Social Entrepreneur blog for the world changers
nonprofit education
ARNOVA Conference 2011 – Teaching Section Workshop
Nov 20th
I am finally getting around to publishing my blog posts from the ARNOVA conference. I got a taste of being a working mom. My husband and I drove to Toronto for the ARNOVA conference from Grand Rapids. We took our one month old daughter with us and she did great! I attended every other conference session (I normally attend everything 
. I couldn’t have attended the conference without the support of my wonderful husband who is a really hands on dad. I am so happy that I attended the conference — the sessions I attended were awesome! The only issue I had with the conference was the poor internet connection at the hotel. I couldn’t access the internet in most of the rooms and the internet was free for 1 hour increments in the hotel lobby. I wish that hotels would make the internet free. My phone didn’t work in Canada either.
The first session I attended was the Teaching pre-conference workshop. The workshop was coordinated by Mary Ann Feldheim. Mary brought together representatives from nonprofit academic organizations including:
- Dr. K. Tom Liou from the American Society for Pubic Administration (ASPA). The mission of ASPA is to advance the art, science, teaching, and practice of public and non-profit administration. Liou – ARNOVA Presentation
- Roseanne Mirabella, President of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) & Will Brown, create of NERF – Nonprofit Education Resource and Forum Website –to share resources and syllabi. Will is part of the ARNOVA educational committee that created a teaching resource website. Nonprofit faculty members submit syllabi, cases and other teaching resources.Mirabella and Brown ARNOVA Presentation
- Katherine Campbell, Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration. CCVA advances the profession and practice of volunteer resource management. CCVA Resources – ARNOVA pane. CCVA Slides – ARNOVA panel
- Laural McFarlend, members of National Association of School of Public Affairs Education (NASPAA). The mission of NASPAA is to ensure excellence in training for public service and to promote the ideal of public service. NASPAA also serves as the accreditor tor for public service degree programs.NASPAA Presentation on Nonprofit Standards
- J. Patrick Murphy and Sean Shacklett, the Nonprofit Academic centers Council (NACC). NACC is a membership association comprised of academic centers or programs at accredited colleges and universities that focus on the study of nonprofit organizations, voluntarism and/or philanthropy. Established in 1991, NACC is the first group entirely dedicated to the promotion and networking of centers that provide research and education in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
- Marcia Cross, Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. The mission of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance is a national alliance of colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations dedicated to educating, preparing and certifying professionals to strengthen and lead nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit Leadership Alliance – ARNOVA Presentation 2011
These organizations have many nonprofit management education resources available to faculty, students, practitioners and funders.
The panel discussion mostly focused on the pros and cons of standardizing nonprofit curriculum. Some were in support of standardization and others had hesitations. Several panelists and participants emphasized the importance of sharing learning outcomes and rubrics.
There was agreement that there are silos in nonprofit management education and work needs to be done to identify the common threads and skills that help people cope with the realities of nonprofit management.
Updates and Musings – 3 weeks until my dissertation defense!
Apr 7th
I haven’t written a post in over 2 months — shame on me!!
I’ve often thought about writing a post but then was reminded of that looming deadline I have approaching. In less than 3 weeks I will defend my dissertation and if all goes well, I will become a Ph.D!! It has been a long road to get here but a wonderful one. I am so thankful for my amazing professors and mentors I have encountered along the way. All four years have led up to this moment — where I will defend my dissertation study and then be sent out into the world.
Words cannot express how grateful I am for this experience and how my PhD program has prepared me for my future endeavors. If you or anyone you know is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. with a specialization in nonprofit and philanthropic studies, please have them contact me. I’d be happy to share with them about my experience and the various programs that offer a similar type of experience! Each year that I’ve been in the program I’ve written about my experiences:
- Confessions of a first year doctoral student
- Confessions of a second year doctoral student
- Confessions of a Third Year Doctoral Student: Interpersonal Skills Matter the Most
- Confessions of a Forth Year Doctoral Student: Persistence Pays Off
A lot of exciting things have happened in the past couple of months including, my first peer reviewed article was published in the Journal of Public Affairs Education! It is titled: How We Could Measure Community Impact of Nonprofit Graduate Students’ Service-Learning Projects: Lessons from the Literature.
I love this work and I am really excited to see where it takes me next. I’ve been interviewing for faculty jobs in nonprofit-focused master’s degree programs — so we’ll see!!
On another note, I organized the social media team for the BenchMark 3.5 conference: The 4th Conference on Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies. BenchMark 3.5 was designed to consider the development of nonprofit/nongovernmental management, voluntarism, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropy as a field of study in higher education. I am so thankful for the team, which was primarily made up of graduate students from DePaul University. The social media team wrote over 30 blog posts from the conference – I’m still putting them up on the conference blog! The social media team also took numerous videos throughout the conference, which are also posted on the blog, and they tweeted the conference using the hash tag #benchmark3 If you are interested in learning more about the field of nonprofit management and philanthropy as a field of study in higher education please check out the conference coverage!!
