Master of Nonprofit Management (MNM)

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The Hamline University master of nonprofit management (MNM) program gives working professionals the practical knowledge, tools, and skills they need to manage the complex challenges of the nonprofit sector. The MNM program is recognized as the premier master’s degree program in the region dedicated exclusively to management principles of practitioners and professionals in the discipline. The curriculum provides breadth and depth on managing nonprofit organizations with strong theory to practice orientation. The program also provides exceptional networking and career enhancing opportunities.

The MNM program is available at the Hamline University Saint Paul campus.

All students in the MNM program are required to complete forty-eight academic credits. This includes eight required core courses, three elective courses, and one capstone course.

The MNM program begins with a fundamentals course, which provides students with a sound foundation in the history, theory, and management standards of the nonprofit sector. Other courses (required and elective) provide working professionals with a base of knowledge in a variety of subjects, each necessary to build effective management skills.

MNM Degree Requirements (48 credits and 3.0 GPA):

8 Core Courses (32 credits)

3 Elective Courses (12 credits)

Three elective courses must be chosen from among the School of Business graduate level courses.

1 Capstone Course (4 credits):

MNM 8492 - Capstone Skills Development for Nonprofits

Additional Requirements

Students are expected to arrive with paid or volunteer experience in the field and are generally employed in the sector while completing the program.

Course Substitution

Student requests for substitution of a required course or courses shall be forwarded to the Program Director whose decision on the request shall be final. No more than two (2) required courses may be substituted. In all instances of substitution of required courses, the student is required to register and successfully complete another course or courses whose total credits equal the number of credits represented by the substituted required course(s).

The only basis for requesting a substitution of a MNM required course shall be duplication of coursework already successfully completed in a different program at Hamline University or another institution. The student must include the syllabus or syllabi from the course(s) taken and an official transcript showing successful completion unless that transcript is already a part of the student’s application file. Under no condition may the course(s) used as a substitution have been completed more than seven (7) years prior to admission to the MNM program.

Time Limit

Generally, it will take students 2-3 years to complete the traditional MNM program; however, 7 years is the allowed maximum.

MNM Application Requirements

Online application (no fee for U.S. residents). Application available at: www.hamline.edu/business/mnm/admission-requirements/.
A personal statement, up to three pages, answering the following:
- Why are you choosing to pursue graduate studies at this time in your career, and what are you hoping to accomplish by doing so?
- What makes the Hamline graduate program you have chosen appealing to you? What skills do you seek to strengthen; what challenges do you seek to overcome?
- At Hamline, we believe in the power of teams. Thus, we teach and have students practice teaming skills throughout the program. Please describe a team experience - either excellent or difficult - that you have had and what you learned from the experience.
A résumé.
Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate work. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must submit both the original and an official or a certified course by course English translation. The Hamline University School of Business reserves the right to require applicants to have their academic records evaluated by an academic credential evaluator.
Two recommendation forms detailing your qualifications to pursue advanced study written by people unrelated to you who are familiar with your academic and/or professional history. These forms will be sent to recommenders you identify as part of your online application.
Writing sample of your academic or work-related writing, at least three pages in length, written solely by you in the last two years.