Full Course Description List:

NPMG Courses

(5 credits)

Nonprofit organizations serve as the foundation for many social change efforts. Students in this course explore the history, foundations, and types of nonprofit organizations, as well as the diverse political, social, and economic contexts within which they exist. Students examine and apply marketing, public relations, and communication concepts and strategies to case studies and contemporary situations. Ethical, legal, and global lenses are applied to the study of the nonprofit sector. Students develop a concept paper guiding the development of a nonprofit organization.

(5 credits)

Ethics is a foundational element of leadership. Leaders face increasingly complex social and political challenges as they seek to meet the needs of diverse constituents. Students in this course explore ethics and social justice related to economic disparity, power, and privilege. Students use demographic data, current social trends, and themes to understand, analyze, and address ethical and social justice issues that impact service delivery in a global community.

(5 credits)

Public and nonprofit leaders in all areas of public administration require a thorough understanding of the expectations of their roles as leaders and managers of diverse and complex organizations. Students use theoretical and applied perspectives from which they study the intricacies of these roles, including the distinction between leadership and management, organizational culture, change management, systems theories, and organizational development. Students gain a practical understanding of these topics through the application of principles and concepts to public, private, and nonprofit organizational settings.

(5 credits)

Sound financial practices are crucial to managing scarce funds in both public and nonprofit operations. Students in this course examine finance and budgeting concepts, policies, and practices related to organizations as well as the fiscal climate within which they operate. They assess theories for motivating major fiscal-policy debates, and they explore and discuss auditing practices, tax systems, financial management, budgetary reform, financial technology systems, the use of dashboards for financial reporting, and the impact of globalization on finance and budget. Students read and analyze budgets, financial statements, and reports. They contextualize their learning as they apply knowledge gained from their analysis to develop a new budget and financial plan for either a public or private organization.

(5 credits)

The acquisition, development, and retention of talent are critical elements in the success of any organization. In this course, students examine theories, approaches, and systems related to hiring, managing, training, and retaining employees in government and nonprofit organizations. Through the use of case studies, students explore topics that include legal and ethical considerations, diversity, performance management, the establishment and implementation of policy, technology, and conflict management. Students apply principles and concepts learned in this course to real-world situations encountered in public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

(5 credits)

The success of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) is highly dependent on volunteers: the effective governance provided by the volunteer board of directors and the management of program volunteers—individuals who often serve as the lifeblood of NPOs. Students in this course explore the board governance process. They focus on methods that organizations use to create and maintain an effective board of directors to ensure that the board governs and guides the organization toward their mission. Students also explore board member recruitment, orientation, training, supervision, and evaluation; and they reflect on the use of those practices for program volunteers. Students create a five-section guide that includes a board development and volunteer management plan based on processes presented in the course and fundamental concepts acquired earlier in the program.

(5 credits)

Students explore the concepts of philanthropy and development; types of funding sources; and ethical, legal, and diversity considerations. They also analyze and apply a resource development process—including donor and/or prospect research, cultivation, and education; solicitation; and appreciation—and they create a resource development plan for a nonprofit organization.

(5 credits)

Nonprofit and public/government organizations need to be able to show positive evidence related to their mission and ability to effect social change to remain viable. By developing performance improvement evaluation plans that are structured with metrics, leaders can disseminate an organization's progress to build stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Students in this course will be introduced to a critical appraisal of levels of evidence, performance improvement and evaluation methods, and the importance of dissemination of organizational outcomes to help contribute to a positive future for social change.

(5 credits)

In an increasingly complex world, leaders and managers in public, private, and nonprofit organizations need to be strategic in planning and creating effective, collaborative programs and services. Students in this course explore the role and process of strategic planning with an emphasis on collaboration, cooperation, and coordination within and among organizations. Students apply these concepts to real-life situations and organizations.

