How to Become a Compliance Officer to Lead Corporate Impact

Compliance officers are essential to the growth and well-being of businesses, ensuring that company activities align with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and industry standards, even as those requirements evolve. Their work helps corporations ethically and responsibly engage with their stakeholders and the broader world.¹

If you’re wondering, “How do you become a compliance officer?”, this article will walk you through what the role entails, how to build experience, and how to maximize your impact as a professional.

Understanding the Compliance Officer’s Role

The impacts of corporate compliance programs extend across the business, and effective compliance officers make all the difference by working closely with leadership, particularly during decision-making and policy development, to ensure company alignment with regulations.¹ Compliance officers focus on managing risk and developing effective internal controls to prevent and respond to breaches. Their days are filled with risk assessments, audits, investigations, and reports to company leadership.

Culture development is another significant component of the job. Compliance officers can’t be everywhere at once, so they need to instill accountability and help employees and team members take ownership of regulatory alignment.

Compliance officers align policy and corporate governance with evolving industry standards, ensuring that the company does not fall behind on regulatory best practices. By proactively managing risk, they safeguard the assets that a company needs to maintain a competitive advantage² and help the organization remain viable in the long term.

Education and Background Requirements

Compliance officer qualifications vary by position, but there is a universal need for business and regulatory expertise. Most positions require a bachelor’s degree, often in a field related to the type of compliance.³

If you’re interested in a corporate compliance career, a degree in business, ethics, or finance can offer an advantage. Many employers also seek candidates with legal backgrounds, making a law degree or background highly valuable.³

Online graduate school is an efficient and valuable way to build your academic background. A Master of Studies in Law allows you to build the legal expertise you need without taking on the financial and time burden of a Juris Doctor.

If you already have some compliance experience, a certificate that supplements your major or master’s degree may be the most efficient path to your target role. And it would still add value to your resume when trying to become a compliance officer.

Top Certifications and Training Programs

In this competitive job market, professional credentials can help you secure a role in the compliance field. Three of the most broadly recognized certifications in this field are:

• Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP): A general credential for those with one year of full-time experience in compliance, 1,500 hours of compliance-related responsibilities, or a certificate from an accredited university⁴
• Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM): A certification from the American Bankers Association, indicating at least three years of experience in risk assessment and risk management program development⁵
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE): A mark of experience in detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud as it impacts businesses that is accessible to those with sufficient education or experience credits^6,7

All three credentials provide a good starting point for becoming a compliance officer, but your ideal background will depend on what industry you want to work in. For example, a finance or accounting degree is the norm for a fraud examiner, while a biology or other natural science degree is a common foundation for those pursuing environmental compliance.

Or, if you’re interested in general corporate compliance or a position as a legal compliance officer, you will need a business or law background from schools that hold accreditation for your target credential. For example, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, both the Online Master of Studies in Law with a Corporate Compliance specialization and the Online Corporate Compliance Certificate are accredited by the Corporate Compliance Board (CCB).

Building Experience in Compliance

Compliance is an accessible field for entry-level professionals and those transitioning careers. If you are a new professional, your first step is to find an adjacent role where you can learn from compliance officers. You might look for opportunities as a compliance analyst, associate, or representative.⁸

Internships can also be valuable entry points for compliance. Corporate governance and risk management internships are strong options for candidates with an academic background in business, finance, or law.

If you already have experience in a related field, such as law, finance, or human resources, assess your transferable skills, and consider whether you have enough experience in a particular aspect of compliance, such as regulatory, data, or contractual compliance. For example, a paralegal in a corporate law firm may have in-depth knowledge of financial reporting and labor laws.

Then, compare your experience with job postings that align with your goals. Look for certifications that strengthen your application, and consider enrolling in an educational program to qualify you to sit for certificate exams. These programs, including Pitt Law’s online master’s and certificate programs, ground you in the required subject matter and provide broad networking opportunities.

Steps to Advance Your Compliance Career 

Securing an entry-level position is the first step toward becoming a compliance officer. Once you’re on a team, you can begin working on compliance initiatives and taking on increasingly relevant roles.

Then, depending on your goals and experience, you may need to gain specialized knowledge in particular areas of compliance, such as data privacy, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery, or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

Throughout your career, it’s also crucial to expand your professional network. Consider joining a professional organization, such as the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics or the National Society of Compliance Professionals. These groups host online and in-person events and offer professional development resources to help you advance.^9,10

Why and How to Become a Compliance Officer 

Compliance officers enable companies to grow ethically and responsibly. To obtain this leadership role with a broad-reaching impact, an online master’s or certificate in compliance from Pitt Law is a smart first step.

Our Online Master of Studies in Law provides a thorough grounding in legal procedure and legislation, including constitutional and contract law. The Corporate Compliance Law specialization comprises five three-credit courses that explore the foundations of corporate compliance, including risk assessment and program design.

Meanwhile, the Online Corporate Compliance Certificate consists exclusively of these five courses. It’s a more concise program designed for professionals looking to deepen their professional expertise or shift their career trajectories.

If you’re ready to start the path toward becoming a compliance officer today, contact us to learn more about where these programs can take you, or schedule an appointment with one of our admissions outreach advisors.