- 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.
12 comments:
This is an awesome blog post - will be so helpful for working with my coaching clients, Heather. THANK YOU!
I have my Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University which was an AWESOME program for me. I started and ran a nonprofit and now I am looking at for-profit jobs. It's a little hard to translate my masters program experience into an MBA-like experience. Would love to hear others' thoughts on this if they are out there.
~Emily
Great post. I'm currently taking Bay Path courses online to get my MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy. After one semester I can say I'm having a good experience.
This is a great post. I have set myself on the path to becoming an Executive Director within a nonprofit organization. Before entering graduate school, I considered a degree in nonprofit management and public administration. However, I felt that it would limit my future work. Thus, I am currently pursuing an M.A. degree in International & Multicultural Education to focus my career to diversity within the sector. Also, as I continue to work the sector and work my "way up the ladder," I eventually plan to return and get my Doctorate in Organizational Leadership or Learning and Instruction. Those interested in nonprofit management roles do have other options!
Wow, this is an incredible resource! You should see if you can get it posted on other non-profit blogs... its really awesome!
Thank you for the post. I believe you take a narrow view of the different options, especially the MBA programs. When I was considering graduate education, I looked at MS, MPA, and MBA programs. While I found many similarities among the programs and degrees, my decision was to pursue a MBA with a focus on nonprofit management as it translates for the for-profit sector and therefore provides me with flexibility in my career and it teaches you about business and management. We tend to think that nonprofits aren't businesses...but they are.
While more MS in Nonprofit Management programs may provide you with the classes tailored to the nonprofit experience, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, HR and others functional area are all skills/functions you will find within a nonprofit and taught in MBA programs.
Also, MBA students who focus on nonprofit management are not doing so to learn to be future board members but to learn to be successful and effective managers/directors/executives of a nonprofit or to be a consultant to nonprofit organizations.
Finally, I would encourage individuals who are interested in a MBA and working for a nonprofit to identify those programs that really integrate the nonprofit experience into their core curricula and not just leave it for electives.
@Joelle cool! I didn't know that type of degree was out there.
@Mark thanks for providing your perspective about MBA programs. Great points!
What an awesome post! I just found your blog, and I wish I had found it sooner.
I am getting a Masters in Human Service Administration -- luckily I happened to stumble upon this program, but I wish I had a guide like this when I was looking at schools. Would have saved me months of stress and confusion!
A great list and explanation of various degree programs. I want echo Mark's comment about MBA programs being valuable, but not all are the same.
I received an MBA from Case Western Reserve University with a concentration in nonprofit management and took courses with the students and faculty that were part of MNO program.
I would argue that there are only a handful of MBA programs that truly offer a nonprofit tract. You mention two, Northwestern and UC Berkley, I'd add Case Western and Stanford, and even University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Terrific summary, thank you!
This is a fantastic resource. I hope to share it on my site with full credit and links to you. Thank you!
Great post on breaking it down. I just completed my Masters of Public Administration (MPA) with a Concentration in Nonprofit Management from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (Washington, DC area). It was a great program, but the nonprofit management program doesn't allow for a lot of flexibility with your electives. It shaves two off of the four that you would normally have to have Intro to Nonprofit Management and Nonprofit Ethics, Law and Governance as two classes necessary in the program. It was a good program once I dove into the Nonprofit focus. I would recommend it for that. Also, it gives you a lot of flexibility with an MPA to go into the government sector or go in and out as you change jobs over your career.
I have heard it mentioned as a program with subject matter a mile wide and an inch deep. You get exposed to a lot of subject matter, but you don't go very deep into it. That is good because you can go deeper after school if you are interested.
I chose to go deeper into Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement (as a part of my methods courses, a.k.a. stats). I find it helps me think through a lot of what is happening today in the need for transparency in government and nonprofits in measuring true outcomes rather than outputs. Was the outcome meaningful in any way?
Please feel free to visit my portfolio Web site where I write more on nonprofit management and public administration in general at http://www.willhull.com
So much good information. I appreciate this site. As a nonprofit founder and ED, I would enjoy speaking with you directly, especially because today's economic environment is a very 'new curve' for all NPOs; especially where fundraising is concerned. I also be interested in seeing an updated (post 2008 list) picks for most influential/talents of NPOs. Thanks for sharing.
I wanted to second many of the earlier comments that an MBA isn't just for nonprofit board members. I have an MBA (and an MFA in theatre management) from Yale University. I, and many of my classmates, are bound for management positions in a wide variety of nonprofit fields--from health care, to education, to arts, to public policy, to public finance, to the environment. Our current (though temporary) Dean, Sharon Oster, literally wrote the book on Non Profit Strategy. The school has a long history of affiliation with the nonprofit community, and nonprofit cases are included in nearly all of our core classes. Several MBA programs, Yale included, also offer 100% loan forgiveness for those working in a nonprofit post graduation, another important consideration when exploring graduate school options.
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