Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategic Planning
Karlyli Juarez
Associate Director, Graduate Studies
CHSSGradStudies@uhd.edu
Graduate Degree and Graduate Certificate Application Deadlines
Spring 2025
Jan. 7, 2025
Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategic Planning (Online)
The Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategic Planning is designed for nonprofit professionals who want to offer their organizations the 21st century leadership and strategic planning skills that are needed to survive in today’s nonprofit economy. The program provides core level training in leadership and strategic planning and gives students the flexibility to focus on the area of nonprofit management that will best fit their future plans.
The program consists of 6 courses (18 semester credit hours) which are outlined below. All courses are taught online by accomplished faculty and industry experts.
4 Required Courses (3 hours each/12 hours total):
POLS 6310
Leadership in Non-Profit Organizations
POLS 6318
Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sector
POLS 6331
Strategic Planning in Non-Profit Sector
POLS 6380
Internship in Nonprofit Management l
2 Elective (3 hours each/6 hours total):
HUM 6301
Principles of Nonprofit Marketing
SOS 6311
Principles of Nonprofit Finance
POLS 6306 Government Lobbying and Advocacy
POLS 6311
Program Assessment and Evaluation
POLS 6312
Resourcing the Nonprofit Organization
POLS 6313
Governance, the Volunteer Board,
and Organizational Behavior
POLS 6314
Leadership Trends/Topics
in Nonprofit Organizations
POLS 6319
Law and Legal Considerations for Nonprofits
POLS 6381
Internship in Nonprofit Management ll
POLS 6395
Special Project in Nonprofit Management
Admission 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. The recommended/preferred GPA for applicants is 2.5 or higher.
How to Apply
Complete and submit all of the following items in order to be considered for admission. Resumes and personal statements can be uploaded through the applicant 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
Application Checklist:
- Submit an application
- Pay the $35 application fee
- Request/submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended to the email or mailing address above (including community college work and prior graduate work).
- Provide a professional/personal resume
- Provide a personal statement of 750 words or less in response to this prompt: Describe your experiences in the nonprofit sector and explain how those experiences have prepared you to succeed in 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).