View of the Chicago Skyline - Location of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University

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Program Requirements

North Park’s nonprofit management major is designed to reduce the learning curve of social-impact leaders and build the critical-thinking skills essential for successful nonprofit leadership.

Students who complete the requirements of the bachelor of science (BS) in nonprofit management will also receive the Certified Nonprofit Professional (or CNP)—a professional credential that provides access to a national network of hiring managers and peers.

Major Requirements (BA)

40 credit hours
120 total credits for graduation

Major Requirements (BS)

52 credit hours
120 total credits for graduation

Students must participate in the Nonprofit Leadership Club over two semesters and attend one Alliance Management Institute.

Students are required to complete a 4 sh, 300 hour internship (NONP 4970): equivalent to two semesters of 10 hours per week, one semester of 20 hours per week, one summer of 25-30 hours per week, or some combination of these options.

Students completing this major will also be completing the requirements for the Nonprofit Leadership Allliance certificate and Certfied Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential.

Minor Requirements:

24 semester hours

Academic Catalog  Core Curriculum

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Course Descriptions

The following descriptions are a sample of courses you may take as a nonprofit management major. For a complete list of required courses, please review the academic catalog.

A study of generally accepted accounting principles and techniques for measurement and reporting of financial information in a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. It includes an introduction to analysis and interpretation of financial data for decision-making purposes.


An introduction to basic economic concepts and models. An aggregate and analytical view of economic analysis focusing on national income, employment, the price level, and economic growth. The theory of income determination, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and the international economy. Current issues and policies in macroeconomics including studies on labor force and job structure. Historical review and development of economic doctrines.


The legal process surrounding civil dispute resolution, including intentional torts, negligence, and ethical standards. Introduction to contracts, mutual assent, contractual capacity, and Uniform Commercial Code. Will also focus on the relationship of principal and agent; duties, rights, and liabilities of partnerships; the nature, formation, and powers of corporations.


This course emphasizes the importance of communicating effectively and ethically in the workplace. Emphasis will be placed on multiple modes of communication; written, oral, and, non-verbal. Students will provide resumes developed through the Career Development and Internship Office programming to assess readiness for personal interviewing. Strategies for professional presentation methods such as Prezi or PowerPoint will be explored. Business writing will also include an executive summary of a persuasive speech, sales pitch, or fundraising request using qualitative and quantitative data.


An introduction to the marketing function in private and public organizations, designed to provide students with an overview of marketing concepts, tools, and methods of analysis. The course takes a practical, managerial approach to managing the marketing process. Steps in the marketing process, including market research, segmentation, targeting, positioning, and the four P's (product, place, price, promotion) are explored, along with concepts of customer value and satisfaction, competitive analysis, brand strategy, consumer behavior, advertising, and the impact of the internet on marketing strategy and implementation.


This course addresses the principles of management and leadership along with their historical underpinnings. The scope of the course includes managerial (i.e. planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) and leader (i.e. process, influence, context, attainment, shared experience) function and responsibility; effective and ethical manager and leader characteristics. Particular attention is paid to issues of gender and cultural diversity. Application of the above theory is practiced throughout the course in the form of project based teams, self-management activities, assessments, authentic leadership development, presentations, and introductory level scholarly research using APA (American Psychological Association) style for research writing.


The introductory course will give students an overview of America's nonprofit sector as it relates to both the for-profit business and government sectors. Emphasis will be on the history, purpose, and theories of the sector; the legal and regulatory environment; efforts to improve ethics and accountability; the sector's economics and funding environment; trends in evaluation and outcome measurement; and general management problems and principles. The course will also discuss opportunities for personal growth and career advancement available in the sector and highlight skills and training needed to succeed.


This course addresses the financial management of nonprofit organizations. This includes both financial reporting and managerial finance. Topics include 1) financial accounting principles and practices, 2) managerial accounting methodology, 3) compliance, and 4) measuring and managing program performance. The course examines current trends in nonprofit financial management and integrates financial management with recent federal legislation.


