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A Master’s degree in Non-Profit Management will give you the skills to succeed in a highly rewardilewng field that offers well-paid and stable career options. Your degree program will prepare you by building skills such as leadership, communication, data analysis, and grant writing.
Once you have built these skills, your degree program will make you put them to practical use through a professional internship or practicum experience. After graduating, you will be ready for a management job at a wide range of non-profit organizations that provide help and services for the public good.
Many prospective candidates for Masters in Non-Profit Management are currently employed or have experience at a non-profit organization. A master’s degree is a great way to increase your credentials and earn a new job or promotion in the field.
If you are worried about maintaining your current professional responsibilities while working towards a master’s degree, then an online program might be a good choice for you. Online degree programs are designed to accommodate students with full-time schedules by allowing students to complete classwork and exams whenever and wherever it is most convenient.
Masters programs in non-profit management generally require the completion of 30 to 60 academic credits, a professional practicum, and a dissertation. Examples of courses that you might take during your degree program include:
- Nonprofit Finance: Courses in non-profit finance will give you the understanding of grant writing and other ways that non-profits acquire the capital to execute their organization’s initiatives.
- Governance and Leadership: Courses in governance and leadership will give you knowledge of how federal and state funding and governments operate and cooperate with non-profit organizations.
Marketing for Non-profits: Marketing for non-profit will give you the ability to design and execute an advertising strategy to increase the public awareness of your non-profit company.- Trends in the Non-profit Sector: You will also take courses in trends in the non-profit sector which will give you an understanding of the current state of non-profit organizations.
Marketing for Non-profits: Marketing for non-profit will give you the ability to design and execute an advertising strategy to increase the public awareness of your non-profit company.The knowledge that you will gain in your courses will give you lifelong skills that will help you in the field of non-profit management as well as other professional fields. Before researching schools you should take stock of your own professional and academic priorities as different degree programs have different strengths and benefits. There is a wide range of metrics available for colleges and universities, but the methodology for our ranking is based on:
- Price (25%): Degree programs can range widely in price, so we made sure to include schools that provide good value to their students.
- Research Rank (25%): Schools have different facilities and endowments that allow them to offer specific academic experiences.
- Admissions Score (25%): Admissions score are based on admissions rate, freshman retention rate, graduation rate, and other statistics that attest to student satisfaction.
- Flexibility (25%): Online schools offer different levels of schedule and location flexibility, so we prioritized schools that maximized the flexibility of the online format.
The prices below for each school in our ranking are the most recent tuition & fees from the National Center for Education Statistics website. When a choice was presented, in-state and graduate options were chosen.
If any of the schools on our list might be a good match for you, you should be sure to follow the link to their website and request more information about their specific programs.
Lindenwood is a private, liberal arts university in Saint Charles, Missouri. It was founded in 1827. There currently serve over 10,000 students with a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Lewis is a Roman Catholic university. It’s based in Illinois and was established in 1932. Lewis serves over 6,600 students through more than 80 undergraduate majors and 22 graduate programs, as well as accelerated programs for adults. It offers degrees through colleges and schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing and Health Professions, and Professional and Continuing Education.
North Park is a private Christian university in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1891. Over 2,900 students attend North Park, which has a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. U.S. News has ranked it 65th in Regional Universities Midwest.
Regis University is a private Jesuit university in Denver, Colorado. It was founded in 1877. U.S. News & World Report ranks it tied for 26th among Regional Universities West. Over 8,300 students attend Regis, which has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Marywood is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The school vows to serve students and help them achieve longterm success in whatever field they pursue no matter their background or beliefs. It was founded in 1915.
Grace College is a private evangelical Christian college in Winona Lake, Indiana. It was founded in 1948. Over 2,100 students attend the school, which has a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Historically, the Notre Dame of Maryland University was primarily an in-person women’s-only college. Today this private university still offers women’s-only classes from their main campus in Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, online bachelor’s-completion and graduate programs are offered on campus and online to both men and women. This small school is known for their quality of instruction and one-on-one attention.
Concordia University (CU) is a privately-funded university system with campuses throughout the United States and online. For our ranking, we’re placing Concordia University-Nebraska. This branch of the CU system is a small university (around 2,500 students) known for high quality student-to-faculty ratios as well as one-on-one attention for students. A wide range of online degrees are available through CU-Nebraska.
Bay Path is a private university in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1897. Bay Path offers women-only Bachelor’s degree programs (on-campus and online), co-educational master’s degree programs (on-campus and online) and Occupational Therapy Doctorate program for men and women online.
Our Lady of the Lake University is an independent Catholic co-ed university in San Antonio, Texas. It was established in 1895, making it the first San Antonio university to become accredited in the region. It also has the oldest school of Social Work in Texas.
Liberty University (known as LU) is a privately-funded university known for their large online presence and main campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. Though a relatively young school, Liberty has grown to become one of the largest universities in the world. As an evangelical Christian university, the school is able to offer a wide range of theology-centered degrees. The university is by no means only a theology school, however. Wide degree offerings are available in person and online at LU.
