Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy, Certificate
This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
The undergraduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy requires a minimum of 18 s.h. of credit. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in work for the certificate.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.
Courses are offered on campus and online, allowing distance and online students the opportunity to earn the certificate.
Bachelor of Applied Studies and Bachelor of Liberal Studies students may be able to incorporate certificate courses into their degree programs; students should consult with their advisors.
The Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy requires the following coursework.
Foundation Courses
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All of these: | ||
| JMC:3710/MUSM:3710 | Fundraising Fundamentals | 3 |
| MGMT:3500/ENTR:3595/MUSM:3500/NURS:3595/RELS:3700/SSW:3500 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I | 3 |
| MGMT:4600/MUSM:4600 | Nonprofit Ethics and Governance | 3 |
| At least two of these: | ||
| JMC:2001 | Exploring Nonprofits: Communities and Changemakers | 3 |
| JMC:3720/MUSM:3720 | Nonprofit Communications | 3 |
| JMC:3700 | Nonprofit Internship | 3 |
| MGMT:3600/NURS:3600/RELS:3701/SSW:3600 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II | 3 |
Focused Electives
The remainder of the 18 s.h. must be fulfilled by electives selected from the following list.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT:2100 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 3 |
| CCCC:2220 | Foundations of Critical Cultural Competence | 3 |
| COMM:2819 | Organizational Leadership | 3 |
| CPH:3700 | Methods for Program Implementation and Evaluation | 3 |
| EALL:4130 | Introduction to Grant Writing | 3 |
| ENTR:2000 | Entrepreneurship and Innovation | 3 |
| ENTR:3500 | Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| EVNT:2200 | Foundations of Event Management | 3 |
| EVNT:3260 | Event Management Workshop | 3 |
| GHS:2000/ANTH:2103 | Introduction to Global Health Studies | 3 |
| INTD:3500/CLAS:3500 | Fundamentals of Project Management Leadership | 3 |
| IS:2009 | World Travel: Cross-Cultural Skills for International Business, Education, and Service | 3 |
| IS:3012 | Service Learning in International Studies | 3 |
| IS:3910/HRTS:3910 | Approaches to Advocacy: From Theory to Practice | 3 |
| JMC:2001 | Exploring Nonprofits: Communities and Changemakers (if not taken as a foundation course) | 3 |
| JMC:2500 | Community Media | 3 |
| JMC:3123 | Advocacy Communication | 3 |
| JMC:3142/IS:3142 | Media and Social Change | 3 |
| JMC:3530 | Social Media Marketing | 3 |
| JMC:3700 | Nonprofit Internship (if not taken as a foundation course) | 3 |
| JMC:3720/MUSM:3720 | Nonprofit Communications (if not taken as a foundation course) | 3 |
| MGMT:3600/NURS:3600/RELS:3701/SSW:3600 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II (if not taken as a foundation course) | 3 |
| MUSM:2001/ANTH:2010 | Introduction to Museum Studies | 3 |
| SSW:2700/PSQF:2700 | Introduction to Understanding Trauma and Resilience | 3 |
| THTR:3510/INTD:3510 | Introduction to Arts Management | 3 |
| WRIT:2100 | Writing and Community Outreach | 3 |
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy, Certificate
This sample plan is currently being reviewed and will be added at a later date.