Undergraduate Nonprofit Education: Between Institutionalization and Recruitment

• DOI: 10.18666/jnel-2020-v10-i1-10179
• Publication Date: 2020-11-16T16:34:41Z
• Authors: Carol Brunt; Norman Dolch; Tyrone Freeman; Roseanne Mirabella; Peter Weber; Michelle Wooddell
• Keywords: 4. Education; 05 social sciences; institutionalization; nonprofit and philanthropic studies; undergraduate nonprofit education; 0506 political science

The essay aims to foster reflection and discussion on the institutionalization of undergraduate nonprofit education. Undergraduate nonprofit programs (certificates, minors, and majors) have been developing at a slower pace than their graduate counterparts. This essay focuses on the development of these programs and identifies particular challenges in the administration of four undergraduate programs selected as case studies. Common concerns include (1) development of programs broad enough to allow students to pursue multiple career and educational paths after graduation, which forces a curriculum development that differs from the path laid out at the graduate level, and (2) misconceptions and lack of knowledge about nonprofit careers in prospective students, parents, and high school counselors. The discussion is contextualized in broader trends of nonprofit education.