Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategic Planning

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who earn a certificate in Leadership and Strategic Planning in the Nonprofit Sector will be able to:
-Evaluate a non-profit organization’s status on leadership and teambuilding, report their findings, and initiate effective interventions to alleviate shortcomings in those areas.
-Create, implement, and plan data and research-driven strategies for recruiting and fundraising.
-Assess the environment of an organization and articulate ways to improve productivity from that assessment.

The program consists of 6 courses (18 semester credit hours) which are outlined below. All courses are taught online by accomplished faculty and industry experts.

Required Courses
POLS 6310 - Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations
POLS 6318 - Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sector
POLS 6331 - Strategic Planning in the Nonprofit and Public Sector

Electives
Complete 3 of the following:

HUM 6301 - Principles of Nonprofit Marketing
HUM 6302 - Principles of Non-Profit Finance
POLS 6301 - American Government and Politics
POLS 6302 - Elements of Politics
POLS 6313 - Governance, the Volunteer Board and Organizational Behavior
POLS 6312 - Resourcing the Nonprofit Organization
POLS 6315 - Law and Advocacy in Nonprofit Management

Admission Criteria

Applicants must hold a BA, BS, or an equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in the US or overseas and have proficiency in English (if a graduate of a university in which English is not the native language) provided by adequate TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. The recommended/preferred GPA for applicants is 2.5 or higher.

How to Apply

Complete and submit all of the following items in order to be considered for admission. Resumes and personal statements can be uploaded through the applicant portal, emailed to [email protected], or mailed to:

Office of Admissions – Graduate Admissions
University of Houston-Downtown
One Main Street, Suite GSB 308
Houston, TX 77002-1001

Application Checklist:

-Submit an application
-Pay the $35 application fee
-Request/submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended to the email or mailing address above (including community college work and prior graduate work).
-Provide a professional/personal resume
-Provide a personal statement of 750 words or less in response to this prompt: Describe your experiences in the nonprofit sector and explain how those experiences have prepared you to succeed in nonprofit management.