Elevate your nonprofit leadership skills and nurture a culture of innovation and integrity. Earn your nonprofit management certificate in just 12 credit hours.
Locations
- Statesboro (Hybrid, Fall and Spring entry)
Why Earn a Certificate in Nonprofit Management at Georgia Southern?
- Hone your leadership and managerial skills.
- Increase the effectiveness of the organizations you serve.
- Enhance your career prospects and give yourself a competitive edge.
- Make a difference in the lives of others.
- Blended format hybrid courses fit conveniently around your schedule.
- 12 credit hours to complete certificate.
The graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Leadership and Innovation (CNMLI) gives you the tools and insight to successfully lead and manage nonprofit organizations. Our short but comprehensive program shapes your strategic thinking so that you graduate uniquely equipped to improve the sustainability and effectiveness of local, state and national nonprofit organizations. Courses for the CNMLI are offered in a hybrid format that blends online coursework with in-person instruction on the Statesboro Campus.
Ready to Apply?
What Can You Do With a Nonprofit Management Certificate?
The CNMLI is designed for professionals who are already working in nonprofit organizations or graduate students preparing for their next step. Courses in this certificate will teach you the managerial skills, administrative strategies and practical techniques you need to succeed in higher levels of leadership and management.
Whether you are currently leading a nonprofit organization, working at a philanthropic institution or aiming to grow your career in the nonprofit sector, you’ll be better prepared to lead nonprofits into a more sustainable and impactful future.
Where our graduates work:
What our graduates do:
What You’ll Learn
The program begins with a broad overview of the role of nonprofits in a democratic society. You’ll examine why they exist and how they function, along with the different roles philanthropic institutions play in the political, social and economic environment.
You’ll study the structure of nonprofit organizations, including the legal framework, financial realities and the importance of ethics and accountability. Finally, your courses will offer critical insights related to board governance, strategic planning, resource development and fundraising and financial management.
See the CurriculumTake Action
Follow these steps to complete the Georgia Southern application:
- Create an application account.
- Complete our online application using the PIN you received after creating your application account.
- Once complete, pay the $50 application fee. Previous Georgia Southern applicants do not need to pay the fee.
You can check your application status within five to 10 business days. Please understand that this timeframe may vary due to the volume of submissions. When your decision is available, you will be able to view it at this link.
Applicants must be admitted to the College of Graduate Studies as one of the following types: Degree with Certificate or Certificate Only.
Degree with Certificate
The CNMLI is open to all qualified, degree-seeking graduate students at Georgia Southern University, regardless of major. Both a degree seeking application and an application to the certificate program must be submitted. Master of Public Administration (MPA) program students may apply for admission to the degree program and the certificate program simultaneously to earn the CNMLI as an extension of their MPA program of study. As part of the MPA application process, the MPA program director and faculty admissions committee reviews applications on an individual basis looking at both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the applicant’s academic background and professional experience (if applicable).
As permitted by their degree program, students may apply coursework to both the certificate program and their degree. It is not required that the certificate and degree be completed simultaneously, however, students must be enrolled to take classes and the seven-year limitation on the application of prior coursework to either the degree or the certificate must be satisfied.
Certificate Only
Applicants seeking only the graduate CNMLI or the certificate independent of another degree program may be admitted by the College of Graduate Studies under a Non-Degree Certificate admission status. Admission as Non-Degree Certificate does not guarantee subsequent admission to a graduate degree program. Applying to a graduate program is a separate process and different criteria must be met. Students completing part or all of the requirements for the CNMLI who subsequently decide to apply for admission to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program may seek approval from the MPA program director to transfer a maximum of six (6) credits earned and apply them towards the degree.
Applicants seeking admission to the CNMLI as a standalone credential must have the following:
- Completed requirements for the Bachelor’s degree in a college accredited by proper regional accrediting association.
- A 2.75 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average in undergraduate work.
- College of Graduate Studies application (online).
- A current resume detailing relevant work experience.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic or employment experience.
- Statement of career goals and objectives.
The Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Leadership and Innovation requires a total of 12-credit hours.
- NMLI 7432 Nonprofit Administration (Required)
Select three of the following:
- NMLI 7339 Community Development
- NMLI 7652 Board Governance and Executive Leadership
- NMLI 7654 Strategic Management
- NMLI 7655 Resource Development and Grant Writing
- NMLI 7656 International Non-Governmental Organizations
- NMLI 7657 Theory and Practice of Philanthropy
- NMLI 7659 Social Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise, and Innovation
- PBAD 7030 Selected Topics in Public and Nonprofit Management
- PBAD 7232 Financial Management in Public Service Organizations
- PBAD 7730 Internship in Public Administration

Take the Next Step
Increase your impact as a leader of nonprofit organizations by earning your graduate certificate in nonprofit management at Georgia Southern in just 12 credit hours.
Contact Us
Program Director
Trenton J. Davis, PhD, MPA
MPA Program Director and Department Chair
Phone: 912-479-5430
mpa@georgiasouthern.edu
Department of Public and Nonprofit Studies
P.O. Box 8048
Statesboro, Georgia 30460-8048
Phone: 912-478-1400
mpa@georgiasouthern.edu