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SCPS2

The Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Management from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies  (SCPS) builds knowledge and skills for application in nonprofit settings, especially within administrative, supervisory and managerial positions. This program intentionally helps students to integrate liberal arts learning, inquiry and critical thinking skills, with a professional specialization. In this program, students have the opportunity to earn credit from prior learning from experience.

This major advances students' foundational management knowledge and skills in a range of areas critical to nonprofit organization, especially project management, program development and evaluation, fundraising, human resources, risk management, leadership, workplace law, , ethical conduct, data analytics, finance and professional communications. With a range of courses in the major offered as electives, students may choose courses and specialize in areas of particular interest to them.

This major is designed for working adult students and provides:

  • Flexible scheduling including online options available
  • Financial Aid, flexible payment options, and special adult student tuition pricing
  • Acceleration and affordability through transfer credit and prior learning assessment (PLA) credit
  • Opportunities to combine bachelor's and master’s programs and apply graduate courses to both programs
  • Individualized program planning, course selection and advising assistance provided
  • Enhanced career opportunities through professional portfolio development, and career placement services instruction from industry practitioners, and wide-ranging Career Services support
  • Degree granted by DePaul University, with its excellent academic reputation and the opportunity to join its prestigious and extensive alumni network
Program Requirements Quarter Hours
College Core Requirements 78
Major Requirements 72
Open Electives 42
Total hours required 192

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Analyze and apply knowledge and theories of nonprofit management and change to real world problems within a nonprofit context
  • Apply ethical principles in context
  • Investigate problems using qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Apply various methods of communication to multiple settings
  • Analyze data and apply skills for effective decision-making in nonprofit organizations
  • Analyze and apply different liberal arts perspectives to nonprofit management


 

College Core (78 credits, 20 credits in residence)

Lifelong Learning Requirements (32 credits, 16 credits in residence)
 

Course Title Quarter Hours
LL 201REFLECTIVE LEARNING 12
or RPL 101 PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
LL 305ACTIVE CITIZENS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKPLACE WORLD4
LL 205QUANTITATIVE REASONING4
or LL 206 ADVANCED MATH FOR PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
LL 261ESSAY WRITING4
LL 270CRITICAL THINKING4
LL 290RESEARCH WRITING 14
LL 301RESEARCH METHODS 16
LL 302EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PRACTICUM 14

Liberal Learning Requirements (46 credits, 4 credits in residence):

  • Liberal Arts in Action Requirement: CCA 281CCH 281CCS 281 or courses with LA1 designation, 6 credits
  • CORE CURRICULUM ARTS & IDEAS, courses with the CCA, AL, PI, or RD requirement designations, 12 credits
  • CORE CURRICULUM HUMAN COMMUNITY, courses with the CCH, SCBI, or HI requirement designations, 12 credits
  • CORE CURRICULUM SCIENTIFIC WORLD, courses with the CCSW, SI, SILB, or SISK requirement designations, 12 credits
  • IN 307 INTEGRATIVE LEARNING, 4 credits 1
1

Must be completed in residence. 

Major Requirements (72 credits)

40 credit hours must be completed in residence in the major, including FA 199 and LL 303.

Professional Studies Core (20 credits, 8 credits in residence)

Course Title Quarter Hours
CAREER ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
FA 199CAREER ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING 12
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
DCM 330PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE4
ETHICS OR SOCIAL JUSTICE, courses with the PSES requirement designation. Choose one of the following:
DCM 317ETHICS IN THE PROFESSIONS2
DCM 318SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE PROFESSIONS2
CREATIVITY OR INNOVATION, courses with the PSCI requirement designation. Choose one of the following:
CCA 170CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP2
DCM 319CREATIVITY AND INNOVATIVE THINKING2
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES, courses with the PSGP requirement designation. Choose one of the following:
CCH 239BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY AND OUR GLOBAL FUTURE4
CCH 283GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES OF WORK & FAMILY4
CCH 300GLOBALIZATION AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE4
CAPSTONE PROJECT
LL 303CAPSTONE PROJECT 16
1

Must be completed in residence.

Nonprofit Management Core (40 credits)

Course Title Quarter Hours
DA 200DATA ANALYTICS4
BADM 223ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE PRINCIPLES4
DCM 301EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN A CHANGING PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT4
BADM 335RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE4
PPS 208INTRODUCTION TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS4
PPS 318PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS4
PPS 319FUNDRAISING FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS4
PPS 322FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT4
PPS 329STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING4
PPS 346ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING4

Nonprofit Management Major Electives (12 credits)

Students are encouraged to use their major elective credits to complete a thematic cluster of courses relevant to their professional goals. For example, they may wish to create a cluster relevant to the type of nonprofit they currently work for or wish to pursue. For example, students who intend to work for nonprofit organizations focusing on environmental issues, might want to take environmental studies courses. 

Those who intend to work for health organizations might want to take courses concerning public health .  Students can also develop a cluster around serving certain communities such as Latino, African American or LGBTQ Studies. Students also have the option of taking additional courses related to nonprofit management for their major electives.

Students should work with their academic advisors to identify an appropriate cluster theme and apply the courses to their major electives and open electives. Thematic clusters can be completed through DePaul courses, transfer courses or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).   The course list below are some major elective options.  

Course Title Quarter Hours
ABD 100INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND BLACK DIASPORA STUDIES4
ABD 208AFRICAN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS4
BADM 288MARKETING FOR THE SOCIAL GOOD4
BADM 313CHANGE MANAGEMENT: THEORY & PRACTICE2
CCH 110ESSENTIALS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT2
CCH 220FRAUD IN REAL WORLD ORGANIZATIONS2
CCH 387AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES IN CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE4
CSS 320COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS4
DCM 312ADVANCED LEADERSHIP THEORY & PRACTICE4
GEO 205RACE, JUSTICE, AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT4
GEO 225EARTH'S CHANGING CLIMATE4
HC 326CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN/AMERICAN INDIAN ISSUES2
HLTH 335COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT4
LST 202CONSTRUCTING LATINO COMMUNITIES4
LST 307GROWING UP LATINO/LATINA IN THE U.S.4
PAX 200COMMUNITIES WORKING FOR SUSTAINABLE JUSTICE AND PEACE: SERVICE IN CHICAGO AND THE U.S.4
PPS 333GREEN CITIES4
PPS 350ISSUES IN URBAN REDEVELOPMENT4
PSY 213LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PSYCHOLOGY4

Open Electives (42 credits)

Open Electives can be fulfilled through courses taken in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies and other DePaul colleges, transfer courses, assessment of prior learning (PLA), and independent studies.​​​​​