Expert counselors have assembled this data for Paralegal Courses in Canada. Best colleges, tuition fees, English proficiency test and academic requirements. Canada is an excellent option to study in abroad as the students have an option to work part time during the completion of various programs and they can work full time while they are on semester break. After completing the education in Canada the graduates can apply for permanent residency as well.
Getting into the law profession is a great choice for students and the first step they should take is choose a program that is suitable to their future plans. There are several Paralegal course available across Canada and with numerous colleges offering them. The best of them would be listed below so that you can choose without any hassle.
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This blog features
Main features of Paralegal Courses in Canada
Paralegal Courses in Canada requirements (academic and English proficiency)
Paralegal Courses in Canada fees and best colleges
Scope of Paralegal Courses in Canada
Main features of Paralegal Courses in Canada
There are a lot of Paralegal courses and each one of them prepares you to become a licensed paralegal in Canada so that you would be able to represent clients in provincial offences court for various crimes or official matters. The courses can be either a Graduate Certificate or a Diploma. The duration of these differs according the colleges. For the most part they can be of 10 months or they can last up to 2 years also. These requirements will be mentioned below along with the courses.
The students can do diploma after they have completed their 12th studies and if they have done bachelor’s they are eligible for Graduate Certificate.
The tuition is affordable and it is easy on the international students as well. During the programs the students get a chance to learn about different kind of laws and how each one needs to be represented, like business law, traffic law, and criminal law. The paralegals get a chance to represent less serious laws as well depending on the requirements of the client. After completing the course the students will be well versed in the client representation.
Paralegal Courses in Canada fees and best colleges
Algonquin College
The course offered by the Algonquin College is Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Public Safety and Legal Studies. In the program the students will be prepared to apply to Law Society of Ontario (LSO), so that they can become a licensed paralegal.
The program consists of 3 semesters, and the total length is 9 months (42 weeks).
The intake for this program is September 2022- August 2023.
The estimated total cost for the whole program is CAD 23,048.
The applicants will need to submit their previous degree transcripts.
They will also need to give English proficiency test:
IELTS, in this exam the students are required to get 6.5 overall bands and 6.0 minimum in each module.
TOEFL (IBT): 88 minimum overall score is required in this test. (22 minimum in all parts.
PTE: 60 overall score.
Centennial College
They have a Graduate Certificate program in Paralegal studies. In this program the candidate would be able to become licensed paralegals and get trained to deliver justice. It has both theoretical and practical parts, and this program is accredited by Law Society of Ontario (LSO).
There are total three semesters and the tuition fee is around CAD 23,078.25.
To become eligible to apply for this program the applicants need to have a degree or a 2 year college diploma. They can also show an experience of 2 years additionally. (The official transcripts and an updated resume will be required).
An English language test given in the last 2 years is important to have, 6.5 minimum overall bands and 6.0 in each module individually. In the PTE exam they need to score 60 overall. For TOEFL (IBT) 88 overall minimum score (22 in each part) is sufficient.
Fanshawe College
The Fanshawe College offers the program Graduate certificate in Paralegal. The total duration is 45 weeks (approx. 10 months) and the intake is in September 2022. The approximate tuition fee is CAD 15,641. The applicants must have either a degree or relevant education and work experience.
In the legal profession, they will require practical knowledge and the ability to work and mingle with people from various walks of life. There are many areas you would be able to work like criminal matters, motor vehicle offences, doing legal research and writings. The students would also get a chance to learn other laws like landlord, employment laws and business law.
Centennial College
Paralegal – Court and Tribunal Agent course is a Post-secondary program. It takes 2 years to complete this and it has a total of four semesters. The next intake is September 2022. The total fees per year is estimated to be CAD 16,964.74.
Paralegal court and Tribunal Agent Diploma provides students the training needed to become paralegals with license in Ontario pursuant, as required by the Law Society Act. After the successful completion the students will have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to work as a licensed paralegal. They would have an option to choose from various career options such as:
- Paralegal for Corporations
- Paralegal Agent
- Paralegal Business Owner
To prove the English proficiency test for this program the students can give the IELTS exam and score 6.0 overall bands and 5.5 minimum in all modules. In the TOEFL (IBT) test they can score 80 overall score and 20 minimum in all parts is sufficient.
St. Clair College
This college offers a Diploma in Paralegal. It will take 2 years to complete this program full time and the tuition fee is approx. CAD 15,410.76 per year. It will start in 6 September 2022.
As for the English test requirements the students should have IELTS 5.5 with no band lower than 5.0 in any module. In PTE Level 51 and for TOEFL internet-based test (IBT) score of 61 overall is sufficient.
For entry the students should have the High school diploma and the official transcripts.
The students will be able to study serious offences like liquor license cases and criminal cases and additionally less serious crimes such as Workplace safety and Human rights Commission. The program is unique and include mock hearings and trials so that the student can get to experience what it would be like when they appear in front of the court.
The program is accredited by the standards established by Law Society of Upper Canada’s Paralegal Education Program Accreditation Policy (PEPA).
Scope of Paralegal Courses in Canada
The graduates from these programs would have a lot of career option, some of them being working in the law firms, legal departments of corporations, government agencies, administrative tribunals or they can also be self-employed. The profession of law pays well in Canada and the students have great prospects ahead of them.
After completing the program the students can research and analyze judicial interpretation of legislation. They can also develop professional relationships with clients through oral and written communication. This will lead to a seamless experience in the court representation as they would be able to understand the needs of the client and work accordingly.