Certificate in
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Management

Note: All of the courses in this program are available by distance education.

Sample Distance Course Module

Ryerson has created this distinctive, interdisciplinary certificate program in response to a growing demand for education that focuses on the specialized needs of the sector.

This program is the first undergraduate university certificate program in nonprofit sector management in Canada. It is affiliated with Ryerson’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies, which provides a dynamic link to the sector through research, consultation, and educational programming. This unique program offers the following:

• an interdisciplinary curriculum pooling knowledge from three academic disciplines: business management, public administration, and social work
• a practical blend of theory and application taught by academics and practitioners
• a wide range of current and relevant courses covering key areas such as marketing, financial management, fundraising, advocacy, strategic planning, program evaluation, organizational management, and organizational change

Courses are available in a variety of formats including distance via the Internet.

Who Will Benefit

• managers, staff, practitioners and volunteers of nonprofit organizations
• those interested in pursuing careers in the nonprofit sector
• those interested in developing partnerships with nonprofit organizations

Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies: Gerda Kaegi, Academic Coordinator, gkaegi@ryerson.ca.

For detailed certificate and program information, please visit www.ryerson.ca/ce/nonprofit.

For related career information, please visit Industry Overview.

See more courses and programs relating to Business, Management, and Economics or Community Health and Well-being.

Admission Requirements

OSSD with six Grade 12 U or M credits, or equivalent, or mature student status is required.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible restrictions; please refer to Curriculum Advising for complete details.

Program Open House

Students who have questions about the admission requirements and/or would like to know more about this certificate are invited to attend a Program Open House. Please see Open House for dates, times, and location.

Certificate Requirements

The successful completion of eight single-term courses (four required courses and four electives), with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher, is required for the certificate.

Certificate Registration

Students may be registered in only one certificate program at any one time. To allow maximum flexibility in crediting external courses and/or courses previously taken at Ryerson, students should register in the certificate at the beginning of their first course (see also Courses and Programs FAQ). For complete details on the advantages of early registration, registration deadlines, and Transfer Credit restrictions, all students should read Registration in a Certificate Program.

Requirements for Graduation

To graduate, you must successfully complete the published certificate curricula from the year you registered in the certificate. Certificate requirements must be completed within six years from the time you were first admitted into the certificate program. In some circumstances, certificate requirements may change, resulting in courses no longer being available. In such cases, Course Substitutions/Directives may be requested. Also, you must apply on RAMSS to graduate, prior to the appropriate application deadlines (see Important Dates).

Required Courses

CINP 900   Nonprofit:  Intro to the Nonprofit / Voluntary Sector
CINP 901   Nonprofit:  Developing Effective Organizations
CINP 902   Nonprofit:  Program Evaluation
CINP 920   Nonprofit:  Critical Issues

Electives (select four)

CINP 910   Nonprofit:  Strategic Planning
CINP 911   Nonprofit:  Advocacy and Governmental Relations
CINP 912   Nonprofit:  Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
CINP 913   Nonprofit:  Leading Through Change
CINP 914   Nonprofit:  Issues of Diversity
CINP 915   Nonprofit:  Financial Management
CINP 916   Nonprofit:  NGOs and World Governance

Distance Education

All courses in this certificate are available in a distance education format. Distance education offerings are shown in the following chart.

Course Delivery Schedule

C = Classroom
D = Distance
H = Hybrid (classroom/Internet combined)

This schedule is subject to revision but can be used as a planning guide.