Setting the Record Straight about Nonprofit-Focused Graduate Degrees
Aug 18th
I believe there is a lot of confusion about nonprofit-focused master's degree programs and I hope that this blog post will set the record straight. There are many different types of master's degree programs that can be considered "nonprofit-focused" or "nonprofit education". These types include:
If you are interested in studying the intersection between government and nonprofits, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Public Administration (a.k.a MPSA, MPIA) with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in managing a governmental organization and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization. Also some of these programs focus on NGO's (international nonprofit organizations).
If you are interested in becoming a nonprofit board member (or nonprofit manager) and studying earned revenue within nonprofits, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Business Administration with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in managing a business and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in directly working with clients and constituents on a daily basis and managing the programmatic side a nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Social Work with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in social welfare and social change and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in changing social policy related to nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Public Policy (a.k.a. MA in PP, MPPA) with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in creating and changing public policy and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in directly running human service organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Science in Human Services. These master's degree program offer core and elective courses in managing human and social services organizations.
Finally, if you are interested in studying philanthropic giving within nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Masters of Arts in Philanthropic Studies. This master's degree program offers core and elective courses in philanthropic giving within nonprofit organizations and the sector.
Please note, these descriptions above are generalizations. You should ALWAYS visit a master's degree program website to see the specific courses offered within the program.
If you want to attend the BEST nonprofit-focused master's degree in the country you may not find it listed on the U.S. News and World Report website. They rank graduate schools -- not master's degree programs. They do rank top public affairs schools with nonprofit specializations and top business schools with nonprofit specializations but these rankings completely ignore stand-alone nonprofit master's degree programs or the other types of master's degrees I listed above.
Additionally, there are some nonprofit-focused master's degree programs that span 2-3 three different colleges/schools within a university.
Since I am studying master's degree programs associated with the Nonprofit Academic Center's Council (NACC) for my dissertation, I created a table of these 50+ master's degree programs.
Please note, this list is just a sample of the 160+ nonprofit-focused master's degree programs offered across the US and the world. For a complete listing, please visit Roseanne Mirabella's website.
- Master's of Nonprofit Administration
- Master's of Public Administration
- Master's of Social Work
- Master’s of Business Administration
- Master's of Public Policy
- Master’s of Human Services
- Master's of Arts in Philanthropic Studies
If you are interested in studying the intersection between government and nonprofits, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Public Administration (a.k.a MPSA, MPIA) with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in managing a governmental organization and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization. Also some of these programs focus on NGO's (international nonprofit organizations).
If you are interested in becoming a nonprofit board member (or nonprofit manager) and studying earned revenue within nonprofits, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Business Administration with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in managing a business and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in directly working with clients and constituents on a daily basis and managing the programmatic side a nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Social Work with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in social welfare and social change and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in changing social policy related to nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Public Policy (a.k.a. MA in PP, MPPA) with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master's degree programs offer core courses in creating and changing public policy and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in directly running human service organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master's of Science in Human Services. These master's degree program offer core and elective courses in managing human and social services organizations.
Finally, if you are interested in studying philanthropic giving within nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Masters of Arts in Philanthropic Studies. This master's degree program offers core and elective courses in philanthropic giving within nonprofit organizations and the sector.
Please note, these descriptions above are generalizations. You should ALWAYS visit a master's degree program website to see the specific courses offered within the program.
If you want to attend the BEST nonprofit-focused master's degree in the country you may not find it listed on the U.S. News and World Report website. They rank graduate schools -- not master's degree programs. They do rank top public affairs schools with nonprofit specializations and top business schools with nonprofit specializations but these rankings completely ignore stand-alone nonprofit master's degree programs or the other types of master's degrees I listed above.
Additionally, there are some nonprofit-focused master's degree programs that span 2-3 three different colleges/schools within a university.
Since I am studying master's degree programs associated with the Nonprofit Academic Center's Council (NACC) for my dissertation, I created a table of these 50+ master's degree programs.
