Transferring Course Credits From Other Paralegal Programs 

Both NHCC and the NHCC Paralegal Program have requirements regarding transfer  
of legal specialty courses into the paralegal program. 

The NHCC Policy is that students must:  

• Earn a minimum of 60 semester credits as required in the program, with a grade  
  point average of 2.00 (C) or above in courses taken at North Hennepin Community  
  College. Specific programs may have additional requirements or a higher minimum  
  grade point average. 
• Earn a minimum of 15 semester credits North Hennepin Community College. A  
  student must complete at least 50% of career specific courses at North Hennepin  
  Community College. 
• Earn 30 credits in at least 6 MnTC goal areas. 
• Earn 30 professional/technical credits. 
• Have four years to complete the graduation requirements as published in the  
  catalog in effect at the time of their initial enrollment. Students taking longer than  
  four years to complete their graduation requirements may follow any catalog  
  published during the four-year period preceding their graduation.

The Paralegal Program: 

The above policy is applied to all students who seek to transfer into the Paralegal  
Program credits for legal specialty courses earned at other ABA-approved Paralegal 
Programs. This policy is applied to paralegal legal specialty courses as follows: 

• 30 semester credits of legal specialty courses are required in the Paralegal  
  Program for both the Associate of Science degree and the Paralegal Certificate. Up  
  to 15 of these credits may be transferred into the Paralegal Program from other  
  ABA-approved Paralegal Programs. 
• Each transfer course is evaluated for academic content and rigor to determine  
  whether it substitutes for the content of an NHCC course. Determination of the  
  comparability of the course (nature, content, and level) to the NHCC legal specialty  
  course is made by the Director of the Paralegal Program or her/his designee.  
• The Paralegal Program at NHCC will only accept legal specialty course credits  
  from paralegal programs approved by the American Bar Association at the time the  
  credit was awarded. 
• If credits are being transferred to NHCC from another ABA-approved paralegal program, a review of method of delivery is done by the NHCC Paralegal Program Director to assure that at least nine semester credits or the equivalent of legal specialty credits are through traditional means of instruction as required by the American Bar Association. Currently, all required paralegal courses (20 credits) are in hybrid (50/50) format to ensure that graduates meet the 9 credit traditional means of instruction requirement of the ABA. 

• The Paralegal Program at NHCC will not accept legal specialty credits by examination or portfolio.

  (Last Reviewed and Updated June 2023)