The Impact of Receiving a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management on Graduates’ Professional Lives

Abstract

This article reports on a study of the outcomes of receiving a specialized master’s degree in nonprofit management as perceived by graduates of three such programs in the United States. A literature search was conducted to identify outcomes that nonprofit management education should provide, and a questionnaire based on the literature was developed. The questionnaire was mailed to 645 graduates of three master’s degree programs in nonprofit management; total response rate was 65%. Results indicated an overall positive perception of the outcomes of the program. This was true regardless of the length of time since respondents had graduated and the number of years they had worked in the nonprofit sector. Responses to an open-ended question regarding graduates’ satisfaction with the degree were predominantly positive, but negative comments suggest areas where programs could be improved. The implications of the study’s findings for the field of nonprofit management education are discussed.