30 semester hours
The Master of Science (MS) in Nonprofit Management (NPMT) is designed for prospective graduate-level students interested in learning more about nonprofit organizations and eager to apply their knowledge and skills to improve a nonprofit organization’s operational effectiveness, strengthen its capacity to fulfill its mission statement and enhance its talent management.
The program’s design meets the needs of working adults and students who aspire to lead a nonprofit organization (NPO) successfully, whether as an executive director, another NPO functional staff manager, a future governing board member, or a lead program volunteer. The program is offered completely online to meet the flexible scheduling needs of students with full-time jobs and others with considerable time obligations that are irregular or seasonal.
NPMT courses are offered in a fast-track format. With only ten courses required to graduate with an MS degree, the program’s design favors students enrolled for three courses per semester (i.e, no more than two courses meet concurrently) and completed in four consecutive semesters (e.g., Fall > Spring > Summer > Fall). During the final fall semester, students who have already completed nine designated NPMT courses meet for one final capstone project course.
Students engage throughout the program with NPMT faculty to develop their unique capstone project demonstrating mastery of the OLLU graduate nonprofit program management curriculum. The final course’s capstone project challenges students to apply their learning and interpersonal soft skills to produce a report and presentation. This deliverable will help an actual nonprofit organization better fulfill its mission and serve its community’s constituents more effectively.
The MS in Nonprofit Management program requires dedication and willingness to study and complete graded assignments in an intensive asynchronous virtual (all online) environment. It takes a considerable degree of independence, self-discipline, and perseverance to complete this informative and highly practical master’s degree.
Applications will be subject to the current Graduate Program Admissions Committee Approved Policies and Procedures.
Admission Application Requirements
Regular Admission
- Submit a completed application
- Provide an unofficial final transcript of an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- Arrange for transmission of official transcripts from all previously attended colleges
- A cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher
Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 must also provide the following:
- Two references (university provides form) from people knowledgeable about the student’s managerial experiences, volunteer work, nonprofit service, or other professional background in organizational governance or leadership.
Scheduled Admission Deadlines*
Deadlines for submitting a completed application for the Master of Science in Nonprofit Management program are as follows:
- Fall semester: July 5th
- Spring semester: December 20th
- Summer semester: April 18th
* Listed deadlines are for priority admission. Final deadlines are three weeks before the student’s first online class starts. The Nonprofit Management program has two back-to-back, seven-week online course sessions scheduled to convene every semester.
Please get in touch with the OLLU Graduate Admissions Office for details.