Northeastern University(NU) is a privately-run research university that has a main campus located in Boston, Massachusetts. Satellite campuses for the school are found in North Carolina, Washington, California, and Canada. Additionally, the school has a robust offering of online degrees. This top-tier university is well known throughout research and business settings worldwide.
Cairn is a private, nonprofit Christian university in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1913. It confers degrees through schools of Divinity, Social Work Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Music.
Villanova is a private research university in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association.
Johnson and Wales University (known as JWU) is a privately-funded university that has campuses in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. Additionally, JWU offers many degree programs and certification programs fully online. Among the noteworthy programs at the university, perhaps none are more noteworthy than the culinary arts program, one of the best in the nation.
Ohio University (known as OU) is the oldest university in the state of Ohio, and was originally created by a charter of Congress (the first university to have this designation). The central campus of the University system is located in Athens, Ohio. This regionally accredited university additionally offers many online degrees and certificates. The university is known nationally for a range of subjects.
NL is a private university based in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1886. It also has satellite campuses near Chicago, in Florida, and Poland. NLU helped found the National Kindergarten Movement, the National Parent Teacher Association, and is seen as a pioneer in early childhood education.
The University of Central Florida (known as UCF) is a publically-funded university with satellite campuses in 10 locations around central Florida (and a main campus in Orlando). The university was originally founded to help in support of the space programs in the region. Today, a wide variety of degrees are offered through the university as well as a long list of fully online degrees and certificate programs.
Arizona State University is a public university with several campuses in Phoenix, and Arizona at large. It’s one of the largest public higher education institutions in the country. Over 51,100 students attend ASU, which has a 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio. It was established in 1885.
Arkansas State University is a public research university based in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The school was founded in 1909 and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University system. Over 13,900 students attend the school, which has a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio. In 2019 USNR ranks it #95th in the Southern region.
Crown is a private Christian college based in St Bonifacius, Minnesota, close to Minneapolis. It’s known for its diversity of on-campus and online offerings. It’s affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
UNI is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It was founded in 1876. The school offers 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and through its graduate college.
UM is a public research university based in Missoula, Montana. It’s the flagship school of the Montana University System and was founded in 1893. Over 11,865 students attend the school, enjoying a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
NEC is a private, non-profit college in Henniker, New Hampshire. Currently, over 2,800 students attend the school, which has an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Metro State is a public university headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The school was founded in 1971. Currently, USNR ranks it in the 128-165th bracket of the Regional Universities Midwest.
Louisiana State University – Shreveport is a public university that was founded in 1967 and is located in Shreveport, Louisiana. The school offers 21 undergraduate degree programs, a dozen master’s degree programs, and a doctoral program in education.
Gratz College is a private, Jewish college that was founded in 1895, and is located in Melrose Park, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Grate college only has a student population of 247, 82 of whom are undergraduates because it is primarily an online and commuter school.
California State University – Northridge (CSUN) is a public state university that was founded in 1958 and is located in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The university has a total enrollment of 41,319, 35,839 of whom are undergraduates, and the school maintains a 26 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio.
The University of Maryland – University College is a public university that was established in 1947, and is located in Adelphi Maryland. The school’s enrollment is 59,379, of which 45,604 are undergraduates.
The University of Houston – Downtown (UHD) is a public, state university that was founded in 1974, and is located across 40 acres in Downtown Houston, Texas.
Human Resource Manager: Human resource managers organize the administrative functions of institutions, often acting as a liaison between upper management and employees. They make an average annual salary of $113,300, and there are currently 136,100 full-time positions employed within the United States, with that number expected to increase by 9% over the next decade.
Nonprofit companies offer a wide range of public services, which can require the skills of professionals with all kinds of professional and academic backgrounds. If you want to become an upper-level manager at a non-profit organization, then one of the best types of degrees to earn is a Masters in Non-Profit Management. However, there are a number of similar degrees that can prepare students for a career in the nonprofit sector. Some other great degrees for nonprofit professionals include:
A nonprofit management certificate is a professional certificate that attests to a student’s professional training in the field of nonprofit management. Certificate programs are often shorter than Master’s degree programs, and therefore do not go into as great of depth. Some certificate courses require the completion of 12 credits, whereas a master’s degree in nonprofit management will require the completion of over 30.
Time: Certificate programs can often be completed in less than a year, compared to a master’s degree program which usually takes at least two years. Earning your credentials as fast as possible can allow some job candidates to apply for a position that could be gone a year later.
Religious Institutions: Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques all require administrators to keep track of their financial records and ensure the day-to-day functioning of the organization.
Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animal Associations: Prevention of cruelty organizations are some of the most important organizations in your local community, and require the handwork of empathetic and understanding administrators.
Nonprofit Management Degrees will focus on subjects such as:
Whereas an MPA Degree program will focus on: