Master's Degree in Business Ethics

In a poor economy where managers and executives are under increasingly high scrutiny from the government and public, workers who are trained in the area of business ethics are a hot commodity. A Master’s degree in business ethics qualifies a worker to find employment in several different industries and may be obtained either in universities or online.

Requirements

Applicants interested in being accepted into a graduate program in business ethics must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. The degree may be in one of several related areas, such as business, finance, accounting or economics. Students complete this graduate work at public or private not-for-profit postsecondary schools, many of which offer online course options.

Courses

During their time in a business ethics graduate program, students focus on studying the relationship between organizational culture and ethical practices, often examining case studies and proposing solutions to ethics problems. Common courses for a Master’s degree in business ethics include ethical and legal issues in business, making ethical decisions and recognizing rationalizations, forensic accounting, enterprise risk management and human resources.

Specialty Areas

Many business ethics students choose to focus on a specific area of business to increase their chances of landing a job in their industry of choice upon graduating. For example, one option is to earn a Master’s degree in health care business ethics, in which courses are focused on ethics as they relate to medicine and health issues. Because finances are a large concern when it comes to business ethics, others choose to focus on accounting.

Job Potential

Business ethics graduates have several job options, including that of a compliance officer, who works with a company’s legal department on analyzing and implementing regulatory changes. The New England College of Business and Finance states that other options for those with a Master’s degree in business ethics include becoming a marketing officer, who specializes in advertising and marketing ethical issues or a corporate auditor or consultant. A Master’s degree in business ethics also qualifies workers for positions as finance compliance education coordinators, who keep companies up to date on changing regulations in finance and investment, or as a business magazine writer, as ethics are a popular topic for business magazines and journals.

References

• Education-Portal.com: Online Business Ethics Training Courses and Education Programs
• Education-Portal.com: Online Ethics Degrees by Program Level
• New England College of Business and Finance: Master of Science in Business Ethics and Compliance (MBE)
• New England College of Business and Finance: Top 5 Jobs to Get with a Master's in Business Ethics