First on West Coast Nonprofit Management Master’s Degree Offered

The University of Oregon joins a handful of major universities around the world this fall when it initiates a master’s degree in nonprofit management. “The nonprofit sector requires increasingly professionalized leaders who are up to the challenge of meeting society’s complex needs,” says Renee Irvin, associate professor. “The master of nonprofit management degree will prepare our students to do just that.” The program is offered by the planning, public policy and management (PPPM) department in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts

The new degree is a two-year professional program with a skills-based curriculum focusing on uniquely nonprofit-sector financial, revenue development and management skills. The program requires a core curriculum plus electives that allows students to concentrate in areas such as community development, environmental policy, international development, and arts management, among other options. It also requires project-based internships and service-learning components, which benefit community nonprofit organizations.

Over the past decade, the PPPM department has offered a graduate certificate in nonprofit management tailored to graduate students and working professionals seeking skills for managing and leading nonprofit organizations. The certificate, launched in 2002, is now one of the largest nonprofit graduate programs in the country.

“Not only has (the graduate certificate) appealed to community members and PPPM majors, but also students from a range of disciplines across the university,” said Rich Margerum, department head. “This strong interest and the continued demand for people trained specifically for the nonprofit sector has led to the full master’s degree program.“

The new degree program is the result of a two-year planning process that culminated this spring with approval from the Oregon University System and the State Board of Higher Education for the Master of Nonprofit Management (MNM).

Comparable degrees in neighboring states are offered exclusively at smaller private universities, the closest ones being in Seattle and San Francisco. The UO program increases both the accessibility and affordability of the MNM degree for Oregon residents who would otherwise have to leave the state to pursue their studies. The program also will increase the capacity of Oregonians to serve the many communities that depend on services from nonprofit organizations.

The MNM degree also offers students an opportunity to pursue dual degrees in fields such as planning, journalism, business and arts administration.

“We’re pleased to have received such enthusiastic support from alumni, community members and academic reviewers during the many stages of program approval this year,” says Laura Leete, assistant professor. “In addition, we have a strong pool of applicants for the entering cohort.”

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