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School of Law

Organizational Ethics and Compliance

Master of Studies in Law - Online Degree

A Comprehensive Ethics and Compliance Education.
Students in our program gain a deep and broad understanding of compliance programming, risk management, international anti-corruption, cybersecurity and more. They also gain practical skills in how to conduct investigations, build ethical cultures and manage complex projects.

Learn from Experts in Business and Law.
Faculty members include professionals working in ethics and compliance, as well as professors from St. Thomas' School of Law and Opus College of Business. Our program's advisory board of compliance leaders from 3M, Target, U.S. Bank, Ecolab and Medtronic, just to name a few, keep us tuned in to current industry issues and trends.

Our Accreditation Sets Us Apart.
Our program is the only ethics and compliance graduate degree program in the nation which has earned an AACSB accreditation. AACSB-accredited schools are the best business schools in the world and have passed rigorous standards for quality.

We're a Dedicated Ethics Leader.
A significant part of our program focuses on ethics and culture, equipping our students to make a positive impact on corporate behavior and understand how compliance work fits within the broader vision of corporate responsibility.

Master's Degree and Certificates

Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) in Ethics & Compliance

The online Master of Studies in Law (30 credits) is for those who hold an undergraduate degree and seek a graduate degree specifically tailored to a career in ethics and compliance.

Online M.S.L.

Compliance Certifications

St. Thomas Law offers online courses for those who want to be a Certified Securities Compliance Professional (CSCP) or a Certified Investment Company Compliance Professional (CICCP).

CSCP or CICCP Certifications
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A Degree With Impact

Among our 2021 M.S.L. graduates, 79% say they got a new job, promotion or salary increase as a result of earning their ethics and compliance degree at St. Thomas Law.

Compliance Concentration for J.D. Students

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New to the field of ethics and compliance?

Ethics and compliance professionals are stewards of corporate behavior. They foster an organization's moral culture, while safeguarding its assets from internal and external harm. They work in many areas of business, the government and in companies large and small.

FEATURED FACULTY

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.

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Christopher Michaelson

Professor Michaelson is the Opus Distinguished Professor of Principled Leadership. His research focuses on business ethics, humanities and business and meaningful work.

Learn more about Christopher Michaelson
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Neil Hamilton

Professor Hamilton is a founding director of the St. Thomas Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions. His scholarship focuses on the formation of both students and practicing professionals into ethical leaders.

Learn more about Neil Hamilton
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Mary Slack

Professor Slack is a consultant in human resource and organization development. She specializes in the project, leadership and management development, quality improvement and interpersonal skills. Slack has more than 20 years of corporate experience in training, course development and project management.

Learn more about Mary Slack
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Peter Young

Professor Young holds the 3M endowed chair in international business and leads the Global Business Engagement Initiative, which allows him to provide college-wide leadership in international programming, curriculum development and international partnerships.

Learn more about Peter Young
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Kathleen Statler

Professor Statler is a member of the law school's adjunct faculty. She brings to the classroom her years of experience as an attorney and current position as program manager of risk assessment and policy management at Cargill. Statler teaches international anti-corruption law.

Learn more about Kathleen Statler
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Stacy Tietjen

Adjunct faculty member Stacy Tietjen is the director of compliance and integrity at CHS Inc. where she is responsible for the development of training and communications, policy governance, risk assessment, helpline management, investigations and ensuring program effectiveness.

Learn more about Stacy Tietjen

A Network of More Than 120,000 Alumni

When you earn a degree from St. Thomas Law, you become part of our community of nearly 3,000 alumni. You also join the network of more than 120,000 St. Thomas graduates working around the world in fields from business to engineering to the sciences.

Ethics and Compliance Alumni

Matthew Mikulski Headshot Abbie Ziegler Headshot Joshua Welle Headshot Susan Hamilton Headshot

Matthew Mikulski

"The M.S.L. program helped me strengthen my compliance audits because I am better aligned with our compliance, risk and legal teams. And I think more expansively about audit requirements and recommendations. That is, not only do I consider what my company can or cannot do, but also what my company should or should not do."

Abbie Ziegler

"What I loved about St. Thomas is that I could choose the courses that would challenge me. And I could do that with courses in both the law school and the business school."

Joshua Welle

"I really enjoyed the risk classes. Much of the work I do is to mitigate risk, so these classes helped me better understand risk from all levels and all geographies."

Susan Hamilton

"The Organizational Ethics & Compliance Program was even more than I expected it to be. I eagerly anticipated each class, and there isn't one that did not surpass my expectations. Collectively, the program gave me an educational foundation to round out my work experience in the ethics and compliance field. I continuously pull from my education at St. Thomas as I go about my work."