Leadership and Strategic Planning in Nonprofit Sector, Graduate Certificate

David Branham, PhD, Graduate Director
N1024, 713-221-8208    

This certificate will develop leadership and strategic planning skills for those already working in the nonprofit sector.  The training they receive will permit them to positively transform their organizations.  Successful students who are later admitted into the Nonprofit Management master’s program will have an opportunity to apply qualifying credits earned in the certificate toward their degree.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who earn a certificate in Leadership and Strategic Planning in the Nonprofit Sector will be able to:

• Evaluate a non-profit organization’s status on leadership and teambuilding, report their findings, and initiate effective interventions to alleviate shortcomings in those areas.
• Create, implement, and plan data and research-driven strategies for recruiting and fundraising.
• Assess the environment of an organization and articulate ways to improve productivity from that assessment.

Admissions Criteria                        

Applicants must hold a BA, BS, or an equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in the US or overseas and have proficiency in English (if a graduate of a university in which English is not the native language) provided by adequate TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores.

Admissions Materials

Applicants must complete and submit all of the following items in order to be considered for admission: Resumes, personal statements, and writing samples can be uploaded through the myUHD portal, emailed to gradadmissions@uhd.edu, or mailed to:

Office of Admissions - Graduate Admissions
University of Houston-Downtown
One Main Street, Suite GSB 308
Houston, TX 77002-1001

• Submit an application through the www.goapplytexas.org.
• Pay the $35 application fee
• Request/submit to the email or mailing address above official transcripts from the institution where applicant received a bachelor’s degree as well as any graduate schools attended. (Community college coursework will not be considered in the admission process and need not be submitted)
• Provide a professional/personal resume
• Provide a personal statement of 750 words or less in response to this prompt: Describe your experiences and/or interest in the nonprofit sector. Explain your career plans and how you might contribute to the field of nonprofit management.
• Provide TOEFL scores of 550 with section scores of 50 or higher (if a graduate of a university in which English is not the native language).

Admissions Process

Once an application is complete, the Admissions Committee will evaluate candidates to determine if the applicant will be “admitted” or “denied admission” to the program. The committee may also ask for further information from the candidate before making a final admission decision. The Program Director or the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies will notify prospective students, in writing (via email), of the committee’s decision. This written notification will contain pertinent information and next steps for students, as applicable.

Admissions Appeals

Admissions decisions may be appealed through the process found in the CHSS Graduate Student Handbook linked on this page.