| University | Location | NACC Member Center | Master’s degree associated with NACC Center |
| Arizona State University | Phoenix, AZ | ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation | Masters of Nonprofit Studies |
| Baruch College, City University of New York | New York, NY | Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management | Masters Public Administration (MPA) Specialization in Nonprofit Administration |
| Bay Path College | Longmeadow, MA | The Graduate School and Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy Program | MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy |
| Boston College | Boston, MA | Center on Wealth and Philanthropy | Masters of Social Work |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations | Masters of Nonprofit Organizations & Executive Option |
| City University London | London, UK | Centre for Charity Effectiveness - Cass School of Business | PgDip/MSc in Voluntary Sector Management (post graduate diploma) |
| Cleveland State University | Cleveland, OH | Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice | Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership |
| DePaul University | Chicago, IL | School of Public Service | Master of Nonprofit Management |
| George Mason University | Fairfax, VA | Nonprofit Management Studies | Masters of Public Administration (MPA) Concentration in Nonprofit Management |
| Georgetown University | Washington, D.C. | Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership - Georgetown Public Policy Institute | Masters in Public Policy/Policy Management (Nonprofit Policy and Leadership Track) |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA | Nonprofit Studies Program - Andrew Young School of Public Policy Studies | Masters of Public Administration (MPA)-Nonprofit Administration/MPP-Nonprofit Policy |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI | Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership | Masters of Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Leadership |
| Harvard University | Boston, MA | Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations | |
| Indiana University | Indianapolis, IN & Bloomington, IN | The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University | MA in Philanthropic Studies/MPA Nonprofit Management |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore. MD | Center for Civil Society Studies | Masters of Arts in Public Policy |
| Louisiana State University – Shreveport | Shreveport, LA | Institute for Human Services and Public Policy - College of Liberal Arts | Masters of Science in Human Services Administration |
| Mount Royal College | Calgary, AB Canada | Institute for Nonprofit Studies | No Masters Degree- Bachelors in Applied Nonprofit Studies |
| North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC | Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management | |
| New York University | New York, NY | Public and Nonprofit Management & Policy Program - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service | Masters in Public Administration (MPA) in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy |
| New York University School of Law | New York, NY | National Center on Philanthropy and the Law | Three different nonprofit law related courses - does not offer Masters Degree |
| North Park University | Chicago, IL | Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management | Master of Nonprofit Administration |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | Center for Nonprofit Management - Kellogg School of Management | MBA |
| Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN | Master of Nonprofit Administration Program - Mendoza College of Business | Master of Nonprofit Administration |
| Portland State University | Portland, OR | Institute for Nonprofit Management, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government | Master of Public Administration Specialization in Nonprofit Management |
| Queensland University of Technology | Brisbane, AU | Master of Business (Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies) | |
| Regis University | Denver, Co | Global Nonprofit Leadership Development | Master of Nonprofit Management |
| Seattle University | Seattle, WA | Center for Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Management | Executive Master of Nonprofit Leadership |
| Seton Hall University | New Orange, NJ | Center for Public Service | Masters in Public Administration Concentration in Nonprofit Organization Management |
| Texas A&M University | College Station, TX | Program in Nonprofit Management - Bush School of Government and Public Service | Master of Public Service and Administration with Elective Concentration in Nonprofit Management |
| The New School | New York, NY | Graduate Management Programs - Nonprofit Management Program | Master of Science Degree in Nonprofit Management |
| The University of New South Wales | Sydney, AU | Centre for Social Impact | Graduate Certificate in Social Impact (No master’s degree) |
| University at Albany-SUNY | Albany, NY | Center for Women in Government & Civil Society - Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy | Master of Public Administration Concentration in Nonprofit Management |
| University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership | MBA (Nonprofit Specialty) |
| University of California-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | Center for Civil Society | Masters in Public Policy |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE | Center for Community Research & Service | M.A. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy concentration in Community Development and Nonprofit Leadership |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | Nonprofit and Public Management Center, School of Social Work | MPP with focus in Public and Nonprofit Management, MPA (same as MPP but accelerated program), MSW with practice method in management of human service organizations, MBA with electives in social enterprise |
| University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | The Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs | Master of Public Policy (MPP) with a concentration in public nonprofit leadership and management. Masters of Public Affairs with nonprofit courses |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership - Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration | Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree with a concentration in nonprofit management |
| University of Missouri-St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program | The Master of Public Policy Administration (MPPA) |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | Center for Community Partnerships - Penn Program for Public Service | Leadership for Social Change Masters Program |
| University of San Diego | San Diego, CA | Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research | MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | Nonprofit Management Program | Master of Nonprofit Administration |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy | Master of Public Administration/Master of Public Policy Specialization in Philanthropy and Nonprofits |
| University of St. Thomas | Minneapolis, MN | Center for Nonprofit Management | MBA with Elective Track (Specialization) in Nonprofit |
| University of Technology- Sydney | Sydney, AU | Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management - School of Management | Master of Business |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service | Master of Public Affairs Specialization in Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy | Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management | Master of Science in Nonprofit Management and Leadership |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA | Institute for Policy and Governance | Master's of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) with a public and nonprofit management concentration (govt. and capacity building)/Masters of Public Administration (MPA)/Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) |
| York University | Toronto, ON | Nonprofit Management & Leadership Program - Schulich School of Business | MBA in Nonprofit Management and Leadership |
Please note, this list is just a sample of the 160+ nonprofit-focused master's degree programs offered across the US and the world. For a complete listing, please visit Roseanne Mirabella's website.
Setting the Record Straight about Nonprofit-Focused Graduate Degrees
Aug 18th
I believe there is a lot of confusion about nonprofit-focused master’s degree programs and I hope that this blog post will set the record straight. There are many different types of master’s degree programs that can be considered “nonprofit-focused” or “nonprofit education”. These types include:
- Master’s of Nonprofit Administration
- Master’s of Public Administration
- Master’s of Social Work
- Master’s of Business Administration
- Master’s of Public Policy
- Master’s of Human Services
- Master’s of Arts in Philanthropic Studies
If you are interested in becoming an Executive Director of a nonprofit, then you should consider pursuing a stand-alone Master’s of Nonprofit Administration (aka MNO/MNS/MNM/MS in NP). These master’s degree programs offer core and elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization. These courses include: Nonprofit Management, Board Governance, Fundraising, Nonprofit Finance and Accounting, Capital Campaign and Development, Strategic Planning, Human Resources, etc.
If you are interested in studying the intersection between government and nonprofits, then you should consider pursuing a Master’s of Public Administration (a.k.a MPSA, MPIA) with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master’s degree programs offer core courses in managing a governmental organization and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization. Also some of these programs focus on NGO’s (international nonprofit organizations).
