Does anyone have experinece and/or recommendations for an assocites degree in Paralegal Studies?  I am currently looking at Kaplan.  I really like that I can get the Associates from them, and then continue on to earn my Bachelors.  My ultimate goal will be a Bachelor's, and I figure I might as well pick up an Associate's on the way. 

 That being said, my main criteria are accredidation (sp?), transferability of credits, and a good, solid program.  My employer does 100% reimbursement so cost isn't a huge factor.   I do some Paralegal work now, but want the degree to gain more knowledge and to advance my career.  So, whatever college I pick should have credibility.  I thought about a B&M school that offers an online program, but haven't found any that offer an Associates Paralegal degree. 

Any comments/suggestions about a Paralegal degree or Kaplan would be greatly appreciated.

My sister-in-law is about to finish her AS in Paralegal Studies through American Public University -- that's the "sister" school to American Military University (AMU - which is where I'm studying).  She's been pretty pleased with the program and plans on continuing on into their BS in Legal Studies with hopes one day of going to law school.  She's living in Japan right now (her husband is a Sailor) so DL works great for her.  They are both regionally and nationally accredited.

Here's a link if you're interested:  American Public University  (www.apu.apus.edu)

I earned my associates degree in paralegal studies from Kaplan in 2007 and will be earning my bachelors degree in paralegal studies from them next month.  Kaplan is regionally accredited, which is the best type of accrediation a school can have so transferring should be no problem.  You can transfer to any school you want, whether it's your local state university or Harvard. 

Also, if you prefer a school with a brick and mortar campus, SUNY and Penn State have legal programs.  However, I was not a fan of them because both programs require you to take foreign language courses, and that is my main weakness. 

Thanks for the info guys.  I've been perusing this site and have found a ton of information. I'll look into these programs alog with some of the others I'm looking at now.

Regardless of accreditation, transferability of credits will be at the discretion of the school you are transfering into, for that reason I strongly suggest you stick with the same school from AS to BS if at all possible.  That being said, regional accreditation is usually the right idea but there is another factor to consider and that is return on investment.  Kaplan is very expensive, if your employer will pay your way 100% then hey, now worries, get in there and tear it up.  But if you have to pay any portion out of pocket there may be a less expensive alternative like APUS or AMU.  Either way you really can't lose on those.

Most for profit schools like Kaplan are expensive.  If your looking for a less expensive option, then SUNY is likely your best choice since they are a state school.  When I enrolled at Kaplan my options were much more limited since there were fewer online programs back then. 

Also, I'm not sure why you are concerned about transferring credits?  Were you unsure of whether you want a paralegal degree?  Or are you referring to applying to graduate school once you get your BS degree?

If I go with Kaplan, which at this point seems very likely, then credit transferring won't be a problem.  That's the hugest thing they have in their favor right now.  I can go from Associates to Bachelors with them.  Credit transferring is only a concern if I went with a school that does not have the options  of Associates and Bachelor degrees.  So far the only real drawback with Kaplan is the cost and since my employer is kind enough to take care of that for me, it becomes a non-issue.  So, it looks like Kaplan here I come! 

untallTexan:

If I go with Kaplan, which at this point seems very likely, then credit transferring won't be a problem.  That's the hugest thing they have in their favor right now.  I can go from Associates to Bachelors with them.  Credit transferring is only a concern if I went with a school that does not have the options  of Associates and Bachelor degrees.

Even schools that don't themselves offer an Associate's degree will likely give you two academic years worth of transfer credit toward a Bachelor's program.  I wouldn't cross other schools off your list for this reason without checking with them.

-=Steve=-

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B.S., Info Sys, Charter Oak State College
M.A., Educational Tech Leadership, George Washington University
Doctor of Health Education, A.T. Still University, in progress

True, but if your employer is willing to foot 100% of the cost, you can't lose either way.

Thank you for the article you sent- very informative.  Transferability doesn't seem to be as much of as issue as I thought it could be. 

Well I finally settled on Kaplan- this biggest plus was that books are included in tuition.  My employer won't pay for books separately, but will if they're included in the tuition cost. Thank you all for the great advice.

The bad news- after approving my courses TWICE and sending me 2 Letters of Credit, my employer send and e-mail that there was a mistake and Paralegal isn't approved for compensation.  UGH!  So I have 2 choices- new career or not go back to school (paying myself is not an option right now).  So I'm looking to change my career and am thinking about Human Resources.  I'm actually kinda excited about it.  So off I go to research HR degrees.

untallTexan:

The bad news- after approving my courses TWICE and sending me 2 Letters of Credit, my employer send and e-mail that there was a mistake and Paralegal isn't approved for compensation.  UGH!  So I have 2 choices- new career or not go back to school (paying myself is not an option right now).  So I'm looking to change my career and am thinking about Human Resources.  I'm actually kinda excited about it.  So off I go to research HR degrees.

How frustrating!  Well, for what it's worth, Kaplan University has a Bachelor's program in HR Management.

-=Steve=-

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B.S., Info Sys, Charter Oak State College
M.A., Educational Tech Leadership, George Washington University
Doctor of Health Education, A.T. Still University, in progress

That is frustrating.  If it makes you feel better, HR and Paralegals both deal with a whole lot of law.  HR is a lot like translating law into policy (among other things) and Paralegal as you know is more about legal research.  So I think both careers could share a lot of the same skill requirements.  Either way, the most highly compensated paralegal I've ever met (that I know of) only had an AS degree and it wasn't in anything related to law.  Curious, no?