Certificate in Nonprofit Management Course Descriptions

Required Courses

BUSH 643: Foundations of the Nonprofit Sector
Overview of the origins, size, scope and composition of the non-profit and voluntary sector in American society today; introduction to the historical, political and religious foundations of the non-profit sector; examines theoretical and conceptual framework in this course. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

Bush 644: Management and Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations
Introduction and overview of non-profit organizations and the environment they operate in; examination of the distinctiveness of these organizations and the special skills required for effective management of them; empirical and normative issues surrounding non-profit management and leadership. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

Elective Courses

BUSH 617: State and Local Government & Policy
Professional masters students gain a practical, working knowledge of the institutions and processes through which state and local policy is made and implemented. Students also learn about and apply the theoretical and empirical tools used to evaluate policy at the state and local levels.

BUSH 648: Performance Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
Drawing on readings, practical exercises, and guest lectures, students will examine public sector performance management and measurement as tools for improving strategic planning, resource allocation, organizational learning, internal operational processes, and internal and external accountability. Students will apply their learning to the development of a particular organization's performance measurement system.

BUSH 689: Tools of Leadership and Advancement
This course focuses on techniques and practices that executives employ to get their work done through politicians, bureaucrats, the media, lobbyists, governing boards, and their supervisors and staff. The course explores the important issues that arise from conflict with policy makers, moral and ethical concerns, and professionalism in public service Prerequisite: Graduate Classification

BUSH 689: Grant and Contract Management for the Public and Nonprofit Sector
Course examines the use of contracts and grants in providing social services. Explores the theoretical background of government contracts and grants; the management of third-party services from the perspectives of government agencies, private sector contractors, and nonprofit organizations; and the skills needed to write effective grant and contract proposals. Prerequisite: Graduate Classification.

BUSH 689: Social Welfare and Health Policy
Course explores the historical development and impact of US public welfare, child welfare, employment, and health social service programs. Course analyzes values and assumptions that formed the foundations of social welfare policy and explores the social, economic, political, and cultural context in which these policies developed and their potential future. Prerequisite: Graduate Classification.

BUSH 630: Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
Organizations today are responding to increasing demands for accountability. These demands come from an increasingly sophisticated public, clientele, and from funding sources including government, foundations, and corporations. This course is designed to introduce theories, research, and practice for program evaluation and systems that support the organization's information needs.

BUSH 689: Decision Making in Government and Administration
Course will introduce students to the study and practice of judgment and decision making processes in government and administrative settings. Course content is firmly grounded in empirically-based theory and research with a practical slant - the course is designed to help students to develop and improve their own decision making skills.