Undergraduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management

Program Details

The certificate is designed to allow students to demonstrate to potential employers that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the nonprofit workplace. Competencies covered by the certificate include foundations and management of the nonprofit sector, cultural competence and diversity, and financial resource development, among others. In addition, students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience and connections through nonprofit internships and field experiences.

Additional information about the undergraduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management may be obtained by contacting cnp@ucdenver.edu.

Program requirements

• The Undergraduate Nonprofit Management Certificate requires 18 credit hours of coursework.
• All credit hours for the certificate must be completed at CU Denver. Transfer credits are not accepted.
• Students must receive a minimum C grade in each undergraduate course applied to satisfy the certificate.

Required courses

Students must complete all of the required courses below, totaling 9 credit hours. All course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Academic Catalog.

• PUAD 3110 - Seminar in Nonprofit Management (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 4140 - Nonprofit Financial Management (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 4939 - Public Service Internship (3 credit hours)

Elective courses

In addition to the required courses listed above, students must complete 9 credit hours of elective courses, from the list below.

• PUAD 3005 - Collaboration Across Sectors (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 4004 - Building Public and Financial Support for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 4006 - Organizational Development
• PUAD 4007 - Nonprofit HR: Governance, Staff, Volunteer Management
• PUAD 4009 - Human Service Organizations
• PUAD 4145 - Philanthropy
• PUAD 4160 - Nonprofit Boards and Executive Leadership (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 4020 - Social Entrepreneurship (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 4600 - Special Topics in Public Service: Study Abroad in East Africa (3 credit hours) 
• PUAD 4628 - Social Problems and Policies in the Urban Environment (3 credit hours)

Required extracurricular activities

In addition to the required and elective courses listed above, students who wish to earn the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential are required to attend a conference of the Alliance Management Institute. Through CU Denver School of Public Affairs' partnerships with foundations, students may apply for funding to mitigate the costs of attending the conference.

Contact spa.advising@ucdenver.edu for additional requirements for certificate completion.