Addresses the main processes that nonprofits use to interact with internal and external audiences for the purpose of building public and financial support for their missions. Current trends and best practices in nonprofit marketing and fundraising are examined. Indentifies and addresses ethical issues related to fundraising and marketing.


This course is designed to improve students' understanding of the elements, processes, and dynamics of board governance and volunteer management of nonprofit organizations. The course includes analysis of the respective roles of the board, chief executive, staff, and volunteers to maximize organizational effectiveness. Students will learn how to assess and improve the effectiveness of a board, the senior leadership, volunteers and the overall governance of the non-profit organization.


The course examines the history and practice of the groundbreaking field of social entrepreneurship, and how a new brand of entrepreneurs are using market-focused, innovative approaches to address the world's most pressing social and environmental issues. Within the context of sustainable business models for nonprofit organizations, a wide range of earned-income and other social enterprise strategies will be discussed.


Provides students with advanced knowledge and understanding of the management and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Students will gain theoretical and practical knowledge of the most essential leadership skills and attributes, as well as management functions exercised in nonprofit organizations. Students will participate in application experiences, individual and group projects, and organization assessments. Prerequisite: NONP 2710, 3300, 3600, 3710.


The Internship Program provides an opportunity for students to gain "hands-on" experience and to explore career options in their chosen field. The student earns four semester hours for their internship. The internship program is open to any North Park student who has completed at least one full year of study at North Park, has third- or fourth-year status and has a minimum GPA of 2.5 in their major. In addition, the student must apply and be accepted by a faculty sponsor and the Internship Committee. The faculty sponsor will monitor the student's progress throughout the internship, including meeting periodically with the student and maintaining contact with the site supervisor. During the course of the internship, interns must fulfill certain requirements. Interns will keep a daily journal of their activities throughout the internship. The faculty sponsor and the site supervisor may, at their discretion, assign certain reading materials to the intern. In addition, the faculty sponsor may assign a final paper. Finally, the intern must work for a minimum of 300 hours at an eligible nonprofit organization. Tuition is charged at the same rate as for other courses, based on the number of semester hours the student is requesting. Grading for all internships is Pass/Fail.


An introduction to the theory and practice of public speaking. Topics include types of speeches, types and uses of source material, organization, performance, and speech criticism.


An introduction to major topics, major theories and direct experience of inter-cultural communication. Through readings, discussion, exercises and field trips, students prepare for encounters with different cultures.


An introduction to the important problems and topics in the area of business and professional ethics, e.g., job discrimination, corporate responsibility, environmental obligations, professional codes of ethics, power, and accountability.


Introduction to applied statistical analysis. Descriptive, correlational, and inferential statistics; concepts of population, sample, sampling distribution; elements of probability; parameters of discrete distributions; hypothesis testing: analysis of proportions, means, and variance; linear regression. Computer applications required. Cross-listed with MATH 1490.


Problems, fields, and methods of sociology. Emphasis on a theoretical frame of reference to explain basic social processes, the role of culture in social behavior, the nature of social organization, and social and cultural change. Intensive reading in descriptive studies from a wide range of societies.


A variety of social issues have assumed enough prominence to be labeled "problems". This course is intended to provide the student with a conceptual framework within which to examine social problems. Emphasis will be on issues such as poverty, crime and punishment, affordable housing, education and deviance.


Who fights for change? Why? And how? Answers tend to vary with historical circumstance. Increasingly today we find trans-border problem solving to deal with problems that cross borders-problems like environmental degradation, migrant rights, and criminal or health issues. This course looks at the transformation of old and the emergence of new institutions as people try not only to cope but realize their vision of a "just" society.


This course will cover best practices on using social media and mobile marketing to drive digital traffic and develop a competitive, e-commerce presence. Additionally, the course will focus on emerging digital technologies including development of web sites, cloud-based streaming, proliferation of software applications, payment platforms, and protection of consumers' financial data. Lastly, this course will examine changing societal factors impacting the digital world will be covered, including the mobile, "always-on" culture and tracking of customer behavior.


This course analyzes major aspects of federal, state and local laws affecting nonprofit organizations and explores the dynamics of interdependence between nonprofit organizations, government, and the public policy process.