MPA: Nonprofit Management and Leadership

Nonprofit management and leadership is a five-course concentration option for students in the master of public administration program. This concentration is unique in Michigan and distinctive in a national context. The program provides substantial concentration in the field of nonprofit management, while it is fully integrated with the School of Public Administration programs and mission to prepare people for public service. The concentration has a special concern for the philosophical questions raised in the study of "philanthropy", broadly conceived.

The management of nonprofit organizations has special requirements both in function and in structure. From the relationship between executives and boards to the legal structure and the ways in which income is generated and monies accounted for, not-for-profits are different from both government and business. Moreover, there is a different set of expectations about what constitutes appropriate purposes and behavior for these organizations, which if violated can cause significant problems.

Therefore, managers of nonprofit organizations must have the knowledge base and skills of administrators, but they must also have additional, distinctive skills and understandings to lead and manage nonprofit organizations effectively. These subjects are dealt with in the curriculum. Given the growing restraints on governments capacities to address critical social problems and human needs, our society has turned more and more to not-for-profit organizations for services and solutions.

The program is partially founded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. It is directed and staffed primarily by full-time faculty.

Nonprofit Management and Leadership Curriculum

Students must complete five of the following courses, for a total of 15 credits. PA660, PA661, PA662 and PA663 are required. Students whose past experience or career plans suggest a benefit to customization of this curriculum should consult with their advisor.

• PA 660 The Nonprofit Sector: History and Ethics (required)
• PA 661 Nonprofit Management Practices (required)
• PA 662 Nonprofit Resource and Financial Management (required)
• PA 663 Nonprofit Organization and Public Policy (required)
• PA 665 Nonprofit Boards, Trustees, and Governance
• PA 641 Economic and Community Development