Jennifer Peterson, PhD
Personal Testimonial for the Certificate in Nonprofit Management
Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management
Overview | Course Listings | Faculty | Testimonial
It has long been a dream of mine to be an Executive Director of a nonprofit organization. In September 2014, I fulfilled that dream when I was hired to be the new Executive Director at the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, a nonprofit organization located in Colorado Springs, CO that conserves and protects public lands in the Southern Colorado Rockies. There is no doubt in my mind that the training and instruction I received through completion of the Certificate in Nonprofit Management prepared me for this role and played a major role in my hiring.
What impressed me with the Certificate program was the flexibility and diversity of course offerings and the level of experience and professionalism demonstrated by course instructors. Every instructor I interacted with in the program had significant prior experience in the nonprofit sector, which professionalized the program and allowed for real-world examples to be in used in class. This made the course material much more engaging and applicable to students and their interests. I also appreciated the diversity of students in each of my classes. While there were several students from the Bush School, there were also students from other departments on campus, which added to the richness of class discussions and student projects.
I would highly recommend the Certificate in Nonprofit Management for anyone seeking to gain experience in all aspects of the nonprofit sector. The Certificate will allow you to tailor the coursework to your specific interests to effectively prepare you for a rewarding position within a nonprofit organization.