Graduate Certificate

Graduate students, continued learners and professionals interested in concentrating their learning on leadership in the nonprofit industry can do so through the Nonprofit Leadership graduate certificate.

This graduate certificate is a flexible program for those who desire to pursue continuing education in the principles of nonprofit leadership. Graduates of the certificate program will understand the theoretical foundation and general principles of nonprofit leadership. They will also be trained in practical skills related to strategically managing an organization and the unique financial management of nonprofit organizations.

This program will prepare students to earn the Certified Nonprofit Professional (C.N.P.) credential through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. This nationally recognized credential will distinguish you in the nonprofit sector. Learn more here.

Apply for the graduate certificate

Nonprofit Leadership Graduate Certificate

Certificate requirements

Check out course descriptions below or download the PDF.

LEAD 700: Nonprofit Leadership Concepts (3 credit hours)

Explores the unique facets of nonprofits and how to establish vision, mission, and practices that best position organizations to build leadership capacity for community change. Leadership within the nonprofit sector has unique considerations separate from those in governmental or business organizations including democratic governance, championing a cause, volunteer leadership, and mission-driven organizational design.

LEAD 801: Foundations of Leadership (3 credit hours)

Study of the key issues in the theory, research, and application of leadership in organizations. This includes defining leadership, understanding situational characteristics that facilitate / hinder effective leadership, understanding effective / dysfunctional leadership, and gaining greater insight into one’s own leadership style and functioning.

POLSC 736: Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3 credit hours)

Strategic management in the public sector of democratic societies. Provides a set of tools and research skills to focus thinking, judgment and decision making in order to act strategically.

POLSC 740 – Nonprofit Financial Management (3 credit hours)

Introduction to the major issues in nonprofit management. Highlights the unique nature of the nonprofit sector with government (public) and business (for-profit) sectors. Issues may include governance roles and responsibilities, ethics and risk management, financial management and resource generation, managing staff and volunteers, performance measurements, and the emerging trends that threaten nonprofits’ tax-exempt status.

Choose one elective (3 credit hours)

CDPLN 633: Grant Writing
CDPLN 700: Foundations of Community Development
CDPLN 705: Organizing for Community Change
CDPLN 713: Nonprofit Management
CNRES 754: Organizational Conflict
ENTRP 825: Strategic Innovation
HDFS 714: Program Design, Evaluation and Implementation
HDFS 719: Program Administration and Management
HDFS 801: Grant Development and Management
LEAD 845: Approaches to Public/Community Engagement
MANGT 860: Managing the Triple Bottom Line Business
POLSC 702: Public Administration and Society
POLSC 708: Public Personnel Administration
POLSC 737: Public Budgeting
POLSC 738: Public Finance
POLSC 739: Intergovernmental Relations

Learning outcomes

Graduates of this certificate program will be better positioned to exercise leadership in nonprofit organizations. Executive directors, volunteer managers, risk assessors, program staff, fundraisers, grant writers, and others will benefit from a careful look at the unique features of nonprofit work and considerations of leadership particularly to the sector.

Assessment of the program will utilize formative experiences throughout the course work as well as a summative assessment through the Certified Nonprofit Professional exam, administered in the last semester of coursework.

Upon completion of their certificate program, students will:

Understand the theoretical foundations of leadership
Apply ethical decision-making to nonprofit leadership responsibilities.
Think critically to analyze and solve problems unique to the nonprofit sector.
Apply diverse and global perspectives to the practice of nonprofit leadership and administration.
Communicate clearly, as leaders, to the diverse audiences that make up the stakeholders of nonprofit organizations.

Contact us

Chance Lee, Ph.D., nonprofit leadership program director
chance@ksu.edu | 785-532-6085 | Meet Chance