If you are interested in becoming a nonprofit board member (or nonprofit manager) and studying earned revenue within nonprofits, then you should consider pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master’s degree programs offer core courses in managing a business and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in directly working with clients and constituents on a daily basis and managing the programmatic side a nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master’s of Social Work with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master’s degree programs offer core courses in social welfare and social change and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in changing social policy related to nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master’s of Public Policy (a.k.a. MA in PP, MPPA) with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management. These master’s degree programs offer core courses in creating and changing public policy and offer elective courses in managing a nonprofit organization.
If you are interested in directly running human service organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Master’s of Science in Human Services. These master’s degree program offer core and elective courses in managing human and social services organizations.
Finally, if you are interested in studying philanthropic giving within nonprofit organizations, then you should consider pursuing a Masters of Arts in Philanthropic Studies.This master’s degree program offers core and elective courses in philanthropic giving within nonprofit organizations and the sector.
Please note, these descriptions above are generalizations. You should ALWAYS visit a master’s degree program website to see the specific courses offered within the program.
If you want to attend the BEST nonprofit-focused master’s degree in the country you may not find it listed on the U.S. News and World Report website. They rank graduate schools — not master’s degree programs. They do rank top public affairs schools with nonprofit specializations and top business schools with nonprofit specializations but these rankings completely ignore stand-alone nonprofit master’s degree programs or the other types of master’s degrees I listed above.
Additionally, there are some nonprofit-focused master’s degree programs that span 2-3 three different colleges/schools within a university.
Since I am studying master’s degree programs associated with the Nonprofit Academic Center’s Council (NACC) for my dissertation, I created a table of these 50+ master’s degree programs.
|
University |
Location |
NACC Member Center |
Master’s degree associated with NACC Center |
|
Arizona State University |
Phoenix, AZ |
ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation |
Masters of Nonprofit Studies |
|
Baruch College, City University of New York |
New York, NY |
Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management |
Masters Public Administration (MPA) Specialization in Nonprofit Administration |
|
Bay Path College |
Longmeadow, MA |
The Graduate School and Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy Program |
MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy |
|
Boston College |
Boston, MA |
Center on Wealth and Philanthropy |
Masters of Social Work |
|
Case Western Reserve University |
Cleveland, OH |
Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations |
Masters of Nonprofit Organizations & Executive Option |
|
City University London |
London, UK |
Centre for Charity Effectiveness – Cass School of Business |
PgDip/MSc in Voluntary Sector Management (post graduate diploma) |
|
Cleveland State University |
Cleveland, OH |
Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice |
Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership |
|
DePaul University |
Chicago, IL |
School of Public Service |
Master of Nonprofit Management |
|
George Mason University |
Fairfax, VA |
Nonprofit Management Studies |
Masters of Public Administration (MPA) Concentration in Nonprofit Management |
|
Georgetown University |
Washington, D.C. |
Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership – Georgetown Public Policy Institute |
Masters in Public Policy/Policy Management (Nonprofit Policy and Leadership Track) |
|
Georgia State University |
Atlanta, GA |
Nonprofit Studies Program – Andrew Young School of Public Policy Studies |
Masters of Public Administration (MPA)-Nonprofit Administration/MPP-Nonprofit Policy |
|
Grand Valley State University |
Allendale, MI |
Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership |
Masters of Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Leadership |
|
Harvard University |
Boston, MA |
Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations |
|
|
Indiana University |
Indianapolis, IN & Bloomington, IN |
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University |
MA in Philanthropic Studies/MPA Nonprofit Management |
|
Johns Hopkins University |
Baltimore. MD |
Center for Civil Society Studies |
Masters of Arts in Public Policy |
|
Louisiana State University – Shreveport |
Shreveport, LA |
Institute for Human Services and Public Policy – College of Liberal Arts |
Masters of Science in Human Services Administration |
|
Mount Royal College |
Calgary, AB Canada |
Institute for Nonprofit Studies |
No Masters Degree- Bachelors in Applied Nonprofit Studies |
|
North Carolina State University |
Raleigh, NC |
Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management |
|
|
New York University |
New York, NY |
Public and Nonprofit Management & Policy Program – Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service |
Masters in Public Administration (MPA) in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy |
|
New York University School of Law |
New York, NY |
National Center on Philanthropy and the Law |
Three different nonprofit law related courses – does not offer Masters Degree |
|
North Park University |
Chicago, IL |
Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management |
Master of Nonprofit Administration |
|
Northwestern University |
Evanston, IL |
Center for Nonprofit Management – Kellogg School of Management |
MBA |
|
Notre Dame |
Notre Dame, IN |
Master of Nonprofit Administration Program – Mendoza College of Business |
Master of Nonprofit Administration |
|
Portland State University |
Portland, OR |
Institute for Nonprofit Management, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government |
Master of Public Administration Specialization in Nonprofit Management |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
Brisbane, AU |
Master of Business (Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies) |
|
|
Regis University |
Denver, Co |
Global Nonprofit Leadership Development |
Master of Nonprofit Management |
|
Seattle University |
Seattle, WA |
Center for Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Management |
Executive Master of Nonprofit Leadership |
