Nonprofit Management Alumni Knowledge, Skills, and Career Satisfaction in Relation to Nonprofit Academic Centers Council Curricular Guidelines: The Case of One University's Master's of Public Administration Alumni

Abstract

Drawing on a survey of 88 alumni of a master of public administration program with a long-standing emphasis in nonprofit management, this article addresses three questions: (a) Are alumni who are more satisfied with their careers more satisfied with course work? (yes, substantially); (b) is reported learning in nonprofit management course work related to satisfaction with career and with graduate program? (yes, to some degree); and (c) is alumni satisfaction with careers and graduate program more strongly related to extent of learning in some areas rather than others? (yes). Implications for curricular content of nonprofit management programs are considered, particularly the sort of enterprise nonprofit management education is (and the sort it should be). We conclude by suggesting that nonprofit management education distinctiveness is based on its moral imperative and urge some consideration of such in curricular design.