Master of Public Administration Nonprofit Management Online
Transition your career into philanthropic leadership through an extensive overview of nonprofit management concepts and regulations. Build a skillset you can utilize now and in your next big role.
Program Overview
Make a difference in your community with the Master of Public Administration online program
Gain the qualifications needed to start a nonprofit or lead an established charitable organization with A-State’s Master of Public Administration Nonprofit Management online program. Courses explore aspects of business administration such as strategic planning and human resources. Learn methods for political analysis, safeguarding public interest, and even specialized types of public finance such as grant writing and fundraising for the causes you care about. Become familiar with nonprofit legal restrictions, including requirements for boards of directors.
Our expert faculty will help you gain real-world experience and academic insights that you can apply directly in your workplace or in an optional internship. Create a portfolio to highlight your advanced skills to future employers.
Within the MPA – Nonprofit Management courses, you will:
- Develop dispositions, knowledge and skills for rigorous problem analyses and successful collaborations that lead to comprehensive solutions
- Build communities and social infrastructures through the use of clear communication and ethical and effective management techniques
- Integrate theory and practice through authentic, performance-based field activities
- Develop an understanding of best practices, challenges, and practical fundraising and fiscal management strategies for nonprofits
- Examine strategic planning and tools for nonprofits
- Learn the operational aspects of managing a nonprofit organization, including regulations and restrictions
- Develop effective grant writing skills and fundraising strategies
- Build leadership skills that will enable you to lead a nonprofit organization or start your own
- Develop dispositions, knowledge and skills for rigorous problem analyses and successful collaborations that lead to comprehensive solutions
- Build communities and social infrastructures through the use of clear communication and ethical and effective management techniques
- Integrate theory and practice through authentic, performance-based field activities
- Develop an understanding of best practices, challenges, and practical fundraising and fiscal management strategies for nonprofits
- Examine strategic planning and tools for nonprofits
- Learn the operational aspects of managing a nonprofit organization, including regulations and restrictions
- Develop effective grant writing skills and fundraising strategies
- Build leadership skills that will enable you to lead a nonprofit organization or start your own
As a graduate, you will be prepared for various leadership roles in nonprofit management, including:
- Nonprofit Founder
- Executive Director
- Marketing and Grants Manager
- Program Director
- Financial Manager
- Chief Development Officer
- Nonprofit Founder
- Executive Director
- Marketing and Grants Manager
- Program Director
- Financial Manager
- Chief Development Officer
Also available:
A-State offers a variety of graduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online graduate programs.
Accreditation
Created by working professionals seeking to give back to their community, the Arkansas State University MPA program is fully accredited through the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
Tuition
Affordable, pay-as-you-go tuition
Our MPA online program offers the same affordable tuition to in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.
Tuition breakdown:
Calendar
Important dates for our students
Our MPA online program is designed to be flexible and convenient for working professionals, with accelerated coursework and multiple start dates a year.
| Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | 1/13/25 | 12/16/24 | 12/18/24 | 1/9/25 | 1/10/25 | 2/28/25 |
| Spring 2 | 3/10/25 | 2/24/25 | 2/28/25 | 3/6/25 | 3/7/25 | 5/2/25 |
Now enrolling:
Have questions or need more information about A‑State online programs?
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?
Admissions
How to be admitted into our online nonprofit management program
A-State Online offers a streamlined admission process for both new students and transfers. Students who are interested in the MPA online program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Review full admission requirements below.
Admission Requirements:
- Online application
- Official transcripts
- Bachelor's degree
Admission requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with at least 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale or at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours
- 500-word Statement of Purpose
Note: If you have a 3.0 – 3.199 cumulative GPA, you must make a grade of "B" or better during the first 9 hours of graduate work at Arkansas State University.
If your transcript(s) do not reflect grades of “C” or higher in courses on American national government and Research Methods, you will be required to take these courses prior to or during the first graduate enrollment period.
Application submission requirements
- Complete online application
- Pay the nonrefundable $30 application fee
- Send official transcript(s) from the college/university attended. Official transcripts are sealed transcripts sent from the granting institution.
- Submit a 500-word Statement of Purpose
Submit all documents to:
A-State OnlineP.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467
Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]
Additional information
Transfer credits
Applicants with prior “F” or “D” grades at the graduate level in any graduate program will not be admitted to the A-State MPA program. In addition, students who earn failing (“F") grades in the A-State MPA program are ineligible for readmission to the program. The only exception is with the Capstone.
Up to 9 graduate hours from A-State or other higher education institutions may be credited toward a program. No course can be older than six years by graduation time. Transfer credit will be evaluated by the Director of the Program. To request prior credit be evaluated, please complete the Graduate Transfer Credit Evaluation Form.
Courses
The topics you'll study in our online nonprofit management classes
Students pursuing this degree must complete 36 credit hours, which includes core courses (21 hours) and Public Management track courses (15 hours) listed below. This does not include co-requisite courses (which must be completed prior to starting graduate courses). These courses are available online at Arkansas State.
Visit the Course Registration page to view the course schedule for this degree.
Must complete 15 credit hours, including choosing between POSC 6603 or POSC 6473.
*In order to complete in 18 months, two courses must be taken each start and must begin program in the first session of the semester.