Nonprofit Administration
The Nonprofit Administration emphasis supports those who serve in the nonprofit sector, teaching leadership skills, budgeting and public finance, and policy analysis and providing a foundation for understanding areas like grant writing and nonprofit law.
Request InfoProgram Overview
The Nonprofit Administration emphasis will prepare you for management roles in nonprofit organizations of all sizes. Through this program, you will gain vital skills for nonprofit work, such as grant writing and nonprofit law.
Program Details
Courses are offered in 7-week terms throughout the year.
A typical plan of study takes about two years to complete, with students taking one 7-week course at a time. Some opt for a slower pace, completing the program in four years.
Grant Writing and Fundraising
This course will prepare students to pursue funding opportunities for nonprofit organizations. Event planning, social media campaigns and other activities of fundraising will be covered as well as an introduction into grant writing. Students will apply their learning with projects from their real-life work.
Nonprofit Law
This course provides and overview of the law as it relates to the nonprofit sector, specifically focusing on issues in tax, business entity, contract, and employment law. Emphasis will be placed on topics such as applying for and maintaining nonprofit status, structuring operations and joint ventures, and fiduciary duties.
Students will choose additional courses from:
- Public Relations
This course will introduce the field of public relations and equip students with the tools they need to make wise, timely, and tactically sound decisions when in leadership roles, particularly in the public and nonprofit sector. Students will learn to identify their target audience and its characteristics while tailoring effective messaging which makes strategic use of varied media, including print, broadcast, electronic, trade, and social media. Emphasis will be placed on ethical practice and how values can shape an organizations relationship with its publics through case studies and other course assignments. - Project Management
This course provides students with the principles and techniques of project management. Focus will be given to event and planning implementation as well as an exploration of technological tools available to assist in project management. Students will also learn about and apply theories of organizational change in the context of project management. - Crisis Intervention
This course will introduce students to a new and growing field of literature on crisis intervention. Special attention will be paid to mental health issues, emergency preparedness and other crises that require coordinated responses and intervention. Students will learn about and apply best practices in crisis intervention in an organizational setting. Students will think critically about the role of the nonprofit and public sector in the community in times of crisis. - Government and Bureaucracy
This course will study the development of public policy through political process. This involves a study of the theories behind public policy as well as a study of the various actors in the formation process. Special emphasis will be focused on the challenges of democratic governance as policy works from proposal to legislation, implementation, regulation, and evaluation. - Nonprofit Administration and Organizational Theory
This course will focus on administrative matters that are often unique to the nonprofit sector. Students will explore the nonprofit sector as a reflection of civil society creation and development. Topics such as volunteer management, commitment to mission and other management areas will be addressed.
"I am a director of a nonprofit organization. Several of the classes helped steer much of my leadership and how our organization operates. Also, I have decided to run for city council to get involved in a different way. The MPA program has helped me immensely to do both."
David Lyons, Class of '23, Nonprofit Executive Director, IowaFaculty
With experience in a variety of fields, our faculty members are equipped and ready to help you succeed.
Faculty InfoStaff
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