Master of Nonprofit Leadership

Elizabeth Dale, PhD, Director, Master of Nonprofit Leadership Program
Web: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/departments/ips/

Nonprofit leaders must have the skills and confidence that inspire others to voluntary action, while possessing the strong ability to manage complex organizations.

This graduate degree program is designed for those who lead, or aspire to lead, nonprofit organizations. The program offers opportunities to network with and learn from experienced peers while also working with a distinguished mix of instructors drawn from Seattle University faculty, practitioners, and trained professionals.

The program has a unique curriculum designed to teach the core competencies expected of effective, values-driven nonprofit leaders. While courses teach the latest leadership and management theory, coursework emphasizes practical application. Coursework is intended to build on the base of experience that students will bring with them to the classroom.

All courses are scheduled in the evenings or Saturdays.

Program participants have the opportunity to meet with a variety of the region’s nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. Personal mentoring is also provided by professionals currently working in the field. Graduates have access to career counseling services and are invited to continue their association with a network of over 450 alumni.

Admission Requirements

See Graduate Admissions Programs for admission materials.

Program Candidates

A class of up to 25 students is admitted each year.
Students attend their core courses in a cohort in order to provide more opportunities to learn from each other.
Students take elective courses outside of the cohort so that they may benefit from a wider diversity of perspectives and experiences.

Degree Requirements

The MNPL program requires 45 credits taught through 15 courses offered over 18 to 22 months. Students are required to take 39 core credits and 6 elective credits. The final required course, NPLR 5900 , allows each student to pursue in-depth research on a subject of personal interest. Electives and/or transferred credits may be substituted for core classes if approved via petition by the department and dean.

Practicum

The practicum integrates and applies the nonprofit leadership theories being learned in the course work with the realities of the workplace. This practicum is required of all students, although students with significant nonprofit professional experience can apply for a waiver. The experience provides students the opportunity to apply their knowledge within Puget Sound nonprofit organizations.

Typical Program of Study

The majority of the core classes are offered in the first year, and a combination of core and elective courses are offered during the second year. The program schedule below outlines the course offerings for the first and second year. Students may choose to accelerate their progress through the curriculum by adding electives during the first year of study.

Program Schedule

Year 1	Year 2
NPLR 5150 - Fundamentals of the Nonprofit Sector	NPLR 5380 - Leading Staff and Volunteers
NPLR 5250 - Nonprofit Leadership	NPLR 5420 - Nonprofit Marketing and Communications
NPLR 5350 - Planning and Evaluation	NPLR 5430 - Fundraising and Philanthropy
NPLR 5360 - Financial Management	NPLR 5480 - Social Justice in the Third Sector
NPLR 5370 - Nonprofit Governance	NPLR 5800 - Applied Research Methods
NPLR 5410 - Nonprofit Policy and Advocacy	NPLR 5900 - Capstone
	NPLR 5950 - Practicum
	Electives

Required Core Courses, 39 credits, including:

NPLR 5150 - Fundamentals of the Nonprofit Sector 3 credit hours
NPLR 5250 - Nonprofit Leadership 3 credit hours
NPLR 5350 - Planning and Evaluation 3 credit hours
NPLR 5360 - Financial Management 3 credit hours
NPLR 5370 - Nonprofit Governance 3 credit hours
NPLR 5380 - Leading Staff and Volunteers 3 credit hours
NPLR 5410 - Nonprofit Policy and Advocacy 3 credit hours
NPLR 5420 - Nonprofit Marketing and Communications 3 credit hours
NPLR 5430 - Fundraising and Philanthropy 3 credit hours
NPLR 5480 - Social Justice in the Third Sector 3 credit hours
NPLR 5800 - Applied Research Methods 3 credit hours
NPLR 5900 - Capstone 3 credit hours
NPLR 5950 - Practicum 1 credit hour (3 credits required)

Electives, 6 credits, choose from:

NPLR 5610 - Individual Giving 3 credit hours
NPLR 5640 - Grantwriting and Management 3 credit hours
Other graduate-level electives approved by advisor