BRIDGEWATER, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Bridgewater College will help leaders develop the skills to lead sustainable nonprofit organizations with new graduate programs in nonprofit management.

Starting in May 2025, BC’s Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies will offer a master of arts in nonprofit management and a graduate certificate in the same field. Both programs are pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges in fall 2024.

“These programs have grown out of Bridgewater College’s mission to prepare students to lead principled lives of purpose and consequence,” Dr. Barbara Long, dean of the Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies, said in a news release. “The master of arts in nonprofit management and the certificate program are based on what nonprofits need and we will train our students to enter or advance in health care, education, arts administration or the field of their choice.”

The master of arts in nonprofit management (MNPM) includes 30 hours of coursework in financial management, human resources, marketing, fundraising and leadership. Students complete a capstone project focused on a nonprofit industry that interests them or applies to their career goals.

The MNPM consists of 10 courses and can be completed full-time in 12 months or part-time.

Students in the 12-credit hour certificate in nonprofit management (CNPM) will complete three required and one elective courses on a full-time or part-time basis. The coursework can also be used towards the MNPM. It is Bridgewater College’s first graduate certificate.

Both programs follow the recommendations of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, an international association of academic programs at accredited colleges and universities. Courses will be taught in-person or online.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nonprofit sector is expected to grow by 6.5 percent over the next 10 years, more than double the average growth rate of all businesses. Nonprofits employ 12.5 million people annually in the US, and there are more than 50,000 nonprofit organizations in Virginia.

Students in the 12-credit hour certificate in nonprofit management (CNPM) will complete three required and one elective courses on a full-time or part-time basis. The CNPM coursework can also be used towards the MNPM. The CNPM is Bridgewater College’s first graduate certificate.

The curricula of both programs follow the recommendations of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, an international association of academic programs at accredited colleges and universities. Courses will be taught in-person or online.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nonprofit sector is expected to grow by 6.5 percent over the next 10 years, more than double the average growth rate of all businesses. Nonprofits employ 12.5 million people annually in the US, and there are more than 50,000 nonprofit organizations in Virginia.

For more information, visit the MNPM website: http://bridgewater.edu/mnpm.