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Student walk in during the 2018 Commencement Ceremony

Influence Corporate Responsibility

MSL in Organizational Ethics & Compliance

Shape Business Practices and Policies for The Common Good

Develop your skills in one of the most important and influential fields of business today. Learn how to make a positive impact on corporate behavior by earning a master's degree in Organizational Ethics & Compliance. Our programs provide you with a deep understanding of how compliance work fits within the broader vision of corporate responsibility and the common good.

Degree Options

Offered in partnership with the St. Thomas School of Law, you can earn a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) in as little as one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. You can also elect to pursue a dual or concentrated degree program.

Organizational Ethics & Compliance graduate degree options:

  • M.S.L. (30 credits): This degree is for those who hold an undergraduate degree and seek a graduate degree specifically tailored to a career in ethics and compliance.
  • J.D./LL.M. (24 credits): This dual degree option allows you to complete both the Juris Doctor and the LL.M. in Organizational Ethics and Compliance in seven semesters rather than eight.
  • J.D. with Compliance Concentration (9 required compliance credits): This concentration is for those pursuing a Juris Doctor who want to explore organizational ethics and compliance in more depth.

Each program centers around three required courses: Compliance Programming, Ethical Culture, and Executive Perspectives in Ethics and Compliance.

St. Thomas is a Dedicated Leader in Ethics

The University of St. Thomas is at the forefront of education in ethics and compliance, with a long history of positively influencing businesses. We offer the only M.S.L. and LL.M. degrees in ethics and compliance that are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) . Our advisory board of compliance leaders from over 20 companies keeps us tuned in to current ethical challenges in the marketplace.

Learn from Industry Leaders and Academic Experts

Our faculty includes professionals currently working in the ethics and compliance field, as well as professors from the School of Law and Opus College of Business. Beyond learning from their institutional and academic knowledge, you’ll also get hands-on experience working with industry professionals in our celebrated externship program. (Read on to learn more about the externship program.)

Program Overview

  • On-Campus Program
  • Online Program
  • Externship Program
  • Job Market
  • On-Campus Program

    When you earn your advanced degree in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, you can take advantage of all the possibilities that come with skyway access to some of our state's top Fortune 500 companies, law firms and businesses.

    The M.S.L. (30 credits) on-campus program can be completed in two semesters when taken full time, or two years when taken part time. If you need to take longer to complete a degree, you may petition the associate dean.

    Explore the On-campus M.S.L.

    Online Program

    Earn a degree and form lasting relationships with your peers in an online Organizational Ethics and Compliance program.

    • Online M.S.L. (30 credits): This is a 21-month program operating in a cohort model and running five consecutive semesters, beginning in August and ending in May. Each cohort is limited to 25 students.

    Explore the Online M.S.L.

    Externship Program

    Get hands-on experience by working side-by-side with corporate ethics and compliance professionals in our Compliance Externship Program. Increase your working knowledge in the field for about 10 hours per week during this one-semester externship. We partner with over 40 companies to place students in real compliance departments, which have included Delta, Medtronic, Toro and Thomson Reuters.

    Explore the Externship Program

    Job Market

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the compliance profession will grow by 4.6 percent through 2022, adding around 11,000 new jobs. As a compliance and ethics professional, you have opportunities to work in many areas of business and in companies large and small.

    Explore the Job Market & Careers

    On-Campus Program

    When you earn your advanced degree in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, you can take advantage of all the possibilities that come with skyway access to some of our state's top Fortune 500 companies, law firms and businesses.

    The M.S.L. (30 credits) on-campus program can be completed in two semesters when taken full time, or two years when taken part time. If you need to take longer to complete a degree, you may petition the associate dean.

    Explore the On-campus M.S.L.

    Online Program

    Earn a degree and form lasting relationships with your peers in an online Organizational Ethics and Compliance program.

    • Online M.S.L. (30 credits): This is a 21-month program operating in a cohort model and running five consecutive semesters, beginning in August and ending in May. Each cohort is limited to 25 students.

    Explore the Online M.S.L.

    Externship Program

    Get hands-on experience by working side-by-side with corporate ethics and compliance professionals in our Compliance Externship Program. Increase your working knowledge in the field for about 10 hours per week during this one-semester externship. We partner with over 40 companies to place students in real compliance departments, which have included Delta, Medtronic, Toro and Thomson Reuters.

    Explore the Externship Program

    Job Market

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the compliance profession will grow by 4.6 percent through 2022, adding around 11,000 new jobs. As a compliance and ethics professional, you have opportunities to work in many areas of business and in companies large and small.

    Explore the Job Market & Careers

    Seeing is Believing

    Get in Touch

    The St. Thomas Opus College of Business is an incredible place to learn, meet inspiring peers and mentors, and build a strong career path. But don’t just take our word for it—experience St. Thomas firsthand. Visit a class, attend an info session, or chat with the admissions team.