|
Seton Hall University |
New Orange, NJ |
Center for Public Service |
Masters in Public Administration Concentration in Nonprofit Organization Management |
|
Texas A&M University |
College Station, TX |
Program in Nonprofit Management – Bush School of Government and Public Service |
Master of Public Service and Administration with Elective Concentration in Nonprofit Management |
|
The New School |
New York, NY |
Graduate Management Programs – Nonprofit Management Program |
Master of Science Degree in Nonprofit Management |
|
The University of New South Wales |
Sydney, AU |
Centre for Social Impact |
Graduate Certificate in Social Impact (No master’s degree) |
|
University at Albany-SUNY |
Albany, NY |
Center for Women in Government & Civil Society – Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy |
Master of Public Administration Concentration in Nonprofit Management |
|
University of California-Berkeley |
Berkeley, CA |
Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership |
MBA (Nonprofit Specialty) |
|
University of California-Los Angeles |
Los Angeles, CA |
Center for Civil Society |
Masters in Public Policy |
|
University of Delaware |
Newark, DE |
Center for Community Research & Service |
M.A. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy concentration in Community Development and Nonprofit Leadership |
|
University of Michigan |
Ann Arbor, MI |
Nonprofit and Public Management Center, School of Social Work |
MPP with focus in Public and Nonprofit Management, MPA (same as MPP but accelerated program), MSW with practice method in management of human service organizations, MBA with electives in social enterprise |
|
University of Minnesota |
Minneapolis, MN |
The Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs |
Master of Public Policy (MPP) with a concentration in public nonprofit leadership and management. Masters of Public Affairs with nonprofit courses |
|
University of Missouri-Kansas City |
Kansas City, MO |
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership – Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration |
Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree with a concentration in nonprofit management |
|
University of Missouri-St. Louis |
St. Louis, MO |
Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program |
The Master of Public Policy Administration (MPPA) |
|
University of Pennsylvania |
Philadelphia, PA |
Center for Community Partnerships – Penn Program for Public Service |
Leadership for Social Change Masters Program |
|
University of San Diego |
San Diego, CA |
Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research |
MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management |
|
University of San Francisco |
San Francisco, CA |
Nonprofit Management Program |
Master of Nonprofit Administration |
|
University of Southern California |
Los Angeles, CA |
Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy |
Master of Public Administration/Master of Public Policy Specialization in Philanthropy and Nonprofits |
|
University of St. Thomas |
Minneapolis, MN |
Center for Nonprofit Management |
MBA with Elective Track (Specialization) in Nonprofit |
|
University of Technology- Sydney |
Sydney, AU |
Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management – School of Management |
Master of Business |
|
University of Texas at Austin |
Austin, TX |
RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service |
Master of Public Affairs Specialization in Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies |
|
University of Washington |
Seattle, WA |
Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy |
Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy |
|
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
Milwaukee, WI |
Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management |
Master of Science in Nonprofit Management and Leadership |
|
Virginia Tech |
Blacksburg, VA |
Institute for Policy and Governance |
Master’s of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) with a public and nonprofit management concentration (govt. and capacity building)/Masters of Public Administration (MPA)/Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) |
|
York University |
Toronto, ON |
Nonprofit Management & Leadership Program – Schulich School of Business |
MBA in Nonprofit Management and Leadership |
Please note, this list is just a sample of the 160+ nonprofit-focused master’s degree programs offered across the US and the world. For a complete listing, please visit Roseanne Mirabella’s website.
Nonprofit Master’s Degree Programs are Here to Stay!
Jul 13th
On the Chronicle of Philanthropy chat today Nancy Lublin CEO of Do Something told an MPA grad student to transfer to a MBA program. She said and I quote,
"If we (as NGOs) want to be respected and want things to change, instead of creating more programs of our own, we should attend b-school, sit in the front row, and be the curve breakers we know we are actually think this separate degree programs and courses just allows those business people to continue to think that we're "that other thing" or "that other sector"
REALLY NANCY? PLEASE CHECK YOUR SOURCES. As much as NANCY wants nonprofits and businesses to be the same -- they can't be. Nonprofits run differently than businesses. Nonprofit finance and accounting, fundraising, and board management are different than for-profits. Do B-schools teach these topics? NO, the majority of them don't.
There are over 260 colleges and universities that offer SPECIFIC courses for running a nonprofit organization. In the last ten years these programs have nearly quadrupled in size. This year alone, the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at USD had to turn away over 70% of its applicants due to demand for this SPECIFIC type of training.
I do want to emphasize there are some b-schools that offer nonprofit specializations. I personally attended North Park University and my graduate degree in was in a School of Business and Nonprofit management. I took some of the same courses as MBA students, however I also took other courses like Nonprofit Accounting, Nonprofit Fundraising, Capital Campaign Development and Planning, Board Leadership and Management, and the list continues.
I agree with Nancy in the fact that nonprofits can teach businesses about how to run more effectively, however I think Nancy seriously needs to check her sources before she recommends people to transfer from a nonprofit focused graduate degree program into an MBA program. Last time I checked, the news media was slamming MBA programs saying how unprepared MBA grads are. Where many MBA students are analyzing cases, nonprofit master's degree students are working in real nonprofit organizations and doing real projects for these organizations. See my research, where alumni of nonprofit programs said they were better prepared because they receive hands on experiential learning in their program.
