Compliance at the University of St. Thomas

May 24th, 2015 / By Deborah J. Merritt

Joel Nichols, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, sent me some information about his school’s program in Organizational Ethics and Compliance. The program is still heavily centered in the law school, but it includes key collaboration with the university’s Opus College of Business. The program also offers several options to students, including a JD certificate, JD/LLM in Ethics and Compliance (which can be completed in seven semesters), MSL (for students without a JD), and LLM (for those who already hold the JD).

Perhaps most noteworthy, the program has a substantial advisory board of compliance professionals from outside the university. Creating an advisory board of this nature is an excellent idea. In addition to helping schools identify appropriate coursework, an expert board can advise schools on employment prospects, career pathways, and the relationship between formal education and workplace experience in this area.

Interesting next steps for the St. Thomas program might be (a) creation of an undergraduate major, (b) addition of more courses related to organizational psychology and social psychology, and (c) development of more coursework focused on health-care compliance. UST does not have a medical school, but that circumstance might lead to particularly innovative offerings in this area. Perhaps a member of the advisory board could create a course that includes significant hands-on work or shadowing?

Please feel free to send me information about other notable programs in the compliance area.