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:3710Fundraising Fundamentals3
MGMT:3500/ENTR:3595/MUSM:3500/NURS:3595/RELS:3700/SSW:3500Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I3
MGMT:4600/MUSM:4600Nonprofit Ethics and Governance3
At least two of these:
JMC:2001Exploring Nonprofits: Communities and Changemakers3
JMC:3720/MUSM:3720Nonprofit Communications3
JMC:3700Nonprofit Internship3
MGMT:3600/NURS:3600/RELS:3701/SSW:3600Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II3

Focused Electives

The remainder of the 18 s.h. must be fulfilled by electives selected from the following list.

Course # Title Hours
ACCT:2100Introduction to Financial Accounting3
CCCC:2220Foundations of Critical Cultural Competence3
COMM:2819Organizational Leadership3
CPH:3700Methods for Program Implementation and Evaluation3
EALL:4130Introduction to Grant Writing3
ENTR:2000Entrepreneurship and Innovation3
ENTR:3500Social Entrepreneurship3
EVNT:2200Foundations of Event Management3
EVNT:3260Event Management Workshop3
GHS:2000/ANTH:2103Introduction to Global Health Studies3
INTD:3500/CLAS:3500Fundamentals of Project Management Leadership3
IS:2009World Travel: Cross-Cultural Skills for International Business, Education, and Service3
IS:3012Service Learning in International Studies3
IS:3910/HRTS:3910Approaches to Advocacy: From Theory to Practice3
JMC:2001Exploring Nonprofits: Communities and Changemakers (if not taken as a foundation course)3
JMC:2500Community Media3
JMC:3123Advocacy Communication3
JMC:3142/IS:3142Media and Social Change3
JMC:3530Social Media Marketing3
JMC:3700Nonprofit Internship (if not taken as a foundation course)3
JMC:3720/MUSM:3720Nonprofit Communications (if not taken as a foundation course)3
MGMT:3600/NURS:3600/RELS:3701/SSW:3600Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II (if not taken as a foundation course)3
MUSM:2001/ANTH:2010Introduction to Museum Studies3
SSW:2700/PSQF:2700Introduction to Understanding Trauma and Resilience3
THTR:3510/INTD:3510Introduction to Arts Management3
WRIT:2100Writing and Community Outreach3