Department of Public Administration

Over the past several decades, the nonprofit sector has grown rapidly in terms of social, political and economic importance within the United States. The rising importance of this sector is due both to the growth in number of nonprofit organizations and shifting public policies that led to an increased reliance upon nonprofits for the delivery of public goods and services. The critical role that nonprofits have undertaken highlights the need to ensure that nonprofit organizations have access to the resources, knowledge, and skills they need to build additional organizational capacity.

UNLV seeks to fulfill the need for additional educational resources to support the growth of the nonprofit sector in the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Department of Public Administration is now offering a graduate level Certificate of Nonprofit Management. This Certificate program is designed to: 1) Provide individuals currently employed within the nonprofit sector the ability to undertake "management" staff development; 2) Develop within students the intellectual foundation for a professional career in nonprofit organizations; 3) Improve the overall effectiveness of the nonprofit sector in Nevada through the application of existing management tools and techniques.

The Certificate is designed to allow students that have an interest in the nonprofit sector to pursue additional graduate education either prior to another graduate program or as a supplement to a graduate degree program.

In conjunction with the Department of Public Administration’s mission to develop in students an understanding of administrative principles, concepts, and issues, the mission of the Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management is:

To provide leadership and management skills to current and future nonprofit and community leaders in Southern Nevada.

Admission Requirements

Applications for admission to the Certificate in Nonprofit Management should be made to the Graduate College (http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/). All application material is subsequently reviewed by faculty to determine admission into the program. Training and preparation, general abilities, and previous experience are all taken into account in admission decisions. Additional materials listed below should be sent directly to the Department of Public Administration for admission to the program.

1. Official transcripts demonstrating an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university*
2. A Grade Point Average sufficient to meet Graduate College requirements
3. Two letters of reference
4. A written essay explaining why the applicant is interested in the certificate program in nonprofit management
5. A current resume

* Two copies will be needed: one for the Department and one to complete your application to the Graduate College.

Admissions Deadlines

Fall - Application Materials Due June 15
Spring - Application Materials Due November 15
Summer - Application Material Due March 15

Certificate Requirements

The graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management requires 15 semester hours. Classes are offered on evenings and weekends in order to accommodate the schedules of working professionals.

I. Students must take each of the following three credit courses:
a. PUA 770 - Nonprofit Management and Theories of the 3rd Sector
b. PUA 708 - Seminar in Public Personnel Administration

II. Students must choose from two of the following three credit courses, one of which must be writing intensive:
a.                   PUA 774 - Community Outreach and Volunteerism
b.                   PUA 775 - Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation for Nonprofits
c.                   PUA 776 - Development for Nonprofit Managers

III. Students will select three one-credit courses from the following:
a.                   PUA 792 - Board Development
b.                   PUA 792 - Legal Issues and Risk Management
c.                   PUA 792 - Advocacy and Coalition Building
d.                   PUA 792 - Financial Management for Nonprofits
e.                   PUA 792 - Leadership and Ethics

IV. Environmental Scan Project (Capstone Experience) –
The capstone experience for the Nonprofit Certificate program will require students to complete an environmental scan of a nonprofit agency within the community.

E. Lee Bernick, Department Chair
(702) 895-1068

Jessica Word, Assistant Professor
(702) 895-2684

Phone - (702) 895-4828

Mailing Address -
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 456026
Las Vegas, NV 89154-6026