Curriculum

The MNPL requires 45 credits through 13 courses offered in 22 months. A class of 25 to 30 students is admitted each year and this cohort proceeds through the program together. The final course allows each student to pursue in-depth research on a subject of personal interest.

Upon acceptance into the program, students are asked to collect assessments from their employers on their current capabilities in the core competencies that provide the basis for the program's curriculum. The feedback is used to guide each student during the program.

Sample Schedule

Nonprofit Leadership Courses

NPLR 515 - Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector

The role of nonprofit organizations, their history, traditions, values, ethics, legal, tax, and economic base, and emerging issues facing the sector.
(Fall 1st year - 3 credits)

NPLR 525 -Leadership and Interpersonal Behavior for Nonprofit Executives

Theoretical and applied knowledge about concepts of leadership, leadership styles and situations, communication skills, techniques of inspiration, motivation, conflict resolution, negotiating and building consensus, coping with change, and fostering innovation. This class will include six week days of full time study.
(Intersession 1st year - 6 credits)

NPLR 535 -Planning

Understanding the function of strategic, long range and tactical planning, developing the framework and tools to design a variety of planning models, motivating and managing stakeholder involvement with different planning initiatives, integrating learning organization and systems principles, creating vision, mission, values, strategic thinking.
(Winter 1st year - 3 credits)

NPLR 536 - Management Analysis and Control

Planning, reporting and controlling of fiscal resources and overall management control systems, budgeting, terminology and principles of financial accounting and program evaluation, analysis of financial statements, responsibility and program structure, internal controls and audit responsibility, managerial financial controls and pricing.
(Spring 1st year - 3 credits)

NPLR 537 -Boards and Volunteers

Organizing and leading volunteers to provide governance and other assistance, board and staff relations, systems and tactics of volunteer motivation, recruitment, development, utilization and retention, strategies and best practices for creating an effective, diverse and committed organizational leadership team.
(Winter 1st year - 3 credits)

NPLR 538 -Leading Staff

Best practices for implementing the management competencies needed to lead staff, political realities of staff operations, fostering creativity, coaching for excellence, achieving diversity, nonprofit aspects of personnel recruitment, administration, retention and evaluation policies and procedures, laws and regulations.
(Fall 1st year - 3 credits)

NPLR 539 - Service Quality Leadership

The role of the executive director in creating a customer/stakeholder-driven organization through the seven levels of work, service quality definitions, quality management concepts, continuous process improvement thinking and tolls, the system of creative work, planning and measuring success with the quality scorecard.
(Winter 2nd year - 3 credits)

NPLR 540 -Program Evaluation

Program evaluation as a management practice that relates to strategic planning, program development and improvement, resource allocation, and marketing. Application of outcome-based evaluation and results-based accountability frameworks.
(Fall 2nd year - 3 credits)

NPLR 541 - Public Policy, Advocacy and Collaboration

Understanding how nonprofit organizations can work productively with governments and businesses to develop and maintain sound public policies that serve the interests of the organization and their customers, framing public problems and developing policy proposals, building effective partnerships, constituencies and advocacy campaigns, and complying with lobbying regulations.
(Winter 2nd year – 3 credits)

NPLR 542 - Strategic Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations

Marketing an organization’s image, mission and services, developing and implementing a public relations strategy, working with the media, and tying these functions to the ability of the organization to attract financial support.
(Spring 1st year - 3 credits)

NPLR 543 - Resource Development for Nonprofit Organizations

Specific skills, knowledge and understanding required of executives to lead and manage the resource development and fundraising functions, integrating fundraising and stewardship throughout the organization, organizational readiness measures, materials and tools of resource development, best practices for involving volunteers, boards and staff in researching and soliciting contributions, methodologies for creating and using an effective, diversified and comprehensive resource development plan.
(Summer 2nd year - 6 credits)

NPLR 544 - Persuasive Communication for Nonprofit Executives

Principles and practices of speaking effectively to persuade an audience, methods of assessing audience communication preferences, preparing for formal and informal speaking opportunities expected of nonprofit executives including radio and television presentations, assessing your communication strengths and opportunities for improvement. This class will emphasize practice and feedback.
(Fall 1st year – 3 credits)

NPLR 590 - Summary Project

Independent research analyzing and proposing resolution to a significant nonprofit leadership issue or management problem that synthesizes, through application, a wide variety of the leadership management skills and knowledge taught throughout the program. The course requires completion of a physical product and an oral presentation.
(Spring 2nd year - 3 credits)