Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management

The Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management provides an overview of central concepts in managing nonprofit organizations and is intended to meet the needs of students seeking a focused experience in order to prepare for or advance their careers in the nonprofit sector. It may be appropriate for students who seek to expand their knowledge but who do not wish to commit to a master’s degree program.

Certificate students enroll in regular courses of the School, which carry graduate credit. Regular graduate tuition and fees apply. Under certain circumstances, credit earned in the certificate program also may be applied toward the Master of Public Administration degree. However, admission to the MPA degree program has separate requirements from those of the certificate program and students considering going on for a degree should consult with a faculty advisor early in their certificate program.

Courses and requirements
The Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management requires that students complete twelve (12) credit hours. The requirements are as below. Students must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average in order to be awarded the Graduate Certificate.

Required Courses:

PPPA 6031 Governing and Managing Nonprofit Organizations
PPPA 6032 Managing Fund Raising and Philanthropy

Nonprofit Elective Courses: (Any two of the following)

PPPA 6016 Public and Nonprofit Program Evaluation
PPPA 6018 International NGO Management
PPPA 6033 Nonprofit Enterprise
PPPA 6034 Managing Nonprofit Boards
PPPA 6053 Financial Management for Public, Nonprofit, and Health Organizations

Other Trachtenberg School nonprofit courses that may be offered from time to time.
[With prior approval of the field advisor, certain non-Trachtenberg School courses at GW may be counted toward the elective group.]

Admission to the Certificate Program
Students are required to meet the admission standards for admission to the Masters of Public Administration or Masters of Public Policy degree program, with the exception of GREs, which are not required for admission to the Graduate Certificate Program.

This program is available at the George Washington University main campus in downtown Washington, DC. It is not available as a distance-learning program.

Relation to the Masters Programs
If certificate students decide to apply to the MPA or MPP degree program, they must meet the admissions requirements of each program, including GRE requirements. Up to 9 credits of their certificate coursework taken prior to admission to a degree program will be accepted in the master’s program within two years of completing the course and if a grade of B or better has been earned in the course. Certificate students who think they may wish to apply their entire certificate courses toward a degree (that is, all 12 credits) thus need to apply and gain admission to the degree program before registering for their fourth course.

For Further Information Concerning Academic Requirements and Content of the Graduate Certificate Program, Contact:
Director: Dr. Michael Worth
Professor of Nonprofit Management

For Further Information Concerning Application or Registration Procedures and Other Administration or Financial Matters, Contact:
Assistant Director of Graduate Studies: Bethany Pope