Non-Profit Management Certificate

Undergraduate certificates may only be earned and will only be awarded in conjunction with a bachelor's degree. They will not be awarded as an independent credential.

Information about the Department of Government and Sociology can be found on the department page.

The Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) designation is the only national nonprofit management and leadership credential developed with, and recognized by, the nonprofit sector. Students who complete this program will earn the Georgia College Nonprofit Management Certificate, which will be recorded on their transcript at graduation. They will also receive a national, lifelong credential as a Certified Nonprofit Professional from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

Student achieve the following competencies while earning certification:

Communication, marketing, and public relations: Highlights knowledge, attitudes, and activities that nonprofit organizations use to understand, inform, and influence their various constituencies.
Cultural competency and diversity: Highlights the development of cultural competency preparation for professional practice in culturally diverse settings.
Financial resource development and management: Highlights financial resource acquisition, budgeting, financial management, control and transparency in nonprofit organizations.
Foundations and management of the nonprofit sector: Highlights the history, contributions, and unique characteristics of the nonprofit sector and its management.
Governance, leadership, and advocacy: Highlights the stewardship and advocacy roles, responsibilities, and leadership of the board of directors, staff, and volunteers in the development of policies, procedures, and processes by which nonprofits operate and are held accountable.
Legal and ethical decision making: Highlights basic laws, regulations and professional standards that govern nonprofit sector operations, including a basic knowledge of risk and crisis management, ethics, and decision-making.
Personal and professional development: Highlights the nature of employment in the nonprofit sector, from researching career opportunities, applying and interviewing for a job, to continuing professional development.
Program development: Highlights program design, implementation, and evaluation strategies applicable to all nonprofits (youth services, arts, environment, health, recreation, social services, advocacy, etc.).
Volunteer and human resource management: Highlights the knowledge, skills, and techniques for managing volunteer and paid staff.
Future of the nonprofit sector: Highlights the dynamic nature of the nonprofit sector, the importance of continuous improvement, emerging trends and innovations, and the critical role research plays in shaping best practices.

Certificate Requirements

Non-Profit Management Courses

Satisfactorily complete 6 hours of the following course with the titles of Non-Profit Management I and Non-Profit Management II.

PUAD 3950	Special Topics	3
Total Credit Hours:		6

Rhetoric Course

Satisfactorily complete one of the following courses:

RHET 1110	Fndmtls of Public Speaking	3
RHET 2210	Small Group Communication	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

Accounting Course

Satisfactorily complete the following course:

ACCT 2000	Introduction to Accounting	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

Management or Administration Course

Satisfactorily complete one of the following courses:

MGMT 3141	Principles of Management	3
POLS 3338	Principles of Public Admin	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

Additional Requirements

Nonprofit Leadership Student Association
Full participation in NLSA is required as experiential learning. Activities include: speaker series, fund raising, event planning, proper organization structure and procedure and other experiences related to fulfilling the 10 competencies of the certification.

Alliance Management Institute
Attendance at one AMI is required. Nationally known speakers from the field, case studies, mock interviews, networking with nonprofit organizations, and other Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) students from across the country are involved in this annual intensive 3-day conference. Students are required to raise the money to attend.

Internship
Students must complete a 300-hour (non-academic credit) internship within an approved nonprofit setting.

Portfolio
Students must document the various experiences and requirements leading to competency achievement through an online portfolio system.

Total Credit Hours: 15

Note:

Courses used to fulfill certificate requirements may also be used to fulfill core, major, minor, or other program requirements.
Federal financial aid will not pay for a certificate course unless that course is also necessary to complete a student's required number of hours for the bachelor's degree or another bachelor's degree requirement. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office if they have questions about their federal aid eligibility.