Nonprofit degree programs are here to stay!!
***
Yes, I can truly say I am biased because I work in a nonprofit master's degree program and I am doing my dissertation on experiential education in nonprofit master's degree programs. I can also speak all day long about how my Masters degree in Nonprofit Administration prepared me to be more effective in my nonprofit job and the nonprofit workplace.
"If we (as NGOs) want to be respected and want things to change, instead of creating more programs of our own, we should attend b-school, sit in the front row, and be the curve breakers we know we are actually think this separate degree programs and courses just allows those business people to continue to think that we're "that other thing" or "that other sector"
REALLY NANCY? PLEASE CHECK YOUR SOURCES. As much as NANCY wants nonprofits and businesses to be the same -- they can't be. Nonprofits run differently than businesses. Nonprofit finance and accounting, fundraising, and board management are different than for-profits. Do B-schools teach these topics? NO, the majority of them don't.
There are over 260 colleges and universities that offer SPECIFIC courses for running a nonprofit organization. In the last ten years these programs have nearly quadrupled in size. This year alone, the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at USD had to turn away over 70% of its applicants due to demand for this SPECIFIC type of training.
I do want to emphasize there are some b-schools that offer nonprofit specializations. I personally attended North Park University and my graduate degree in was in a School of Business and Nonprofit management. I took some of the same courses as MBA students, however I also took other courses like Nonprofit Accounting, Nonprofit Fundraising, Capital Campaign Development and Planning, Board Leadership and Management, and the list continues.
I agree with Nancy in the fact that nonprofits can teach businesses about how to run more effectively, however I think Nancy seriously needs to check her sources before she recommends people to transfer from a nonprofit focused graduate degree program into an MBA program. Last time I checked, the news media was slamming MBA programs saying how unprepared MBA grads are. Where many MBA students are analyzing cases, nonprofit master's degree students are working in real nonprofit organizations and doing real projects for these organizations. See my research, where alumni of nonprofit programs said they were better prepared because they receive hands on experiential learning in their program.
Nonprofit degree programs are here to stay!!
***
Yes, I can truly say I am biased because I work in a nonprofit master's degree program and I am doing my dissertation on experiential education in nonprofit master's degree programs. I can also speak all day long about how my Masters degree in Nonprofit Administration prepared me to be more effective in my nonprofit job and the nonprofit workplace.
Nonprofit Master’s Degree Programs are Here to Stay!
Jul 13th
On the Chronicle of Philanthropy chat today Nancy Lublin CEO of Do Something told an MPA grad student to transfer to a MBA program. She said and I quote,
“If we (as NGOs) want to be respected and want things to change, instead of creating more programs of our own, we should attend b-school, sit in the front row, and be the curve breakers we know we are actually think this separate degree programs and courses just allows those business people to continue to think that we’re “that other thing” or “that other sector“
REALLY NANCY? PLEASE CHECK YOUR SOURCES. As much as NANCY wants nonprofits and businesses to be the same — they can’t be. Nonprofits run differently than businesses. Nonprofit finance and accounting, fundraising, and board management are different than for-profits. Do B-schools teach these topics? NO, the majority of them don’t.
There are over 260 colleges and universities that offer SPECIFIC courses for running a nonprofit organization. In the last ten years these programs have nearly quadrupled in size. This year alone, the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at USD had to turn away over 70% of its applicants due to demand for this SPECIFIC type of training.
I do want to emphasize there are some b-schools that offer nonprofit specializations. I personally attended North Park University and my graduate degree in was in a School of Business and Nonprofit management. I took some of the same courses as MBA students, however I also took other courses like Nonprofit Accounting, Nonprofit Fundraising, Capital Campaign Development and Planning, Board Leadership and Management, and the list continues.
I agree with Nancy in the fact that nonprofits can teach businesses about how to run more effectively, however I think Nancy seriously needs to check her sources before she recommends people to transfer from a nonprofit focused graduate degree program into an MBA program. Last time I checked, the news media was slamming MBA programs saying how unprepared MBA grads are. Where many MBA students are analyzing cases, nonprofit master’s degree students are working in real nonprofit organizations and doing real projects for these organizations. See my research, where alumni of nonprofit programs said they were better prepared because they receive hands on experiential learning in their program.
Nonprofit degree programs are here to stay!!
***
Yes, I can truly say I am biased because I work in a nonprofit master’s degree program and I am doing my dissertation on experiential education in nonprofit master’s degree programs. I can also speak all day long about how my Masters degree in Nonprofit Administration prepared me to be more effective in my nonprofit job and the nonprofit workplace.
Fund my Dissertation Research: Experiential Education within Nonprofit Management and Leadership Education
May 17th
My committee has approved my dissertation proposal so now I can begin my dissertation study!
As with any study, there are costs associated with doing my dissertation. I am currently looking for foundations, corporations, and/or individuals who will fund my dissertation study.
I've developed a proposal that outlines the specific costs associated with this research. If you are interested, or know of anyone who might be interested in funding this type of research, please let me know and I will forward you/or them the proposal. Email me: hcarpenter at sandiego dot edu Thanks!
