Curriculum - Online Compliance Certificate
USC Gould School of Law

Earning the online Compliance certificate requires successful completion of 12 credit units, including the following mandatory classes:

• Business Organizations, 4 units

  Business Organizations examines the legal organizations most often used by businesses in the United States, and discusses the specific laws governing business organizations, the policies and theories underlying these laws, and best practices for complying with them. The primary focus is on corporations as these are the predominant form of business organization by every measure except number of firms. The course also covers unincorporated entities, such as partnerships and limited liability companies. After taking this course, students will have a solid foundation in the law of business organizations, a general understanding of the business contexts in which the law operates, and an appreciation for the practical issues transactional lawyers confront when advising business organizations. The subject matter will be taught using a "problem method" in order to promote a practical understanding of business organizational law.

• Contract Drafting and Strategy, 2 units

  In this course, students will examine the strategies, objectives, and challenges that will affect how they draft contracts. They will consider the lawyer's role in drafting contracts and the factors that influence drafting style, technique, and content. The course will begin by analyzing the standard structure and terms of a typical contract, including the purposes behind them. Students will learn to draft precisely. Students then will dissect and examine a range of contracts used in business relationships (e.g., business formations, employment, real estate transactions, mergers/acquisitions) to evaluate drafting techniques and decisions in specific transactions. Finally, the students will use the knowledge they've gained to ink a deal.

• Regulatory Compliance, 2 units

  Regulatory Compliance provides an overview of regulatory compliance law and the ways that various organizations ensure compliance with governing laws and regulations. Students will understand basics about regulatory compliance law in the United States, and the ways that various organizations ensure compliance with governing laws and regulations. This course provides students with an examination of various areas of law, regulation, and policies, as well as the ways various industries utilize compliance protocols or programs. Central principles, as well as the statutory and regulatory framework that govern this growing field of compliance will be analyzed.

• Health Care Compliance, 2 units

  Health Care Compliance provides background on about the importance of compliance for health care organizations and legal challenges facing the health care industry. Students will learn about the importance of compliance for health care organizations and the specific challenges faced in the health care industry related to governance and compliance. This course provides an overview of the important principles related to health care compliance law, including the professional-patient relationship, informed consent, liability of health care professional, liability of health care institutions, quality control regulation of physicians and health care institutions, the privacy rights of patients and the ability of government to regulate patient health care choices.

• Human Resource Compliance, 2 units

  Human Resource Compliance provides an overview of human resource related law, and various legal issues involved in the employment relationship. Students will learn about laws related to human resource compliance, including rules and regulations related to types of employment, hiring and firing practices, prohibited discriminatory practices, employee wages, hours and benefits requirements, and various governmental processes and procedures. This course provides information about what laws regulate the employment relationship, including the employment contract, termination, discrimination and harassment, arbitration of employment disputes, employee speech and privacy, occupational health and safety, wage and hour regulation, and unemployment insurance.

If you are a degree-seeking student, your certificate credits also count toward the 21 units required for the online MSL degree or online LLM degree.

Courses used toward a degree completed at another university may not be applied toward this certificate.

Compliance Certification Board (CCB) Eligibility Notice: Students who pursue the Compliance Certificate at USC Gould School of Law will need to complete 16 units in CCB-accredited coursework and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to fulfill the professional work experience and continuing education units (CEU) requirements, allowing you to eligible to sit for a CCB exam upon graduation with the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics or Health Care Compliance Association.