Nonprofit Management

Serve the public good

With this concentration, you'll gain vital knowledge and skills in all areas of Nonprofit Management—from traditional aspects such as fundraising and community service to the latest trends such as social entrepreneurship and socially responsible investing.

We also emphasize management techniques and trends that can be the key to success for many nonprofit leaders. As a result, you'll be prepared for a leadership role in the nonprofit sector, in government agencies that deal extensively with nonprofits, or in the field of philanthropy. This is just part of why we’re ranked #1 in this area by U.S. News & World Report.

How to apply

U.S. News & World Report: Best Grad Schools 2013: Public Affairs

Alexandra Toledo, MPA-MA’14

Development Strategist and Peru Country Representative, Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), Cusco, Peru

“I could not be doing the work I am today without my training and education in Nonprofit Management. It launched me into my career at a high professional level, and I am grateful every day.”

Michelle T. Boone, MPA’98

Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer , Navy Pier, Inc., Chicago, Illinois

“The Nonprofit Management Program provided an excellent foundation i for work in multiple fields: philanthropy, arts management, and government. The courses all yielded enormous value and practicality for me in my professional career.”

Margaret McDougle, MPA’17

Intake Coordinator Level II, Community Human Services, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

“The O’Neill School has given me many opportunities to grow both personally and professionally throughout my time in the MPA program. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend O’Neill and feel that I am well-prepared to begin my career as a professional in the nonprofit sector.”

NONPROFIT Managment MPA students (Fall 2018)

1:5

Faculty : student ratio

86%

placement rate
(for all O’Neill MPAs)

Master the fundamentals, then add depth and detail with electives

You'll begin by mastering the fundamentals reflected in the MPA program's core competencies. These five courses (15 credit hours) will give you well-developed analytical skills and a broad understanding of policy issues and government processes. In addition to these highly transferable core skills, the Nonprofit Management concentration includes two required courses which provide the fundamental theories and tools of nonprofit management.

The following is an example of courses. Please work with your advisor as you make your schedule.

Required courses

The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (N 521)
Management in the Nonprofit Sector (N 525)

Personalize your program with electives

The remainder of your coursework comes in a wide range of elective courses. These will allow you to tailor your Nonprofit Management program to your own specific interests. Working with your advisor, you'll be able to select from many elective options.

Approaches to Development (D 576)
Economic Development, Globalization, and Entrepreneurship (D 669)
Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations (F 526)
Public Organizations (M 504)
Negotiation & Dispute Resolution for Public Affairs (M 547)
Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations (M 602)
Managing Workforce Diversity in Public Organizations (M 652)
Human Resource Management in Nonprofit Organizations (N 522)
Civil Society and Public Policy (N 523)
Civil Society in Comparative Perspective (N 524)
NGO Management for International Development (N 534)
Proposal Development and Grant Management (N 557)
Fund Development for Nonprofits (N 558)
Principles and Practices of Social Entrepreneurship (V 559)
Benefit-Cost Analysis (P 541)
Public Program Evaluation (P 562)
Sustainable Communities (S 515)

See course descriptions

Add a dual concentration

Combining your Nonprofit Management concentration with another MPA concentration—such as Economic Development or International Development—may offer you unique advantages in pursuing a particular career. As they help you design your program, our faculty will work to accommodate your specialized professional interests.

The above are just examples of your course options. For a complete listing, see the official Indiana University Bulletin.

Faculty focused on nonprofit management

See all nonprofit management faculty

Experiential learning

Our MPA offers far more than traditional lectures and lessons. You'll also get the benefit of experiential learning – typically through an approved internship. What's more, your concentration's course work will culminate in a project-oriented course—a capstone—that lets you apply the knowledge you gained throughout the program.

You can also join the O’Neill Nonprofit Management Association (NMA), a professional student organization for the nonprofit management concentration that offers networking and current information on events in the nonprofit industry.

Get involved with NMA

Explore career opportunities in public management

O’Neill’s dedicated Career Hub will assist you as you seek an internship or post-graduate employment, and our alumni community is an excellent lead source.

Current and past placements and internships

How to apply