Law and Compliance Major and Minor

Law and Compliance

Learn to Navigate the Legal Landscape of Business

St. Thomas is one of few schools in the country that offers a major and minor in Law and Compliance. After completing our core business curriculum, you’ll take an additional business ethics course and compliance and law courses that provide a solid foundation in laws and the regulatory environment crucial to businesses. The skills you develop will help you navigate the complex compliance environment of businesses.

You’ll gain a critical framework for analyzing the legal implications of business decisions, the business implications of legal decisions, and the ethical impact of both. Our faculty members have extensive ethics, compliance, and legal experience. If you’re considering law school, earning this degree is a great way to test your interest in the field. However, this is not a pre-law program. As a student here, you’ll work one-on-one with an advisor—an ethics and legal studies faculty member—who will help guide and support your studies.

Program Overview

Course Requirements

Four-Year Plan

Degree Awarded

Tutoring

Internships

Course Requirements

All undergraduate business students are required to take liberal arts core curriculum courses, foundational and major-specific business courses, and allied courses from outside the College of Business in key areas such as economics, math, and statistics.

Law and Compliance Major Courses

The Law and Compliance minor is designed to provide majors from any discipline with an essential understanding of compliance in various business contexts. Students pursuing a major in Law and Compliance are not eligible for the Law and Compliance minor.

Law and Compliance Minor Courses

Four-Year Plan

Year 1

ACCT 100 Principles of Accounting I
BUSN 100 Business for the Common Good
ENTR 100 Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Begin allied courses in economics, math, and statistics

Year 2

ACCT 200 Principles of Accounting II
BETH 300 Ethical Principles in Business
BLAW 300 Law for Business Leaders I
BUSN 200 Business Learning Through Service
CISC 200 Intro to Computer Technology and Business Application
FINC 310 Core Financial Management
MGMT 200 Working Skillfully in Organizations
MKTG 200 Introduction to Marketing
OPMT 200 Operations and Supply Chain Management

STUDY ABROAD: Your second or third years are ideal for semester-long or short-term (January) international programs.

Years 3 & 4

As a junior and senior, you’ll take upper-level specialized courses specific to your chosen major, as well as business electives.

In addition to your major courses, you’ll also take interdisciplinary liberal arts courses in thethroughout your four years.

Degree Awarded

Students who complete the required coursework receive a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Law and Compliance, or a minor in Law and Compliance to complement their non-Law and Compliance major.

Tutoring

Your professor is always available to help you with your coursework. If you need extra help with your core courses in accounting, finance, or operations, free tutors are also available. Whether you’re stuck on an assignment or want help preparing for an exam, our tutors are always glad to work with you. You can schedule a 30-minute one-on-one appointment, or drop in during open hours.

Internships

St. Thomas maintains a large network of alumni and local business connections, which leads to real-world learning opportunities, internships and—oftentimes—employment after graduation. When you’re ready for an internship, the Career Development Center can help you find a position that supports your professional goals.

Course Requirements

Law and Compliance Major Courses

Law and Compliance Minor Courses

Four-Year Plan

Year 1

ACCT 100 Principles of Accounting I
BUSN 100 Business for the Common Good
ENTR 100 Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Begin allied courses in economics, math, and statistics

Year 2

STUDY ABROAD: Your second or third years are ideal for semester-long or short-term (January) international programs.

Years 3 & 4

As a junior and senior, you’ll take upper-level specialized courses specific to your chosen major, as well as business electives.

In addition to your major courses, you’ll also take interdisciplinary liberal arts courses in thethroughout your four years.

Degree Awarded

Tutoring

Internships

Cutting edge and practice-focused classes

Law and Compliance students develop their skills by working on realistic problems that integrate law and business strategy both in and outside the classroom.

New Class: Sports Law

Between ' sports law provides the critical framework that makes athletic competition possible. In BLAW 324 Sports Law, students will explore the legal domains that shape sports, including contract, tort, agency, employment, intellectual property, and antitrust law. The course focuses on cutting-edge developments like Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations for student athletes.

Students will develop analytical skills through real-world case studies and hands-on exercises, such as contract negotiations, arbitration hearings, and NIL strategy analysis. The course concludes with a group project applying sports law knowledge to a Twin Cities professional sports team's legal challenge.

New Class: Health Care Law & Ethics

Health Care Law & Ethics that examines health care through the lenses of both business law and business ethics, providing insights into the strategic management of health care organizations. Students not only learn about health care topics, but learn how to keep up with the latest developments.

Business Law and Compliance Club

Business Law and Compliance Club members, which include students from many disciplines, have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the interrelationship of ethics, the legal environment and business. Students are exposed to academic, career, social and service opportunities. They have successfully brought in leaders from across industries to provide a perspective on careers and the role law and ethics play in business.

A NETWORK OF SUPPORT

Law and Compliance students have access to an active network of professors, peers, and alums supporting them at St. Thomas.

Riley Horan '18

The Law and Compliance major was the best of both worlds for Riley - who was torn between law school and a career in business. The practical legal skills he learned as anundergradwere critical to his success in law school. With classes like accounting and finance already under his belt, he was able to obtain clerkships at law firms specializing in business litigation and corporate law. Since graduating law school in 2021, Riley now represents franchisees as an Associate Attorney at Dady & Gardner, P.A.

Kathryn Van Sistine ‘21

Meaningful connections with St. Thomas faculty and leadership positions in on-campus organizations helped Kathryn develop practical skills and gain opportunities to participate in the legal community and prepare for law school. The opportunity to study abroadwiththe Opus College of Business' London Business Semester solidified Kathryn's passion for the intersection of business and law.Sheisnow a student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Career Opportunities

Typical jobs for Legal Studies in Business majors include:

HR Manager
Compliance Manager
Benefits Administrator
Contracts Administrator
Investment Manager
Occupational Safety Manager

Scholarships

GHR Fellows Program

GHR Fellows receive:

Full tuition and fees for four years (and may, pending demonstrated financial need, receive grant funds that cover room and board at St. Thomas)
A fully funded J-Term study abroad experience
Professional coaching and mentorship
Networking opportunities with Fortune 500 business executives and community leaders

Scholarships

Fauth Business Scholarships

The Opus College of Business awards this competitive scholarship to incoming students who intend to major in Business. Each year, up to four $10,000/year scholarships are awarded.

Learning Through Service: Business 200

We believe that businesses need to be socially responsible in the communities where they operate. All undergraduate business majors and minors are required to complete BUSN 200, a zero-credit, tuition-free course that includes 40 hours of community service and a series of reflective seminars. This service learning helps you grow into a highly principled global business professional, and an effective and ethical leader who’s prepared to make positive contributions in both your profession and community.

St. Thomas Career Services

The experts in the Career Development Center can help you find internships, develop job hunting skills, and put you in touch with business leads—both alumni and St. Thomas connections in the broader Twin Cities business scene. We can help you:

Clarify your strengths and how they relate to majors and career fields
Map out a career plan
Create your résumé and prepare for interviews
Look for internships and jobs

Take the Next Step

There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.

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