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College of Humanities and Social Sciences
School of Public and International Affairs

Nonprofit Management

Graduate Certificate

Prepare for a career in the nonprofit sector.

Overview

This 15-credit hour program, which carries graduate credit, is targeted to individuals working in or planning careers in the nonprofit sector. The program is built around regularly offered graduate courses and provides the basic knowledge, skills, processes, analysis and advocacy needed to manage nonprofit organizations.

Interested? Find out more by submitting an interest form to receive the most updated information.

Interest form

Certificate Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management consists of 15 credit hours and requires students to meet a Substantive Experience Requirement before they graduate from the certificate.

Certificate students can track their progress using the NPM Course Planning Sheet.

Students choose at least three courses out of the four listed below:

  • PA 531 – Human Resource Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
  • PA 536 – Management of Nonprofit Organizations
  • PA 538 – Nonprofit Budgeting and Financial Management
  • PA 539 – Fund Development

Students that take 3 core courses must complete 2 elective courses; students that take 4 core courses must complete 1 elective course. Examples of courses students have taken before are listed below.

  • PA 516 – Effective Communications for Public Administrators
  • PA 525 – Organizational Development and Change Management
  • PA 532 – Contract Negotiation and Mediation in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
  • PA 540 – Grant Writing for Public Administrators
  • PA 546 – Seminar in Program Evaluation
  • COM 546 – Nonprofit Marketing and Public Relations

The Substantive Experience Requirement can be met by:

  • Prior (or continuing) Experience:
    • Full-time employment with a nonprofit (at least one year by completion of certificate program)
    • Serving on a nonprofit board or chairing a nonprofit’s standing committee (at least one year by completion of certificate program)
  • In-program Work:
    • Internship or independent study with a nonprofit (at least 1 credit hour)
    • Completing a course with a field component (e.g., PA 546 or PA 525)

Admission Requirements

The admission process is “rolling” and students may begin classes at the start of the Fall, Spring, or Summer semester after they are accepted, provided courses are available.

  • Current NC State Graduate Students only need to fill out the “Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management Application” form and submit it to the Certificate Program Coordinator, Dr. Amanda Stewart, at ajstewa5@ncsu.edu to apply to add the certificate program.
  • Certificate-Only Students (non-degree or non-NC State graduate students) will fill out an application through the Graduate School.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in the last two years (last 60 credits) of undergraduate study and will submit transcripts as part of their application.

Applying to the program

Current NC State Grad Students

Application form for currently-enrolled NC State graduate students.

Certificate-Only Students

Application form for non-degree or non-NC State students.

Questions?

Have questions about the application process or the certificate itself? Let us know!

Frequently Asked Questions

Students in the Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management take graduate courses that develop the basic skills that faculty and representatives of local nonprofits have identified as needed to manage a nonprofit. All participants will be registered at NC State University. Their NC State transcripts will record the courses, the grades, and the receipt of the Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit management. Upon completion of the program, the recipient will receive a certificate signed by the Chancellor.

The Duke Program in Nonprofit Management is a non-credit program. It is based on short courses and workshops covering a range of management skills and topics. The Duke program offers a sound introduction to nonprofit management for nonprofit staff and volunteers.

Applicants who have a GPA of less than 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their last two years of undergraduate course work may be admitted provisionally. A provisionally admitted student must initially take PA 536 Management of Nonprofit Organizations, PA 538 Nonprofit Budgeting and Financial Management or PA 539 Fund Development and earn a minimum grade of B (3.0) to continue in the certificate program.

Not necessarily. Your academic success may have a strong bearing on admission to a degree program, but completion of a certificate program in no way guarantees entry into a graduate degree program. Each graduate degree program has its own application process and admission requirements. Before beginning the certificate program, students interested in obtaining a graduate degree should meet with that degree program’s Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) or a designated staff person. People interested in the MPA degree should meet with the PA Graduate Services Coordinator, Meggie Romick (mromick@ncsu.edu).

MPA students may count PA 514 as a required MPA core course and as an elective certificate course. Other certificate courses can count as electives in the MPA program.

PA 536 is recommended as a first course for students with limited management experience in a nonprofit. For MPA students, PA 514 Management Systems should not be taken until you have completed at least two of the core courses. PA 536, PA 538, and PA 539 and most electives are offered either every year or biannually. Students will work with Certificate Program Coordinator to plan the sequence of courses.

The list of electives is updated regularly to reflect additions and changes in the NC State University course offerings. Appropriate electives should deal explicitly with an area of nonprofit management. To recommend a course for the list of electives please send information on the course (prefix, number, and title) to the Certificate Program Coordinator.