Curriculum

This is an example. Please note that the most current and official curriculum information is found in our Course Catalog.

Nonprofit Leadership (M.A.)

Degree Requirements

This is designed as a part-time hybrid program to be completed over two - three years, primarily online but with two total weeks of on-campus intensive courses—one week at the beginning of the program and one at the end.

Sample Academic Road Maps 2026 - 2028

Semester	Two-Year Hybrid	Three-Year Hybrid
Fall Year 1	Transformational Development (4 credits)	Transformational Development (4 credits)
Spring Year 1	NGO Leadership (4 credits) Monitoring, Evaluation, and Program Design (4 credits)	Christian Theology (4 credits)
Summer Year 1	Foundations* (4 credits) Christian Theology (4 credits)	Foundations* (4 credits)
Fall Year 2	Strategic Leadership for Change (4 credits) Vocation & Professional Development (2 credits)	Strategic Leadership for Change (4 credits)
Spring Year 2	Fundraising in Nonprofit Organization (4 credits) Financial & Project Management (4 credits)	Fundraising in Nonprofit Organization (4 credits) NGO Leadership (4 credits)
Summer Year 2	Crisis Leadership in Action* (2 credits)	N/A
Fall Year 3	N/A	Financial & Project Management (4 credits) Vocation & Professional Development (2 credits)
Spring Year 3	N/A	Monitoring, Evaluation, & Program Design (4 credits)
Summer Year 3	N/A	Crisis Leadership in Action* (2 credits)

Actual course sequence subject to professor availability

*On-campus intensive course, 1 week total per course per semester
(This will also involve pre- and post-course work. It is set up this way for faculty to communicate with students by distance before the in-person class starts, and to help maximize in-person time in class. Several weeks before on-campus intensives begin, there may be some pre-course materials sent by professors to be completed before the in-person dates.)

The summer on-campus intensive typically falls in the second week of August. Please contact the HDI program administrator for specific dates. Pre-work and post-work is done remotely.
The 2027 cohort will begin in the summer term.

Course Descriptions

Biblical & Theological Studies Courses

BITH/Theology TSR course (4 hours)
An introduction to the Christian faith, evangelical Protestant theology, and church engagement.

HDI 614 - Transformational Development The purpose of this course is to explore theology, theory and practice in the field of development. This survey course provides an overview of the landscape of development and its approaches to leadership. Through this lens, students will explore symptoms and solutions of poverty, international aid systems, advocacy, and roles of churches in developing communities that flourish.

Nonprofit Leadership Courses

HDI 506 - Foundations of Nonprofit Leadership (4 hours)
An introduction to evidence-based skills, best practices, interventions, programs, theological frameworks, and faith formation for nonprofit leaders.

HDI 594 - Monitoring, Evaluation & Program Design (4 hours)
This course will introduce students to each of the components within a program design, monitoring, evaluation and learning system, the Christian foundations of MEL, how frameworks are integrated into evaluation, ethics, design, stakeholder analysis, and the implementation of MEL.

HDI 574 - NGO Leadership (4 hours)
This course will teach students best-practices for leading non-profit humanitarian and disaster organizations, and will introduce the practice of social entrepreneurship, program and project planning, grant-writing, fundraising, business planning, and marketing methods.

HDI 636 - Strategic Leadership for Change(4 hours)
This course develops learners' personal capacities and provides practical tools to lead others and manage leadership development and organizational change from a Christian perspective.

HDI 646 - Financial and Project Management (4 hours)
This course introduces the concepts, language and reporting methods of financial analysis and the effective management of projects for nonprofit organizations, utilizing a Christian perspective.

HDI 676 - Fundraising in Nonprofit Organizations(4 hours)
As leaders in nonprofits, NGOs and congregations, we seek to grow the virtue of generosity, both in our own lives, and in the communities we lead. We accept responsibility to raise the necessary resources to pursue our missions. This course teaches students to cultivate the virtue of generosity and apply evidence-based fundraising practices within nonprofits and congregations. Its scope is any organization that accepts donations (from individuals, foundations or government grants) and is accountable to stakeholders. International contextual considerations are provided.

Career Preparation

HDI 687 - Vocation & Professional Development(2 hours)
Students will think rigorously, biblically, and practically about their personal vocation in the nonprofit sector and will develop skills and resources in preparation for their careers.

HDI 697 - Crisis Leadership in Action (2 hours)
An intensive four-day, in-person course with post work that will involve simulation and learning to activate leadership skills, vocational reflection, and next steps in career development planning.

Applying to the Wheaton College Graduate School

Learn more about the admission requirements and application deadlines for the M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership at the Wheaton College Graduate School.

Application Deadline Information

Fall Semester

International Applicants

The formal application deadline for all international applicants is January 1st .

United States (Citizen, Permanent Resident, National) Applicants

The M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership will continue to review completed applications after May 15th on a rolling basis. Please note that decisions after the May 15th date are dependent upon registration availability. We encourage following the deadlines below to enhance your application experience.

Early Action Application: Apply by November 15th to receive an admissions decision by December 6th
Priority Application: Apply by January 15th to receive an admissions decision by February 5th
Regular Application: Apply by March 15th to receive an admissions decision by April 6th
Final Application (decisions after this date dependent upon availability): Apply by May 15th to receive an admissions decision by June 1st

Requirements for All Students

Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited institution.
GPA 2.75 minimum.
Official Transcripts from all colleges where a degree was earned or is currently being earned.

E-transcripts preferred. Address them to nancy.crane@wheaton.edu.
Mail hard copies to Graduate Admissions Dept., Attn: Nancy Crane, 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187.
Applicants who have earned more than 25% of their degree from institutions outside of their degree-conferring school will be required to supply official transcripts for those credits in the event they are not explicitly listed on their original transcript with course names and grades. Graduate Admissions will reserve the right to request additional transcripts as may be needed to meet departmental requirements or demonstrate proof of program-specific prerequisites.

Application Form

Includes two essays and affirmations of the Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.

Three Recommendations, which are online forms. Letters are accepted as supplements to the forms.

Academic: An instructor from whom you have taken a class preferred.
Pastoral: Can be a Christian leader who is not a pastor.
Professional: A person with whom you have had a supervisor-employee relationship, which can be in a non-paid context.

Resumé: Chronological overview of professional, ministry, and/or volunteer experiences.
$30 non-refundable application processing fee.

Additional Requirements for International Students

International students, and permanent residents of the US whose native language is not English, are required to take either the TOEFL iBT Test, IELTS Academic Test or Duolingo English test with the minimal scores indicated below:

TOEFL iBT Test: 80 with at least 18 in each category
IELTS Academic Test: 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each category
Duolingo English Test: 105

Applicants who wish to waive their English proficiency test, please refer to the English proficiency page for details.

An International Transcript Verification Report is needed for students who completed degrees outside of the United States.

Faculty and Staff

Humanitarian Disaster Institute

The M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership is located within Wheaton College’s Division of Natural and Social Sciences and is led by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI), which is the first faith-based academic disaster research center in the country. HDI collaborates with an extensive network of nonprofit leaders, experts, and practitioners that serve around the U.S. and around the World.

Financial Wellness

Graduate Student Financial Services

The Wheaton College Graduate School Student Financial Services team can help you understand how much your graduate studies will cost and what scholarships, loans, and aid may be available to you.