"Edgewater Kites", by Jon Abrahamson, Envisioning Cleveland Photo Contest

On this page:
About the Program | Course of Study | Career Opportunities | Contact

Important Information:
Admission Requirements & Financial Aid | MNAL Student Handbook | Revised Curriculum Plan (as of 9/20/12)

Welcome to the Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership (MNAL) at the Levin College of Urban Affairs.

Nonprofit organizations are distinct from business and government in that they blend private structures with public purposes. Effective managers need an understanding of how nonprofits interact with public and private institutions.

The Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership (MNAL) is a two-year degree designed to prepare students with knowledge of core management functions and competencies such as fundraising, financial management, human resource management, philanthropy, proposal writing, program development, program evaluation and applied management.

Nonprofit management, administration, and leadership is a rapildy growing career field in high demand. This degree draws on the strengths of leading scholars and practitioners with expertise in human resources, volunteerism, philanthropy and the political character of nonprofits in civil society.

The MNAL is an interdisciplinary collaboration of the Levin College of Urban Affairs, the College of Business and the School of Social Work as well as other programs at Cleveland State University. This degree provides students with the tools to build management skills and knowledge of nonprofits in order to improve their employment opportunities, advance in their organization, or to make a career change.

Students complete a total of 40-44 semester hours. A full-time student can complete the program in two academic years. The MNAL program consist of seven core classes (27-28 credits), three elective classes (9-12 hours), and a capstone course (NAL 656 or NAL 657). Pre-service students may complete an internship for elective credit.

Core Courses: 7 courses; 27-28 Credit Hours

The following courses were selected in accordance with curricular guidelines established by the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC).

• NAL 550: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership
• NAL 601: Applied Quantitative Reasoning I
• NAL 602: Research Design and Program Evaluation OR SWK 675: Program Evaluation
• NAL 604: Organizational Behavior
• PAD 630: Human Resource Management
• NAL 651: Fundraising and External Relations for Nonprofit Organizations
• NAL 652: Environmental Policy & Administration

Electives: (non-exhaustive list); 3 courses; 9-12 Credit Hours

• NAL 510: Proposal Writing
• NAL 504: Fundamentals of Applied Reasoning
• UST 572: Negotiation and Conflict Management
• NAL 603: Public Finance and Economics
• PAD 634: Ethics in the Public Sector
• COM 542: Communication and Technology
• SWK 673: Community Organization and Planning
• LAW 722: The Law of Nonprofit Corporations
• MKT 501: Marketing Theory and Practice
• MKT 601: Marketing Management
• NAL 593/693: Special Topics
• PAD 594: Levin Chair Seminar
• PAD 690: Internship

Required Nonprofit Capstone: 4 Credit Hours

• NAL 656: Advanced Topics in Nonprofit Management, or
• NAL 657: Advanced Topics in Fundraising

Graduate Certificate and Transfer Credits

Levin College graduate certificate and transfer credit hours may apply towards the MNAL degree.

Transfer credits for required courses are subject to department approval. For further information contact the Levin College Student Services Graduate Advisor at (216) 523-7522 or email urbanprograms@csuohio.edu.

The Northeast Ohio area has one of the highest concentrations of nonprofit organizations nationally with more than 6,000 nonprofits in Cuyahoga County. In a 2005 Monthly Labor Review, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the nonprofit sector was the only source of employment growth in U.S. cities between 1995-2003, growing at a rate of 16% over this period.

Studies by organizations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Bridgespan, a nationally recognized nonprofit policy institute, project that the demand for senior managers in the nonprofit sector will quadruple over the next two decades.

Careers in Nonprofit Administration and Leadership:

• Public Policy
• Planning and Community Development
• Museums
• Health Care
• Education
• Arts
• Civic
• Social Service
• Environmental
• Professional Associations

Admissions
A complete application consists of:

• CSU graduate application
• Application fee
• Official transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• GRE Scores—General Section only

All application materials should be sent to:
Graduate Admissions Office
Cleveland State University
Parker Hannifin Hall, Room 227
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2214

To learn more about the admission requirements visit the Graduate Catalog's Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership information page.

International student information (including applications) can be found at Cleveland State University’s Center for International Services and Programs page.

Financial Aid

Cleveland State University has financial assistance programs covering all of the major Federal and State grants and loans. The mission of CSU is to help meet the direct educational costs for a large number of the student population. Levin College of Urban Affairs provides some scholarships, fellowships, endowed internship funds, graduate assistant positions, and paid internships to qualified students.

For more information on financial aid contact the Levin College Office of Student Services at (216) 687-3884, or the CSU Office of Student Financial Assistance at (216) 687-3765.

Faculty Program Director:
Dr. Stuart Mendel

Levin College Graduate Academic Progam Specialist
Telephone: (216) 523-7522
E-mail: urbanprograms@csuohio.edu Fax: (216) 687-5398