With a nonprofit management degree: Lead others, Make an Impact, Change the world

Drexel’s online Master of Science (MS) in Nonprofit Management: Public, Professional & Social Sectors is a master’s degree program that instills a solid foundation in nonprofit leadership, administration, and management for our students. Additionally, our graduate school program for nonprofit management prepares you to successfully handle the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities facing today’s nonprofit sector.

By studying fundraising, grant writing, governance, communication, fund development, stewardship, marketing and innovation of nonprofit organizations, you gain the essential tools to effectively carry out and lead a nonprofit’s mission.

All of our nonprofit management degree courses are offered online, and you can finish your master’s in just two years of part-time study. Throughout your degree, you work closely with nonprofit and volunteer organizations to gain hands-on experiences in the field. You also generate a portfolio and complete a final capstone project that demonstrates your unique expertise developed in the nonprofit degree program to share with current and future employers, putting you ahead of the competition.

Study Nonprofit Management & Work towards your passion

Upon completing the master's in nonprofit management degree program, students will be prepared to work in the following nonprofit sectors:

• Animal rights
• Churches and religion-related
• Civic agencies
• Cultural
• Education
• Environmental conservation
• Foundations
• Health education
• Health services
• Higher education
• Human rights
• International rights
• Legal organizations
• Media-based (journals, publishers)
• Social service

While Drexel's nonprofit management master's degree prepares students to work in any nonprofit sector, it is not intended to educate students looking to apply their skills to the highly specific areas of the arts, such as theaters, art galleries or museum leadership. For those interested, visit Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, which offers two programs focused on these areas.

IS THE DREXEL GOODWIN NONPROFIT GRADUATE PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOU?

The MS in Nonprofit Management: Public, Professional & Social Sectors is designed for students who are:

• Looking to enter the nonprofit sector right out of college
• Corporate professionals looking to transition into the nonprofit sector
• Nonprofit professionals looking to enhance skills and advance their careers

MS in Nonprofit Management Learning Outcomes

The MS in Nonprofit Management program aims to equip students with the following demonstratable skills:

• Communication: Enhance oral, written, and presentation skills to easily and effectively collaborate with and lead others in the workplace. Students will also learn how to communicate with outside constituents, board members, and community leaders while honoring the organization’s mission
  
  
• Campaign Management: Build the strategic planning, management, communication, and financial skills needed to effectively run annual funds and capital campaigns
  
  
• Donor Cultivation: Using communication, leadership, and nonprofit sector trends, as well as specific mission information, students will learn how to cultivate interested individuals into donors, elevate small donors into capital-level donors, and maintain those relationships over time
  
  
• Ethics: Develop a strong moral and ethical framework to manage mission-driven, largely volunteer-based institutions
  
  
• Self-Assessment: Gain the ability to examine one’s role, responsibility, and effectiveness within an organization. By acknowledging strengths and weaknesses, students can capitalize on strengths while also targeting specific areas for growth

Master's in Nonprofit Management vs MBS & MPA

The MS in Nonprofit Management is an intersection of MBA and MPA degrees. An MBA focuses on issues specific to for-profit corporations, such as corporate financial management, business analytics, economic theory and supply chain management. The MPA is a theoretical degree that focuses on public policy, sociology and law. Our MS in Nonprofit Management is an applied degree program that focuses on communication, stewardship, donor cultivation and fund management. Many of our students are already working in the nonprofit sector and this program allows them to immediately apply what they are learning in the classroom. Our curriculum also featured three to five experiential learning opportunities where students work with nonprofits to solve current challenges and industry demands.

MS in Nonprofit Management Admissions Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Two letters of recommendation (three preferred)
• Personal statement (minimum 500 words) describing interest in the program; why you are interested in the nonprofit sector; how the program can facilitate future career goals; and how you will contribute to the program and peers
• Resume
• GRE scores are optional
• TOEFL score of 550 or higher for international students
• As an optional addition, you may submit a work or school project that demonstrates a specific related skill or expertise
• Interviews are not required but may be requested (in person, by phone or via Zoom)