Nonprofit and NGO Studies Minor

Nonprofit and NGO Studies Minor

Are you passionate about advocacy, social justice, or global change?
Want to work in nonprofits, NGOs, or social enterprises?

Lead. Advocate. Make an Impact.
  • Learn how nonprofits and NGOs work.
  • Build skills in leadership, fundraising & outreach.
  • Explore issues like justice, sustainability & equity.

 

Learn More About Our Program

The Nonprofit and NGO Studies Minor is designed for students who want to create positive change—whether in their local communities or around the globe.

This interdisciplinary program gives you the tools to understand how nonprofit organizations and NGOs work, why they matter, and how they respond to today’s biggest social, environmental, and economic challenges. You’ll explore topics like leadership, ethical decision-making, social justice, and community engagement while building practical skills in areas like public relations, grant writing, and project management.

Whether you’re thinking about a career in advocacy, social services, environmental justice, education, or international development, this minor helps you connect what you are learning in the classroom to real-world impact. 

  • Open to all majors

Click here for a downloadable flyer for the Nonprofit and NGO Studies Minor.

Nonprofit and NGO Studies, Minor

The Nonprofit Studies Minor provides an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the nonprofit sector and its role in society. This minor is designed for students interested in the management and operations of nonprofit organizations as well as their contributions to addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. The program emphasizes critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and practical skills, preparing students for impactful careers in nonprofit organizations at local, national, and global levels. This minor is ideal for students who plan to work in advocacy, social services, international NGOs, nonprofit organizations focused on arts, environment, or community health, or charitable and faith-based organizations. It also provides strong preparation for those interested in pursuing advanced degrees in public administration, social work, nonprofit management, or related fields. The Nonprofit Studies Minor is open to all undergraduates. Students will engage in a curriculum that combines theoretical foundations with experiential learning, such as internships and service-learning projects that connect theory with practice in nonprofit settings and prepare for diverse career opportunities.

Requirements

Required Courses

  • Take the following required courses
  • Global Change-Makers: Non-Profits and NGOs in the 21st Century (4 units)
  • Writing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 units)
  • Writing for Nonprofit Organizations EL (1 units)

Management Course

  • Take one of the following Management courses
  • Managing & Leading Organizations (4 units)
  • Business Ethics and Social Responsibility (4 units)
  • Effective Decision-Making & Conflict Resolution (4 units)
  • Managing Business as a Social Enterprise (3 units)

Marketing and Communication Course

  • Take one of the following Marketing and Communication courses
  • Advertising and Civic Engagement (4 units)
  • Public Relations (4 units)
  • Marketing (4 units)
  • Community Media and MP 401EL (3 units)

Elective Courses

  • Take two of the following elective courses
  • Environmental Problems (4 units)
  • Sustainability (4 units)
  • Economic Development (4 units)
  • Environmental and Natural Resources Econ (4 units)
  • Critical Race Theory
  • Environmental Justice (4 units)
  • Pol Parties, Soc Movements and Int Groups (4 units)
  • Human Rights (4 units)
  • Race and Ethnicity (4 units)
  • Wealth and Poverty in the United States (4 units)
  • Global Migration (4 units)
  • Social Movements (4 units)
  • Education and Society (4 units)
  • Ethnic Groups in the United States (4 units)
  • Gender and Society (4 units)
  • Crime and Delinquency (4 units)
  • Introduction to Sociology (4 units)
  • Introduction to Criminology (3 units)
  • Social Problems (3 units)
  • The Sociological Imagination (4 units)
  • Whiteness (4 units)
  • Sociology of Families (4 units)
  • Race and Ethnicity (4 units)
  • Urban Studies (4 units)
  • Wealth and Poverty in the US (4 units)
  • Global Migration (4 units)
  • Health and Illness (3 units)
  • Global Sociology (4 units)
  • Social Movements (4 units)
  • Education and Society (4 units)
  • Ethnic Groups in the U.S. (4 units)
  • Justice and Community (4 units)
  • Gender and Society (4 units)
  • Crime and Delinquency (4 units)
  • Global Change-Makers (4 units)
  • Sociology of Film (4 units)
  • Special Topics (1-4 units)
  • Field Experience (1-3 units)
  • Sociological Theory (4 units)
  • Sociological Research Methods (4 units)
  • Senior Thesis (3 units)
  • Special Study: Internship (1-3 units)
  • Senior Research Seminar (3 units)
  • Independent Study (1-3 units)