After three semesters in Seattle U Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies Program in Compliance and Risk Management program, Cynthia Scott landed a senior vice president position at a Seattle-area bank.
“I would not have applied for or received this position without being in the Seattle U program,” says Scott. “This is a C-suite role. There were five levels of interviews, including with the board of directors, who I report to.” At each level of interviews, said Scott, everyone mentioned her participation in the master’s program.
“This program gives me street cred,” says Scott. “I’ve been in the banking and mortgage industry for over 30 years. I was a jack of all trades, but I lacked a graduate credential and a focus in a specific area.” Scott says her employer recognized the value of the program. “The C-suite really valued education, and my pursuit of a Masters in Compliance and Risk Management helped me obtain my new job. The program has already paid for itself.”
Why Cynthia Chose Seattle U’s Master of Legal Studies Program
Scott says she found the Online MLS program through a posting on LinkedIn at a time when her career had reached a plateau. “I knew I needed to expand my compliance knowledge to further my career. I had been looking for over a year for an online master’s program for risk management when I found Seattle University’s new program on LinkedIn. Also, I researched the program and found it met every one of my requirements.”
Scott approached her former manager, who received her JD from Seattle U School of Law, for advice. “I said to her, ‘What do you think of this program? I think it fits perfectly with my goals.’ She looked at the program material, read it, and said, ‘If this program were available when I got my JD, I would have taken this instead!’” “She told me to go for it,” says Scott, “and I did.”
Reputation for Excellence, Flexibility, and Career Advancement
The program met Scott’s goals because of Seattle U’s reputation for excellence, the flexibility of a fully online program, and the program’s proven ability to advance her career. She researched Seattle U extensively before taking the step to apply. She adds, “In September of this year, in the Wall Street Journal, Seattle U was ranked in the top 16 percent of universities nationally, and #121 out of 797 institutions.” “That,” says Scott, “underscores why I chose Seattle University.”
“Flexibility was really important to me,” Scott says. “This online program gives me the ability to work full time and to study on my own time. It lets me continue my volunteer work.”
Equally important, Scott says, the program was “immediately helpful.” “I used it from Day 1. I was able to apply my new-found knowledge immediately. It made me understand the ‘why’ behind compliance and risk management that I took for granted.”
Discussion boards, project work, and other opportunities for interaction have fostered tight connections between the students in Scott’s cohort. “I love my cohort,” she says. “I feel like we connect on a pseudo-family level…and I have learned a lot from my cohorts.”
There is also engagement with the professors. “Every one of them will help you and answer any questions you have.” “Probably the best thing about the program,” she says, “is that the professors stretch you intellectually. They encourage you to think outside of the box.”
Scott isn’t the only student who saw the payoff early during the program. “That way of thinking, that change in her attitude, it got my colleague Anne a promotion in her second term. That’s what this program does. It stretches you as a human being and as a life-long learner.”
You can watch the recording of our webinar that features Cynthia here.
Seattle U’s Master of Legal Studies Program
Seattle U’s fully online Master of Legal Studies in Compliance and Risk Management program prepares its graduates to lead compliance efforts in any organization, regardless of industry. Students graduate with a commanding knowledge of the law, legal analysis, and the frameworks used to identify, assess, and respond to risk.
Depending on professional goals and interests, students in the program can optionally choose to focus on financial compliance, healthcare compliance, corporate compliance, or data & cybersecurity compliance.