(3 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. Students work toward building a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. They assess the relationship of mission and vision to professional goals and develop a program of study, a Professional Development Plan, and strategies for online success. Students also explore resources used throughout the program, such as the online Walden University Library. Students engage in course assignments focused on the practical application of professional writing, critical-thinking skills, and the promotion of professional and academic excellence and integrity.

(3 credits)

This course introduces students to graduate-level expectations and protocols for scholarly research and academic writing. Reflecting Walden's mission and vision of promoting positive social change, this course helps students build a foundation for success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. Course assignments focus upon students' professional goals, strategies for online student success, research skills, and academic integrity. Assignments are designed to build critical thinking skills and provide opportunities to apply academic lessons to real-world practice. Students are encouraged to take advantage of Walden's wealth of student support systems, especially the Walden Library and the Writing Center.

(5 credits)

Nonprofit (NPO) and non-government (NGO) organizations can serve to affect people and communities through positive social change. NPO and NGO leaders require a fundamental understanding of the nonprofit sector, including related ethical, legal, financial, and global perspectives. Through the lens of the NPO and NGO leadership, students in this course explore social entrepreneurship, marketing, communication, and governance. Gaining practical insight, students also apply theories presented in the course either to build a business plan for a new NPO/NGO or to evaluate an existing one. 

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6116

(5 credits)

Students have an opportunity to explore and understand the cultural values and styles of communication, reasoning, and leadership unique to their home culture. Students apply their increased understanding to other cultures. They also identify and become familiar with the challenges American nonprofit organizations face as they work internationally or cross-culturally within the United States.

(5 credits)

In this course, students examine in depth the cultures, structures, and activities of NGOs in select countries and compare their activities, organizational cultures, structures, and working environments with nonprofit organizations in the United States.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6333

(5 credits)

Through this course students are offered knowledge and understanding about the geopolitical and economic contexts in which international, nongovernmental, and voluntary agencies function in other countries. Students analyze the historical, political, social, and cultural contexts in which nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) work and the implications these contexts have on the work of local and international NGOs. Students identify strategies that make the international and cross-cultural efforts of NGOs successful.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6333
• NPMG 6334

(5 credits)

Ethics is a foundational element of leadership. In this course, students examine the philosophy of ethics as well as responsibility and social justice—basic tenets of public service. Students explore the complex social, political, and related ethical challenges leaders face as they seek to meet the needs of diverse constituents. They examine ethics and social justice related to economic disparity, power, and privilege. Students also assess demographic data and current social trends and themes to understand, analyze, and address ethical and social justice issues that impact service delivery in a global community. Applying concepts presented in the course, students engage in an in-depth assessment of an emerging or persistent ethical or social justice issue, through which they demonstrate their ability to make recommendations for improvement or change.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6200

(5 credits)

Public and nonprofit leaders in all areas of public administration require a thorough understanding of the expectations of their roles as leaders and managers of diverse and complex organizations. Students use theoretical and applied perspectives from which they study the intricacies of these roles, including the distinction between leadership and management, organizational culture, change management, systems theories, and organizational development. Students gain a practical understanding of these topics through the application of principles and concepts to public, private, and nonprofit organizational settings.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6405

(5 credits)

Sound financial practices are crucial to managing scarce funds in the nonprofit sector. In this course, students examine finance and budgeting concepts, policies, and practices related to organizations as well as the fiscal climate within which they operate. Students learn about the theories underlying fiscal policy, and they read and analyze budgets, financial statements, and financial reports. They also explore and discuss related topics, such as auditing practices; financial relationships with government, donors, and other sources of revenue; financial management; budgetary reform; and financial technology systems. Students apply theories and concepts presented in the course to the development of budget and financial projects relevant to nonprofit organizations.

