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Public and Nonprofit Leadership

Connect with faculty in the department of Public and Nonprofit Leadership

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The Department of Public and Nonprofit Leadership offers four master’s degrees, all tailored to build your skills in leadership, management, and advocacy for the public and nonprofit sector.These affordable and flexible programs are offered both online and in person:

1. Masters of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL)

MAPL students learn how to engage in effective ethical change through policy-making, advocacy, organizing, and electoral politics. Utilizing a cohort model, a flexible schedule, and the option of online or in-person classes, MAPL students acquire the skills needed to succeed in making change for themselves and their communities. MAPL students go on to take leadership roles in nonprofits, the public sector, and labor unions.

2. Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management (MNLM) 

The state-of-the-art curriculum addresses the most critical challenges faced by nonprofit managers and leaders, program professionals, and directors on nonprofit boards. The MNLM degree positions graduates to seek and succeed in leadership roles at all levels of organizational management, including executive director, program director, organizational management, and board leadership, and is ideally suited for persons interested in starting a nonprofit or pursuing social enterprise options in a business environment.

3. Masters of Public Administration (MPA)

This program prepares students for a wide range of career and leadership opportunities in the field of public administration, addressing the most critical challenges that public administrators and their respective councils or boards face at all levels of government. In a world where professionals are increasingly expected to make multiple job changes during their careers and work across the sectors, this degree is a very practical choice that integrates study of public administration and issues with nonprofit and for-profit perspectives.

4. Masters of Public and Nonprofit Administration (MPNA)

This program prepares students for the widest range of career opportunities in the public and nonprofit sectors, and addresses the most critical challenges that public and nonprofit professionals face. The MPNA degree offers maximum flexibility in designing your studies to match your interests in public administration, nonprofit management, or a mix of both.

Public and Nonprofit Leadership Programs

For Public and Nonprofit Leadership students

Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship

Financial assistance to racial or ethnic minority union members who are pursuing postsecondary education.

Americorps National School of Service

As an Americorps National School of Service, Metro State offers Americorps alumni 20% tuition discounts for those in the Public and Nonprofit Leadership department