High School
High school classes that will help to prepare you for a career in compliance include English, speech, business, economics, accounting, computer science, database design and management, computer security, social studies, history, and foreign language.
Postsecondary Education
Entry-level compliance professionals typically have bachelor’s degrees in business, finance, accounting, or pre-law. Some employers prefer to hire those with graduate degrees in these areas, or those who have law degrees. A few colleges, such as Loyola University Chicago, offer master’s degree concentrations in compliance studies. Law schools—such as the Seton Hall Law School—are beginning to offer concentrations in compliance. The Regulatory Compliance Association’s College of Regulatory Compliance provides a law and master’s concentration in asset management practice, compliance, and regulation. The International Compliance Association offers postgraduate diplomas in governance, risk, and compliance; financial crime compliance; and other areas.
Other Education or Training
Most wealth management firms provide ongoing training for their employees, which includes classes that focus on specific career areas (e.g., compliance, risk management, portfolio management) and personal and professional development (e.g., leadership, teamwork, and technology skills).
Professional associations also offer a wealth of continuing education (CE) workshops, webinars, seminars, and classes. For example, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics provides webinars such as The ABC’s of Professional Development for Compliance Practitioners and Update on Global Data Privacy Laws and Frameworks. It also offers the Basic Compliance and Ethics Academy, a three-and-a-half-day intensive program that covers topics such as compliance standards, policies, and procedures; ethics; communications, education, and training; and risk assessment. The program is offered in cities around the world. Professional development opportunities are also provided by the International Compliance Association, Regulatory Compliance Association, American Bar Association, and the American Bankers Association. Contact these organizations for more information.
Certification
A few colleges offer undergraduate and graduate certificates in compliance. Typical classes in these programs focus on risk management, ethics, leadership, and accounting systems. Contact the following colleges for more information about their programs:
- University of South Florida: https://www.usf.edu/innovative-education/graduate-certificates/programs/compliance-risk-anti-money-laundering.aspx
- San Francisco State University: https://cob.sfsu.edu/management/certificates/ethics-compliance-certificate
The International Compliance Association (https://www.int-comp.org/course-finder) offers certificates that focus on compliance, anti-money laundering, financial crime prevention, due diligence, risk management, and other areas.
- Chief Information Officers
- Financial Quantitative Analysts
- Tax Managers
- Wealth Management Accountants
- Wealth Management Analysts
- Wealth Management Associates
- Wealth Management Investor Relations Specialists
- Wealth Management Lawyers
- Wealth Management Managing Directors
- Wealth Management Risk Managers
- Wealth Management Vice Presidents
