed by a major research university.
• Showcase your skills and stand apart from colleagues and competitors with a USF digital badge for your social media profiles.

Curriculum & Course Details

Each Paralegal Specialist Certificate Program includes two required courses and one elective. The programs cover various areas of law, including:

• Bankruptcy Law: Examine the paralegal role at every stage of a bankruptcy proceeding, and learn a practical introduction to the code and rules.
• Elder Law: Explore the legal realities of America’s growing elderly population, including advance directives, guardianship and conservatorship issues, Medicaid and Medicare planning, and more.
• Employment Law: Study the history of employment law, labor and unions, ADA, sexual harassment, discrimination, age discrimination, and employees' rights.
• Healthcare Law: Gain essential information necessary for careers in the growing health care sector, including the types of health care entities, laws, and ethics that govern them.
• Immigration Law: Understand U.S. laws and regulations to help protect refugees, bring needed workers to the U.S, prevent separation of and reunite families, and provide relief to foreign nationals facing removal proceedings.
• Intellectual Property Law: Learn about the four fields of intellectual property law: trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets.
• Law Office Administration: Acquire knowledge of the legal industry, understanding of how a law office functions, and essential skills.
• Litigation Law: Study Evidence Law, combining content with relevant cases to learn and analyze the legal reasoning and court decision-making process.
• Personal Injury Law: Gain an accessible overview of tort law for paralegals working on personal injury matters.
• Real Estate Law: Delve into the legal theories and terminology, explaining why real estate law is a world onto itself, while introducing increasingly complex real estate concepts and transactions.

Requirements

Successful participants in these programs have already completed their Paralegal Certificate, have a degree in Paralegal Studies, or have substantive experience (at least 4 years) as a Paralegal.

Tuition and Funding

• The cost of the program is $1,995.
• Possible funding through CareerSource.
• A 10% discount is available for USF alumni, USF faculty and staff, USF faculty and staff family members, USF students, and veterans on select courses and programs.

Program Format and Duration

• Format: Self-paced online.
• Duration: Access to the course for 6 months.