Business Law and Ethics

Degree Options: Minor Only
Locations: Rose Hill, Lincoln Center
Visit the Business Law and Ethics Program

Study legal and ethical principles in business.

Understanding the law is critical for the effective management of business, especially in today's ever-expanding regulatory environment. Fordham's approach to business includes a crucial additional dimension as well, one that sets it apart from many other schools of business: an education in ethics. Pursuing a minor or concentration in business law and ethics will allow you to immerse yourself in that education.

It is our belief that business cannot prosper in the long run unless it is conducted ethically. Reflecting Fordham's Jesuit tradition, the law and ethics area asks students to consider—and answer for themselves—complex questions about ethical business conduct, the underlying purpose of business, and whether businesses have an obligation to go beyond making a profit by advancing society. The law and ethics faculty prides itself on a curriculum that allows students to grapple with problems similar to those that they will encounter in the workplace.

The concepts discussed in all law and ethics classes expose students to salient issues that affect modern commerce. Asking our students to think about contemporary legal and ethical issues gives them a competitive edge. And they also consider a question that is central to business education at Fordham: Should a business exist purely for the purpose of profit, or should it contribute to society in a greater way?

The Gabelli dual-core curriculum—half business, half liberal arts—makes Fordham business graduates unique: knowledgeable about global commerce, but also keenly aware of the human factor in every deal.

  • Courses in business law and ethics will give students a deeper exposure and skill set in the application of the law and ethical principles in a business context.

    Business law courses are designed to provide a strong foundation in the areas of contract law, agency, partnerships, and limited liability companies and corporations. The area also offers courses in a variety of other legal topics, such as law of commercial transactions, communications law, international business law, employment law, and sports law.

    Business ethics classes address issues involving values and social norms in the business community. These classes focus on case discussions and role-play simulations to help put theory into practice.

    As part of the minor, students will take two core classes and four electives among a list of upper-level law and ethics courses.
    As part of the secondary concentration, students will take two core classes—Legal Framework of Business and Ethics in Business—and a total of three electives among a list of upper-level law and ethics electives, as well as courses from other areas.

    Law and ethics courses may include:

    • Legal Framework of Business
    • Ethics in Business
    • Commercial Transactions
    • White Collar Crime
    • Employment Law
    • International Business Ethics
    • Law and the Arts
    • Business Organizations
    • Sports and the Law
    • Securities Law


    Secondary concentration electives also include the following courses from other areas:

    • Social Marketing
    • Corporate Financial Policy
    • Compliance & Risk Management
    • Exploring Entrepreneurship
    • Ethics in Financial Reporting & Accounting
    • Law and Economics
    • Cross-Cultural Negotiation & Communication

  • Gabelli School business law and ethics graduates are prepared for careers in business leadership, law, politics, human resources, compliance, and many other fields.
    Our students have recently gone on to 98 law schools, including:

    • Boston College
    • Cornell University
    • Duke University
    • George Washington University
    • Indiana University
    • Notre Dame Law School
    • Syracuse University College of Law
    • University of Illinois
    • University of North Carolina
    • University of Oregon
    • University of San Diego
    • University of South Carolina
    • University of Virginia
    • Villanova University
    • Wake Forest University

Learn More About Business Law and Ethics

Visit the Business Law and Ethics Program