(5 credits)

The acquisition, development, and retention of talent are critical elements in the success of any organization. In this course, students examine theories, approaches, and systems related to hiring, managing, training, and retaining employees in government and nonprofit organizations. Through the use of case studies, students explore topics that include legal and ethical considerations, diversity, performance management, the establishment and implementation of policy, technology, and conflict management. Students apply principles and concepts learned in this course to real-world situations encountered in public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

(5 credits)

The success of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) is highly dependent on volunteers: the effective governance provided by the volunteer board of directors and the management of program volunteers—individuals who often serve as the lifeblood of NPOs. Students in this course explore the board governance process. They focus on methods that organizations use to create and maintain an effective board of directors to ensure that the board governs and guides the organization toward their mission. Students also explore board member recruitment, orientation, training, supervision, and evaluation; and they reflect on the use of those practices for program volunteers. Students create a five-section guide that includes a board development and volunteer management plan based on processes presented in the course and fundamental concepts acquired earlier in the program.

(5 credits)

All nonprofit organizations require financial resources. Obtaining philanthropic financial support is essential to program delivery and stability. Students in this course explore the concepts of philanthropy and development, identification of funding sources, donor/prospect cultivation and education, and solicitation and appreciation strategies. They focus on processes and strategies for creating an organizational philanthropic culture based on ethics and donor relationships. Using these strategies and other concepts presented in the course, students create a resource development plan for a nonprofit organization.

(5 credits)

In an increasingly complex world, leaders and managers in public and nonprofit organizations plan strategies to fulfill the organizational mission and enhance stakeholder satisfaction. Students in this course explore the role and process of strategic planning, including collaboration, cooperation, and coordination. They also examine the benefits, challenges, and pitfalls of strategic planning, in addition to the impact of globalization. Students apply these concepts to real-life scenarios and develop a strategic plan for a nonprofit or public organization.

(5 credits)

Nonprofit and public/government organizations need to be able to show positive evidence related to their mission and ability to effect social change to remain viable. By developing performance improvement evaluation plans that are structured with metrics, leaders can disseminate an organization's progress to build stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Students in this course will be introduced to a critical appraisal of levels of evidence, performance improvement and evaluation methods, and the importance of dissemination of organizational outcomes to help contribute to a positive future for social change.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6461

(5 credits)

Public policy implementation can take place in various types of organizations. In this course, learners engage in a collaborative study of strategic planning, management, and leadership in the context of public and nonprofit organizations. Students in this course identify, analyze, and evaluate the intricate relationships among strategic planning, management, and leadership from an international perspective. Students connect three key institutional elements: thinking, acting, and leading strategically. Students apply a management systems approach as they develop, adopt, manage, and lead a strategic plan for an international public or nonprofit organization or an organization with an international focus. Students will understand the strategic context for practical decision making for international public and nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the central role of the environment in the strategic planning process. Students are offered a hands-on approach in this course that tests their ability to make effective and timely management and leadership decisions in complex and uncertain conditions.

(5 credits)

Effective community leaders must be familiar with a wide range of tools, strategies, and skills to create sustainable communities. In this course, students examine these elements to learn how leaders build capacity for community change; assess community needs and resources; create community visions; promote stakeholder interest and participation; analyze community problems; and carry out practices and interventions to improve sustainability in communities. They also explore sustainability frameworks and models, and they apply these and other concepts presented in the course to develop a proposal for sustainable community development, focusing on community assessment, stakeholder involvement, and development planning.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6540

(5 credits)

Students in this course are engaged in a collaborative study of the nature and methods of transformative change in the complex human systems of contemporary public organizations. Students explore and employ a pragmatic-action-learning process for studying the experience of transformative change in complex systems. They examine the dynamics of complex adaptive systems to gain an understanding of how large-scale and highly interrelated human systems change through self-organization. Students explore and apply appreciative inquiry and other selected methods of transformative change to a positive organizational-change situation of personal interest. They also have the opportunity to develop professional-action habits for pragmatic-action learning in the practice of public administration.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6540
• NPMG 6541

(5 credits)

Creating and maintaining sustainable and livable communities require leaders who understand the connections between the natural, built, and social environments, and those who can address these connections in a holistic and integrated fashion. Students in this course examine concepts of sustainability and livability and explore popular approaches to creating and maintaining communities that are more environmentally sound, economically prosperous, and socially equitable. They also focus on strategies to halt urban sprawl and to promote alternative modes of transportation. Students define and explore these concepts through case studies and examples drawn from local communities.

