MNLM Curriculum
The Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management is a 40 unit cohort-designed program. A group proceeds through a sequence of core courses, which will allow for collaboration that benefits from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and interests. The MNLM degree offers students the flexibility to complete the degree in 1-3 years, making the program feasible for working professionals at various stages of their careers.
Core Courses
30 units of core coursework is organized under three areas: Theory and Context; Leadership and Management; and Analytical Skills. These are followed by an integrative Capstone course, in which students work in the field to apply the range of knowledge and competencies covered over the course of study.
Theory and Context:
PPD 689 The Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy (4 units)
Nonprofit organizations and their relation to government and business; the role of philanthropy, social enterprise and public support; and implications for policy, strategy and management.
Leadership and Management:
PPD 675 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (4 units)
Issues in nonprofit management and leadership including: the role of boards; strategic planning; marketing and fund-raising; financial management; and volunteer and human resource management.
PPDE 680 – Board Governance and Leadership (2 units)
How nonprofit organizations are governed: roles and responsibilities of boards, staff, and volunteers; unique aspects of nonprofit board governance; boards and individual board member effectiveness; and changes in governance as a result of recent federal and state legislation.
PPDE 681- Fund Development for Nonprofit Organizations (4 units)
Key aspects of the fundraising process for nonprofit organizations: major theoretical foundations and general fundraising principles; fundraising techniques; sources of donations; and key aspects of managing the fundraising process.
PPDE 645 Financial Management of Nonprofit Organizations (4 units)
Accounting and financial management principles and practices in nonprofit organizations: budgeting financial analysis, internal controls, financial policies, grant making and financial reporting.
Analytical Skills:
PPD 503 Economics for Public Policy (4 units)
Economic theory as applied to public policy. Concepts of efficiency and equity, analysis of market failure and policy interventions.
PPD 542 Policy and Program Evaluation (4 units)
Methods and models for policy and program evaluation; methods of collecting and analyzing evaluation data; processes for linking evaluation to policy formulation and program management.
Capstone:
PPDE 682 – Strategic Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations (4)
The capstone is an experiential learning course that brings together core knowledge, skills, and values acquired throughout coursework.
Electives
Students complete 10 units of general electives offered through the Price School (course codes “PPD” and “PPDE”) in consultation with their academic advisor. With written approval from the MNLM program, they may also petition to use relevant courses from schools throughout USC. Below are popular electives in recent years:
- PPDE 580 – Social Innovation
- PPDE 646 – Grant Writing Practicum
- PPD 599 – International Lab
- PPD 545 – Public and Nonprofit Organizational Behavior
- PPD 672 – Collaborative Governance
- PPD 540 – Fundamentals of Public Administration
Certificates
Students are welcome to earn a graduate certificate in conjunction with their MNLM degree. In recent years, students have pursued Social Innovation, Public Management, and Arts Leadership. They are encouraged to connect with their academic advisor to learn more.
Capstone
Enrolling in a 4-unit capstone class, students complete a project which integrates the competencies attained in the core and electives courses. In a team, they serve as consultants to local nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Recent projects include:
- Strategic plan development @ Homeboy Industries
- Formal stakeholder analysis for grantmaking @ Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
- Board & leadership structure reorganization plan @ Los Angeles Food Policy Council
- Workplace culture and wellness assessment @ LA Commons
- Community need assessment @ Habitat for Humanity LA
Statistics Prerequisite
Students must demonstrate basic competence in a descriptive and inferential statistics course from an accredited institution with a grade of “B” or better in the three years before enrolling.
If a course has not been completed within this timeframe or a lesser grade was earned, a statistics course must be completed the summer prior to the start of MNLM program. Once a student begins taking courses at USC, they may not be enrolled in a non-USC statistics course and request it be used to fulfill the statistics prerequisite. Instead, they must enroll in PPD 504 – Essential Statistics for Public Management within the first 12 units.
Acceptable Summer Courses
- UC or Cal State extension statistics courses
- Community college statistics courses, preferably in the social science or business department (some may require placement exams or waitlist students)
- Online courses are acceptable as long as academic institution is regionally accredited and an official transcript can be sent
- PPD 504 offered during Summer at USC
Verification and Transcript Process
If you enroll in a non-USC statistics course in the summer prior to your matriculation at USC, please complete it by the start of fall and follow these steps to provide verification of completing the course:
- Send official transcript to:
USC Price Office of Recruitment and Admissions
c/o Will Coucheron-Aamot
650 Childs Way, RGL 108
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626 (list last 4 digits as this is our mail code)
*This transcript does not get mailed to the Registrar as it is a prerequisite requirement for the MNLM program.* - Once official transcript has been received/grade verified, statistics prerequisite requirement and subsequent course prerequisite waivers will be entered into your record.