Nonprofit Studies Certificate

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The Graduate Non-Profit Studies Certificate is an interdisciplinary program which provides students with the basic knowledge and skills necessary for work in the non-profit sector. This certificate program is appropriate for current Southern Miss graduate students who wish to pursue career in the nonprofit sector as well as individuals with a baccalaureate degree who are currently employed in or wish to transition to the nonprofit sector and need additional or specialized training.

Admission Requirements

Must have Bachelor’s degree
All other general requirement required by the Graduate School (see Bulletin)

Program Requirements

The certificate requires completion of five (5) classes or fifteen (15) semester hours.

Students must earn a 3.0 GPA for graduation.

Courses required:

SOC 505 - Nonprofits and Social Change 3 hrs. or
NPS 605 - Nonprofits and Social Change 3 hrs.
NPS 506 - Nonprofit Resource Development and Fundraising 3 hrs.
NPS 507 - Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Development 3 hrs.

Electives:

In addition to the three (3) required courses, all students must complete two (2) electives or six (6) semester hours. Students who have taken no graduate business courses should follow path A. Students who are currently enrolled in or who have completed the Business Foundations Graduate Certificate or the Masters of Business Administration should follow path B.

Path A: Students who have taken no graduate level business courses should choose two of the following:

Path B: Students who are currently enrolled in or who have completed the Business Foundations Graduate Certificate or the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) should take 6 hours of course work in a single discipline as approved by the certificate director. This discipline should be related to the nonprofit sector in which the student is interested in working:

social services
human rights and advocacy
the arts, culture, and history
education and educational support
the environment and animal welfare
health care, education, and research
international affairs and foreign affairs

Students cannot use courses that are being applied to another certificate program or that are part of a completed degree program if the student has already graduated. Transfer electives from other institutions may not be applied to this certificate.