(5 credits)

Effective community leaders must be familiar with a wide range of tools, strategies, and skills to create sustainable communities. In this course, students examine these elements to learn how leaders build capacity for community change; assess community needs and resources; create community visions; promote stakeholder interest and participation; analyze community problems; and carry out practices and interventions to improve sustainability in communities. They also explore sustainability frameworks and models and apply these and other concepts presented in the course to develop a proposal for sustainable community development, focusing on community assessment, stakeholder involvement, and development planning.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6820

(5 credits)

Public decision-makers must understand and address a variety of complex and interrelated issues, such as land use and transportation, energy and environment, housing and schools, and regional economic development. In this course, students learn how leaders attend to these issues in light of existing policies and contemporary social, economic, political, demographic, and technological trends. Students explore and discuss planning processes, tools, approaches, strategies, and policies used to create sustainable and livable communities through collaborative processes involving multiple stakeholders. Through the development of a policy-option written assignment, students assess critical issues and identify problem-solving strategies.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6820
• NPMG 6821

(5 credits)

This course is designed for individuals who have a passion for improving conditions for people and the environment, whether locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. Social entrepreneurship and innovation are vehicles for moving beyond social change to widespread social transformation at the root cause and systemic levels of the biggest and most intransigent problems of the world. Students learn to become social innovators as they build citizen and community engagement and develop partnerships and multi-sector coalitions among social justice organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies. This course is intended to help students identify ways in which this concept, processes, and skills can be integrated into their work to increase their contribution to creating a just, sustainable, and peaceful world.

Students will learn the process, find practical applications, and design a plan to (a) solve or find practical solutions to social and environmental problems; (b) innovate by finding a new product, service, or approach to a social problem; (c) create social value; and (d) transform or revolutionize dysfunctional systems or industries. Additionally, they will learn to use innovative, sustainable, scalable, and measurable approaches, apply social entrepreneurship and innovation skills, and anchor competencies.

(5 credits)

Grant writing is a highly marketable skill that requires many nonprofit, educational, and community organizations to secure external funding in order to provide needed services to the community. In this course, students will explore the basic skills needed for grant writing including identifying potential funding sources, creating objectives and a needs statement, preparing and justifying a budget, identifying appropriate assessment plans, and writing an executive summary. Course assignments will allow students to directly apply what they are reading and discussing by writing a full grant proposal based on an actual Request for Proposal (RFP).

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6880

(5 credits)

Students in this course are engaged in a collaborative study of the nature and methods of transformative change in the complex networked organizations that operate in today's global environment. Students in the course will explore the nature of the global environment and its challenges to the leaders that operate within it. They will discuss the various kinds of organizations that operate across borders and the challenges these organizations face in accomplishing their goals. Students will discuss the global environment as a networked system in which organizations operate. They will evaluate the challenges of such complex systems to global leaders and the strategies that can be used to adapt to these challenges while promoting transformative change. Students will focus on the analysis of these challenges in a single organization through the development of a leadership case study.

Pre-requisites

• NPMG 6880
• NPMG 6881

(5 credits)

In this course, students have the opportunity to reflect on and demonstrate integration, synthesis, evaluation and application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities developed over the course of the Master of Public Administration or Nonprofit Management and Leadership programs. Students complete a capstone paper designed to maximize the application of concepts and skills learned during their program of study, with particular emphasis on the knowledge base and literature of public administration, public policy, and/or non-profit management and leadership. The capstone paper documents the results of a literature review addressing a research question related to a specific public policy or nonprofit management issue. The course also challenges students to reflect on how this program has and will, impact their personal, scholarly, professional, and positive social change agent growth.

Pre-requisites

• All prior coursework