North Park University to Offer Undergraduate Major in Nonprofit Management

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Apr 01, 2013, 01:30 ET

CHICAGO, April 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This fall, undergraduate students at North Park University, Chicago, can pursue a new academic program leading to either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree in nonprofit management. The new degrees replace the current academic concentration in nonprofit management offered by the University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management, said Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, the school's dean.

When the major is initiated, the University will be the only higher education institution in the Chicago area offering a nonprofit major for undergraduates. "The change was mainly driven by student feedback, but also driven by our school's strategic plan to be a fully engaged educational institution in the nonprofit area," Lindahl said. Students currently interested in nonprofit management are business and economics majors, and take extra courses in the nonprofit area.

A nonprofit management major, with expanded coursework, enables the University to take advantage of a growing area of interest for incoming students, and is expected to bring about 15 new students per year to North Park, Lindahl explained. Undergraduate students can also declare a minor in nonprofit management.

Students majoring in nonprofit management will learn about fundraising, building relationships with donors, working with boards, managing volunteers, understanding nonprofit budgets and accounting, and marketing in nonprofit organizations, Lindahl said. They will also take classes in sociology, and develop leadership and management skills.

The new bachelor of science degree program requires 52 semester hours in nonprofit management courses. Bachelor of science students will also complete requirements for the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance certificate, which means graduates will be Certified Nonprofit Professionals (CNP). Students who opt for the new bachelor of arts program will take 40 semester hours in nonprofit management and other relevant courses, and could combine the program with another major.

Among the new undergraduate degree programs, the University also offers programs leading to a professional certificate in nonprofit management, and a master's degree in nonprofit administration.

More information is at www.northpark.edu/News/2013/North-Park-University-to-Offer-Undergraduate-Major-in-Nonprofit-Management on the North Park University website.

SOURCE North Park University