Master corporate compliance with a legal education.
Master corporate compliance with a legal education.

MSL With a Specialization in Corporate Compliance

The Pitt Law MSL with a Corporate Compliance specialization was created to fill a growing need for compliance professionals. These professionals are key to ensuring that organizations are in compliance with their own policies and procedures, as well as applicable legal statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions. More organizations are implementing compliance programs to identify misconduct and protect the interests of employees, shareholders, and businesses, and to guard against reputational risk, making this an exciting time to step into a compliance role. Learn from experienced faculty who practice corporate compliance and apply their real-world experience to their courses.

Expand your knowledge, skills, and professional understanding of corporate compliance with Pitt Law. See what the MSL with a specialization in Corporate Compliance can do for you.

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Program Brochure

Are you considering a master’s degree in law or a graduate certificate to take your career to the next level? Pitt Law’s Master of Studies in Law online program is designed for professionals seeking to enhance their careers with a versatile alternative to the traditional three-year JD degree. The certificate programs are ideal for those who are not currently looking to pursue a master’s degree.

Complete the form to get a program brochure for Pitt Law’s Online MSL plus your chosen specialization, or your chosen certificate program, delivered to your inbox.

Keep Learning. Keep Working.

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Delivered through a custom, engaging learning platform, Pitt Law’s online courses are asynchronous, giving you maximum flexibility to learn whenever and wherever is most convenient for you.

Even with this coveted flexibility, you will find support from Pitt Law’s faculty members and your cohort. Instructors check in on you throughout your courses and support your progress through each week of your classes, interacting with you via email, comments on assignments, discussion threads, and through group and private discussions, primarily conducted through Zoom.

You’ll know what work needs to be completed when, as course materials are organized by a weekly schedule. Core MSL courses and specialized courses in Corporate Compliance are consistent in format, scope, and timing, making it easier for you to know what to expect in order to successfully navigate and balance your work, your life, and your education.

As a bonus, take advantage of Pitt Law’s faculty members, who are leaders in their respective fields. They will provide you with individualized attention that sets you up for success during your master’s program and beyond.

What Can You Do With an MSL in Corporate Compliance?

Organizations are realizing that reputational risk is just as important as strategic, financial, or operational risk. With your MSL in Corporate Compliance, you’ll have the skills you need to make yourself invaluable to these companies, including for-profit and nonprofit corporations and hybrid and governmental entities.

Earning your master’s degree in legal studies will positively impact both your earning potential and your career trajectory. Holding an MSL degree with an in depth specialization, like Corporate Compliance, will set you apart in the job market. In the positions listed below, knowledge and skills related to corporate compliance are essential to success. These roles can be found within companies from a variety of fields, from health care to finance and beyond.

Female corporate compliance officer shaking hands with man at laptop
$96,4821
Corporate Compliance Officer
As a compliance officer, you are responsible for managing risks for your organization by ensuring state and federal laws and internal policies are being followed. You will create policies, audit processes, and find meaningful methods to track compliance throughout the company. Salaries for this position average a $87,013 base annual salary. However, the total estimated pay is $96,842* per year when the average salary and additional pay through bonuses or profit sharing is taken into account.1
Man in suit with laptop computer studying charts
$65,5652
Corporate Compliance Analyst
Compliance analysts act as the gatekeepers to compliance at their organizations, both for internal compliance programs and for audits being conducted by outside agencies. In this role, you will be responsible for conducting internal reviews of policies and procedures around ethics and compliance programs. The average base salary for this position is $61,424 per year, with the potential to earn $65,565* in total with additional pay through bonuses or profit sharing, for example.2
Two hands shaking
$169,5263
Ethics and Compliance Manager
In this role, you will create and implement policies and procedures for your organization around compliance and ethics. You will be responsible for maintaining documentation of business activities related to these policies. Ethics and Compliance Managers conduct regular audits to determine if compliance programs are effective and that protocols are being followed by employees. In this managerial role, the average base salary is $127,444 per year, with the potential to earn $169,526* for total compensation.3

*Total annual compensation as of January 20, 2023.

Corporate Compliance Specialization Courses

After completing 15 credits of core courses that make up the Online MSL program, you will earn 15 credits in the Corporate Compliance specialization. This specialization consists of five courses curated to introduce you to the fundamentals of corporate compliance, and how to create programs at your own organization.

  • Introduction to Corporate Compliance (3 credits)
  • Ethics and Compliance Programs (3 credits)
  • Designing, Measuring Effectiveness, and Auditing Compliance Programs (3 credits)
  • Conducting Investigations and Risk Assessments (3 credits)
  • Special Topics in Compliance Seminar (3 credits)

View Full Curriculum

Max Laun_.jpg
Meet Corporate Compliance Online Program Director Max Laun
University of Pittsburgh alumnus Max Laun served as Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for Arconic Inc., before retiring in 2020. His major area of legal practice was international mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, and over the course of his Alcoa career, he led transactions on six continents, including major greenfield investments by the company in Saudi Arabia and Iceland, state privatizations in Hungary, Italy, Spain, Russia, China and Venezuela, and other private transactions in 15+ countries across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Professor Laun currently serves on several public service non-profit boards of directors, including the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. (PLAN); the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association (NLADA); on the Pennsylvania PA Continuing Legal Education Board; and on the Advisory Council to Pitt Law’s Center for International Legal Education (CILE).

The MSL in Corporate Compliance is Made to Advance Your Career

Earn your Online MSL in Corporate Compliance from Pitt Law and open doors to leadership roles in your career. Our unique MSL with a Corporate Compliance specialization will set you apart in the business world. Top-ranked Pitt Law School is proud of our nationally recognized MSL program. Join Pitt Law’s legal community and robust alumni network to grow your career and employment prospects.

Compliance roles are in demand. Are you ready to meet the need?

Spring 2025 Admissions Deadlines

Dec
9
Priority Deadline
December 9
Spring 2025
Jan
6
Final Deadline
January 6
Spring 2025
Jan
13
Start Date
January 13
Spring 2025