Graduate Degree/Certificate Requirements

M.A. in Legal Studies

The coursework in legal studies is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of the legal environment in which individuals, businesses, and the judiciary operate. This major should be attractive to those individuals (for example, managers, teachers, government employees, and legal assistants) who need additional legal knowledge to function more effectively. The program in legal studies does not prepare students for the practice of law, and its graduates are not eligible for admission to the bar.

MA degree-seeking students with a declared major in legal studies may seek, concurrently with the degree, a certificate in paralegal studies. Some of the coursework is applied toward both the degree and the certificate.
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Graduate Certificate in Paralegal Studies

The certificate program in paralegal studies is designed to provide the theoretical and practical education needed by those who work or desire to work as paralegals (legal assistants).
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Special Note

It is important to note that, at present, there is no state or federal licensure of paralegals, and that successful completion of Webster’s certificate program should not be construed to imply state, federal, or board certification.

A legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training, or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. Paralegals or Legal Assistants may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law. Webster University's St. Louis area paralegal programs have been approved by the American Bar Association.