Why You Should Earn Your Online Master’s Degree in Business Ethics and Compliance
In an age where companies make the front page on almost a daily basis for ethics violations, knowing how to stay on the right path and reduce risk — while still remaining profitable — is a skill that has become more important than ever.
New England College of Business is one of the few schools in the United States to offer online business ethics master’s programs. NECB launched the program in 2009. At that time, the concept of a Master’s in Business Ethics and Compliance online did not exist. Today, NECB has awarded this degree to 272 graduates.
Deborah Sementa, professor and interim chair of the program for business ethics and compliance, says she thinks that it’s an especially relevant time to earn the degree:
“The compliance field has proliferated,” she says. “’Years ago, compliance used to sit in the back room. I know, because I was a compliance officer. But compliance is coming to the forefront.”
Students enrolled in the Master’s in Business Ethics and Compliance (MBEC) program have the option to choose from three concentrations: business compliance, corporate social responsibility and forensic accounting. Each track comprises 10 courses, including a capstone that allows students to apply their newly-gained knowledge and develop a compliance program. Some even get the opportunity to work on a compliance project directly with a company.
“Every industry needs compliance and ethics and risk management,” explains Sementa. “Corporations want to have a balance of competition and success, and in order to do that, they have to have ethical social and environmental practices that improve their performance and enhance the reputation of the firm. They need skilled managers to create these practices — to lead them to integrity and to do the right thing.”
“In the past, corporations were formed to satisfy the shareholder,” she says. “But it’s not that way anymore. Corporations are expected to practice corporate social responsibility to their communities and to their stakeholders.”
It’s an up-and-coming industry, and NECB ethics and compliance graduate Jennifer Bouton was not about to be left out.
“I held out jumping on a generic finance or BA degree,” she says. “In 2015, I decided to pursue my master’s degree primarily because I finally found a program that offered specifically what I was looking for — business ethics and compliance.”
Bouton completed her online master’s degree in business ethics and compliance in May 2017.
“I feel confident my specialized degree helped me get my current role a few months ago,” says Bouton, who works as a corporate audit supervisor for Bank of America.
If you are interested in helping companies reduce risk, promote ethical business practices and develop positive relationships with their community, NECB’s online Master of Science in Business Ethics and Compliance program may be the right fit for you. Speak to an admissions representative today to learn more.
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