Honours Bachelor of Paralegal is a honours degree in Legal Studies programme offered by Durham College in Oshawa, Canada. The programme runs for 9 semesters, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 19,398 per year (CAD 6,686 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Honours Degree
Field:Legal Studies
Duration: 9 semesters
Delivery: On Campus
Local tuition: CAD 6,686 / year
International tuition: CAD 19,398 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Durham College's Paralegal - Honours Bachelor (HBPL) degree prepares students to work as licensed paralegals amid growing demand for accessible legal representation in Ontario. The program develops critical thinking and legal analysis skills, teaching students to evaluate evidence, interpret law such as torts, contracts and constitutional law, and build strategic arguments on behalf of clients. Students complete a mandatory 14-week, 420-hour experiential field placement in settings such as law firms, legal clinics and government agencies, giving them supervised exposure to real legal practice ahead of graduation. Delivered on Durham College's Oshawa campus, the degree is aimed at students who want to become licensed paralegals able to represent clients in tribunals, small claims court, and other permitted legal matters, going beyond the scope of a paralegal diploma. It suits students drawn to advocacy and courtroom or tribunal work who want a bachelor's-level credential combined with substantial supervised practice in real legal settings.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:65.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Admission requires an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent and six Grade 12 U or M courses with a combined minimum average of 65 per cent, including Grade 12 U English at a final minimum grade of 60 per cent; applicants without an OSSD may instead qualify under Mature Student Status by meeting the same English requirement, and post-secondary English courses are accepted as an alternative. English-language proficiency follows Durham College's institution-wide policy for degree programs: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall with no section below 4.5 (the scale in effect since 21 January 2026), PTE Academic 60 overall with no section below 57, CAEL 70 overall with no section below 70, or Duolingo English Test 120 or higher; a Grade 12 U English credit, post-secondary English course, GED, CAEC or a successful pre-admission assessment also satisfies it, and Durham offers pre-admission assessment testing to domestic applicants aged 19 or over who lack a required credit. Domestic applicants apply through OCAS; international applicants apply through the college's international application portal.
Application Details
Start Date:September, January and May
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca: for September 2026 entry the equal-consideration date is 1 February 2026 and offers must be confirmed by 1 May 2026; January 2027 entry has an equal-consideration date of 1 October 2026 (confirm by 1 November 2026); May 2027 entry has an equal-consideration date of 1 February 2027 (confirm by 1 March 2027) - applications after these dates are still assessed while seats remain, including for programs Durham lists as highly competitive (Paramedic, Practical Nursing, Dental Hygiene and similar), which share the same cycle rather than a distinct deadline. International applicants apply directly to Durham, not through ontariocolleges.ca, and are assessed on a rolling basis against each program's published intake availability; Durham publishes no fixed international closing date. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
