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Students listen intently during a nonprofit studies lecture.

Nonprofit Studies - Minor

The Nonprofit Studies minor offers a comprehensive understanding of the nonprofit sector, including legal and financial frameworks, strategic planning, fundraising, and program evaluation. With experiential learning opportunities, you'll develop leadership skills to become an effective nonprofit leader.

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Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Nonprofit Studies minor prepares students for careers in a variety of nonprofit organizations at the local, state, national and international level. The curriculum provides students with knowledge and competencies in areas such as grant writing and fundraising, mission and vision, advocacy and lobbying, risk management, board development, program planning, leadership and ethics, human resource development, youth and adult development, marketing, financial management and non-profit management. Students gain real world experience with local nonprofit agencies through a practicum experience.

The Nonprofit Studies minor may be beneficial for students pursuing any major.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

Admission to a minor is open to students declared in a bachelor’s degree, the A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree (not Individualized Program major). Students declared only in the A.A. or A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree in Individualized Program may not declare a minor. Students may not pursue a minor and a major in the same discipline.

To declare this minor, students must have attempted a minimum 12 credit hours at Kent State and earned a minimum 2.000 overall Kent State GPA. Students who have not attempted 12 credit hours at Kent State will be evaluated for admission based on their high school GPA for new students or transfer GPA for transfer students. Transfer students who have not attempted 12 credit hours of college-level coursework at Kent State and/or other institutions will be evaluated based on both their high school GPA and college GPA.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Describe the principles and practices of nonprofit management.
  2. Construct a grant proposal appropriate for submission to a grant funder in the nonprofit sector.
  3. Apply community outreach skills through successful completion of a community inventory as well as practicum and field experiences.
Coursework
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Program Requirements

Minor Requirements
HDF 44032NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING AND GRANTWRITING 3
HDF 44033COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT (ELR) 3
HDF 44034PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT 3
Methods/Analysis Elective, choose from the following:3-4
ACCT 23020
INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
AFS 37010
RESEARCH METHODS IN AFRICANA STUDIES (ELR)
ANTH 38490
QUANTITATIVE ANTHROPOLOGY
ATTR 45292
INTERNSHIP IN ATHLETIC TRAINING I (ELR)
COMM 30000
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS
ECON 22060
PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS (KSS)
EXSC 35068
STATISTICS FOR THE EXERCISE SCIENTIST
IHS 44010
RESEARCH DESIGN AND STATISTICAL METHODS IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS
MDJ 20008
RESEARCH AND MEASUREMENT IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
NURS 31010
APPLICATIONS FOR STATISTICAL FINDINGS FOR EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE
PH 30002
INTRODUCTORY BIOSTATISTICS
POL 30001
RESEARCH METHODS (ELR)
PSYC 21621
QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I
SOC 32220
& SOC 32221
DATA ANALYSIS
and DATA ANALYSIS LABORATORY
Internship/Practicum Elective, choose from the following: 13
CCI 45091
SEMINAR IN MEDIA AND MOVEMENTS (ELR)
ENG 41096
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION
ENG 49095
SENIOR AND GRADUATE SPECIAL TOPICS
GERO 44092
PRACTICUM IN GERONTOLOGY (ELR)
HDF 44092
PRACTICUM IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY SCIENCE (ELR)
HED 34060
SMALL GROUP PROCESS
NURS 40045
INTEGRATION OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN NURSING (ELR)
PH 40196
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN PUBLIC HEALTH
POL 41990
COLUMBUS PROGRAM IN STATE ISSUES (ELR)
POL 42990
WASHINGTON PROGRAM IN NATIONAL ISSUES (ELR)
Any other internship or practicum course (course number ends in 92)
Development Elective, choose from the following:3
COMM 36505
COMMUNICATION, AGING AND CULTURE
COMM 46605
COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN (DIVD)
EPSY 29525
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
GERO 14029
INTRODUCTION TO GERONTOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)
GERO 40656
PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING
GERO 44030
ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING (WIC)
HDF 24012
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
HDF 24013
EARLY ADOLESCENCE
HDF 44020
ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
HDF 44022
CHANGING ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN
NURS 20950
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
PACS 31002
GENDER, POWER AND CONFLICT
PH 30005
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE THEORIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH
PSYC 20651
CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)
PSYC 30651
ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
RPTM 36010
RECREATION, LEISURE AND AGING
SOC 42421
CHILDHOOD IN SOCIETY
SOC 42478
ADOLESCENCE IN SOCIETY
SOC 42879
AGING IN SOCIETY (DIVD)
SPA 44112
AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN COMMUNICATION
Minimum Total Credit Hours:18
1

An internship/practicum is required at a non-profit organization; students must make prior arrangements with the program director. Before taking the internship/practicum course, students must have taken (or will take concurrently) HDF 44033 and HDF 44034.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Minor GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.250 2.000
  •  After declaring the Nonprofit studies minor, students are required to meet with the program director to discuss course selection and procedures for completing the minor.
  • Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be upper-division coursework (30000 and 40000 level).
  • Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be outside of the course requirements for any major or other minor the student is pursuing.
  • Minimum 50 percent of the total credit hours for the minor must be taken at Kent State (in residence).
 
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • Fully online
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Geauga Campus
    • Kent Campus
    • Stark Campus
Spotlight Speaker Series

The Nonprofit Spotlight Speaker Series was established in 2016 due to a high level of interest by our students in learning more about the many nonprofit organizations in our community and how they, as future nonprofit professionals, can effectively lead organizations such as these.

The next event in the series will be held:

Thurs., April 4, 2024, 6:30 p.m., Rachel Kerns, executive director, Habitat for Humanity of Portage County, will speak. Brad Knife, Re-Store manager, will also be in attendance, along with Kaleena Gharky, community director. A family that has been served by Habitat for Humanity may accompany her.
Location - Henderson Hall Room #201

The following nonprofit organizations have presented to our university community:

  • 2023 Ronald McDonald House Charities, Northeast Ohio
  • 2019 - Family & Community Services, Inc.
  • 2018 - Hope United and the Summit County Felony Drug Court Turning Point Program
  • 2018 - World Relief
  • 2017 - Collaborative to End Human Trafficking
  • 2016 - Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
  • 2016 - International Institute of Akron
  • 2016 - Battered Women's Shelter and the Rape Crisis Center of Summit and Medina Counties

Any students who would like to be a member of the Nonprofit Spotlight Speaker Series Planning Committee can contact Kathy Bergh at kbergh@kent.edu.

Career Information

This program allows students to gain real world experience with nonprofit organizations through a practicum experience. Former students have completed their practicums locally as well as abroad. You may consider completing your practicum at any nonprofit organization in the world.

Students in this minor are prepared for careers at a variety of nonprofit organizations. It is important for individuals considering careers in the nonprofit sector to understand the unique structure of these organizations in comparison to for-profit businesses. This minor will enhance the employability of students in the growing field of Nonprofit Studies.

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