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP EDUCATION: AN EXAMINATION OF MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NONPROFIT ACADEMIC CENTERS COUNCIL
Currently there is no comprehensive picture of the various experiential education strategies employed in nonprofit management education programs in the United States. A comprehensive picture is not even available for the master’s degree programs associated with the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC), the organization that supposedly includes the country’s trend-setting nonprofit programs. This preliminary study will document (a) the types of experiential education approaches offered in master’s degree programs associated with NACC-affiliated institutions; (b) the programmatic contexts in which the different types of experiential education occur; and (c) the larger organizational settings and the different levels of institutional support associated with the use of different experiential education approaches.
A two-phase mixed method exploratory design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) will be employed to accomplish the three goals listed above. In the first phase, qualitative interviews will be conducted in order to explore the phenomenon of experiential education within a limited number of purposefully-selected master's degree programs. Once the phenomenon has been explored and common themes and definitions have been identified with representatives from a limited number of sites, a second phase of the research will focus on the development and administration of a survey instrument. The survey instrument will be administered to representatives from all eligible NACC institutions and will be used to confirm or disconfirm common themes that emerged during the qualitative interviews.
This study will aid in creating a better understanding of the pedagogy and curricula employed in master's degree programs associated with NACC member centers. The study also should reveal how a variety of contextual factors influence these programs. This information, in turn, should provide empirical grounding for the nonprofit field’s ongoing discussion and debate about the form and function of nonprofit management and leadership education.
As with any study, there are costs associated with doing my dissertation. I am currently looking for foundations, corporations, and/or individuals who will fund my dissertation study.
I've developed a proposal that outlines the specific costs associated with this research. If you are interested, or know of anyone who might be interested in funding this type of research, please let me know and I will forward you/or them the proposal. Email me: hcarpenter at sandiego dot edu Thanks!
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP EDUCATION: AN EXAMINATION OF MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NONPROFIT ACADEMIC CENTERS COUNCIL
Currently there is no comprehensive picture of the various experiential education strategies employed in nonprofit management education programs in the United States. A comprehensive picture is not even available for the master’s degree programs associated with the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC), the organization that supposedly includes the country’s trend-setting nonprofit programs. This preliminary study will document (a) the types of experiential education approaches offered in master’s degree programs associated with NACC-affiliated institutions; (b) the programmatic contexts in which the different types of experiential education occur; and (c) the larger organizational settings and the different levels of institutional support associated with the use of different experiential education approaches.
A two-phase mixed method exploratory design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) will be employed to accomplish the three goals listed above. In the first phase, qualitative interviews will be conducted in order to explore the phenomenon of experiential education within a limited number of purposefully-selected master's degree programs. Once the phenomenon has been explored and common themes and definitions have been identified with representatives from a limited number of sites, a second phase of the research will focus on the development and administration of a survey instrument. The survey instrument will be administered to representatives from all eligible NACC institutions and will be used to confirm or disconfirm common themes that emerged during the qualitative interviews.
This study will aid in creating a better understanding of the pedagogy and curricula employed in master's degree programs associated with NACC member centers. The study also should reveal how a variety of contextual factors influence these programs. This information, in turn, should provide empirical grounding for the nonprofit field’s ongoing discussion and debate about the form and function of nonprofit management and leadership education.
How will we measure impact in 2010?
Jan 6th
I was in the middle of writing a blog post about a community impact study when I saw that Give and Take featured a lively discussion (hosted by Ken Berger) about organizational impact and community impact.
I agree with Ken and Hildy in their discussion of impact. As Ken stated, many nonprofits do not incorporate evaluation methods in their organizations. This is important to keep in mind when we (researchers and consultants) study impact within nonprofit organizations, we must present evaluation tools that nonprofits will understand and use (See Carmen's research about nonprofit evaluation Nonprofits and Evaluation: New Directions for Evaluation). We must also work with nonprofits to create measures to study COMMUNITY impact as well. This is not an easy task but it is beginning to happen.
At the University of San Diego we studied organizational and community impact of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program by conducting an extensive qualitative study to determine whether student-led applied projects conducted for nonprofit organizations had an impact on those organizations, and if so, to assess the type and duration of that impact.
We first studied if and how the projects were used by the organizations. We then asked questions that went beyond the internal workings of the organization to determine if and how the project influenced programming and future work. Our findings indicated that all of the projects were used in some form. In addition, respondents offered recommendations to strengthen the applied projects process.
This is an exciting first step for studying community impact of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at the University of San Diego.
I agree with Ken and Hildy in their discussion of impact. As Ken stated, many nonprofits do not incorporate evaluation methods in their organizations. This is important to keep in mind when we (researchers and consultants) study impact within nonprofit organizations, we must present evaluation tools that nonprofits will understand and use (See Carmen's research about nonprofit evaluation Nonprofits and Evaluation: New Directions for Evaluation). We must also work with nonprofits to create measures to study COMMUNITY impact as well. This is not an easy task but it is beginning to happen.
At the University of San Diego we studied organizational and community impact of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program by conducting an extensive qualitative study to determine whether student-led applied projects conducted for nonprofit organizations had an impact on those organizations, and if so, to assess the type and duration of that impact.
