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2023-2024 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Public and Nonprofit Administration

For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the School of Community Leadership and Development section in this catalog.

Website: gvsu.edu/scld

The mission of the School of Community Leadership and Development is to educate students for lives of active citizenship as contributing members of their local, regional, and global communities, and for professional careers in public and nonprofit organizations. We are committed to developing in undergraduate and graduate students the capabilities for ethical judgment, critical thinking, and the core competencies necessary to fulfill multiple roles as effective managers and public servants. We advance this mission with a faculty committed to teaching excellence and actively engaged in research and community service.

Internships

All undergraduates are required to enroll in an internship class in the latter part of their studies. The internship provides an opportunity for the student to sample prospective employment and for the agency to observe potential applicants for employment. A major objective of the program is to establish a mutually beneficial and reinforcing experience for the student to "learn by doing" and for the sponsoring organization to use the apprentice in studying problems and testing new ground.

Interns work under the direct supervision of agency staff on assignments that help them gain meaningful understanding about the nature and functioning of the organization. Throughout the internship, the agency supervisor evaluates the intern's field service, while the academic component (written reports) is evaluated by the academic coordinator.

Honor Organization

Pi Alpha Alpha is the national honor society for the field of public affairs and public administration. The purpose of this society is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration. The society seeks to promote the advancement of quality in the education and practice of the art and science of public affairs and administration.

Graduate School Opportunities

Various professional master's degree programs are available to students interested in public service with government, nonprofit, or health organizations. Community Leadership and Development offers a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) and a Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.). For working professionals with at least three years of nonprofit administrative experience, Community Leadership and Development offers a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership and a Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (M.P.N.L.).

Program Requirements

The following programs are available:


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