We first studied if and how the projects were used by the organizations. We then asked questions that went beyond the internal workings of the organization to determine if and how the project influenced programming and future work. Our findings indicated that all of the projects were used in some form. In addition, respondents offered recommendations to strengthen the applied projects process.
This is an exciting first step for studying community impact of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at the University of San Diego.
American Humanics Management Institute – preparing college students to change the world!
Jan 3rd
American Humanics (the premier organization that equips college and university students to become skilled professionals and leaders in America's nonprofit organizations) is holding its annual Management Institute (AHMI) this week in Phoenix, Arizona. AHMI is an intensive educational symposium that provides college and university students their capstone experience in nonprofit management and leadership education. I attended AHMI many years ago and really benefited from the experience. You can follow blog updates from there conference here and tweets here. (Hash Tag #AHMI2010) Go AHMI!!
ARNOVA: The state of nonprofit education
Nov 22nd
I spent most of Thursday and Friday of the ARNOVA conference in the "Blossom" room for all the nonprofit education focused sessions.
Since I'm studying what impact and use experiential learning components (e.g. applied projects, internships, practicums, capstones) have on nonprofit organizations, I enjoyed learning about what other nonprofit education scholars are studying in the field. Here's a synopsis:
Since I'm studying what impact and use experiential learning components (e.g. applied projects, internships, practicums, capstones) have on nonprofit organizations, I enjoyed learning about what other nonprofit education scholars are studying in the field. Here's a synopsis:
- Melissa Gaeke from the University of Southern California assessed what types of civic engagement and activities that students do on campus. They she surveyed students participating in these civic activities to assess if their motivation (ability, interest, and utility) changed over time and if their participation in these activities influenced their future civic engagement. She found that students were different before they participated in civic activities, and that participation in civic engagement influenced their motivation and interest in current and future civic engagement.
- Anita Frederick and Judith Milleson from Ohio University shared about the process their University took to integrate project based learning into three different Masters programs in the Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs. They also spoke about the time that faculty spend with students in order to present stellar projects to the clients. There are many teachable moments for the students and opportunities for students to integrate theory and practice in the work that they do.
- Kathleen Fletcher from the University of Francisco surveyed 117 of her current students and alumni from the University of San Francisco's nonprofit masters and certificate program about the impact that the downturn in the economy has had on their job and nonprofit organizations. Here are some of her interesting findings:
-21% were laid off or furloughed from a nonprofit job in the last 12 months.
-50% of the organizations had not cut back on services or laid off staff.
-Over 50% of the respondents had seen a decrease in funding from individuals,
corporations, and foundations.
-55% had their job role partially or entirely changed as a result of the economy
-43% were concerned about future of their job.
-Many mentioned their degree/certificate program was helpful in getting and keeping
their jobs.
- Jennifer Alexander and Jeffrey Brudney from Cleveland State University shared about a pilot study they had conducted with nine hospital HR directors about the competencies that managers should posses across sectors. The developed a list of competencies from MBA, public admin, and nonprofit curriculum. Many of these managers expressed the importance of soft-skills, team skills, and skills for specific jobs. They also found that financial management skills was an important competency for managers to possess.
- Roseanne Mirabella from Seton Hall University and SueAnn Strom from American Humanics reviewed undergraduate nonprofit course syllabi and weekly course content. They compared these syllabi to the American Humanics competencies and NACC undergraduate guidelines. This study has important implications for the American Humanics certificate program in determining how much certain competency are being taught and which competencies should be covered more in the course syllabi.
- Connie Campbell from CV Interventions, Scott Helm from University of Missouri, Kansas City and SueAnn Strom from American Humanics discussed a two part study. They surveyed the participants of the American Humanics Next Gen internship and the impact that internship had A) on the nonprofit employers and B) on student success. American Humanics is located at 63 campuses, and the next gen internship has placed 600 interns so far. I did not write down the survey response rate, however, out of the x# of respondents 52 interns were currently employed. Scott and Connie discussed how the internship provided signaling (one party conveys some meaningful information about itself to another party) to employers that Next Gen interns were more prepared for the job that other candidates. On the student side, interns felt their internships made them more prepared to work in national affiliate organizations (e.g. Red Cross, YMCA, Volunteers of America) rather than local unaffiliated agencies. Scott also spoke about where the American Humanics certificate program was housed, whether it was in a specific department or spanned across many departments.
- Roseanne Mirabella from Seton Hall University and Mary McDonald from University of San Diego also assessed nonprofit masters course syllabi and weekly course content. They compared these syllabi to the NACC masters degree guidelines. The competencies listed the most were Fundraising, Nonprofit Management, and History and the competencies listed the least were Economics and Technology. Roseanne and Mary also expressed the importance of the relationship between each competency as well as the relationship of the competencies across Universities.
- Jennifer Wade-Berg from Kennesaw State University and Judith Weisinger from New Mexico State University also looked at how diversity was being taught in the nonprofit masters course curriculum. They spoke about the importance of looking a diversity within the context of students becoming a global citizen and being culturally competent individuals. They encouraged programs to assess students' Intercultural Competencies when students enter the program and create diversity initiatives and opportunities for students to build up their intercultural competencies, more specifically, their perceptions, thoughts and actions.
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