Course Catalog
Students begin the program with core courses that pave the way for more complex learning. They then progress into the concentration courses that delve further into their specific area of interest and expand their scope of learning. After successfully completing both the core and concentration courses, students use the skills learned within the program in a practical problem-solving Capstone Project.
Select a course below for more details:
- Core Courses:
- Concentration Courses:
- Capstone Project:
Organization Management and Leadership – 4 credits
This course combines theory and practice by encouraging students to learn traditional and contemporary leadership theories and apply them in analyzing the behavior of leaders, colleagues, and subordinates. Through a variety of readings, cases, and exercises, students will examine effective leadership models. Topics include the evolution of leadership; the roles of strategy and vision in transformational change; the development of leaders; the leadership responsibilities of creating effective teams, organizations, and cultures; the exploration of different leadership styles; and current popular approaches to leadership theory.
Managing Projects in Organizations – 4 credits
This course defines the terminology of project management, and describes the stages of the project life cycle. Students are introduced to the underlying principles and various techniques for managing new programs and projects. This course presents an overview of managing a project from start to finish. Students will examine project organizational structure, work breakdown, scheduling, budgeting, costing, resource allocation, and human resource considerations throughout the project process. Topics include the management of human resources and team building; planning and control; scope management; time and cost management; quality and risk management; and technical tools, including GANTT and PERT charting.
Professional and Organizational Ethics – 4 credits
This course explores and analyzes the relationships among stakeholders in business and the global economy. The moral implications of the organization and its decisions are explored. Included are their social effects, and the tension that exists between achieving desirable outcomes and attending to the means by which they are achieved. Topics include theories of morality; analysis of ethical decision-making; interaction and conflicts among personal, professional, and organizational values; the effect of cultural diversity on individual and group values; current issues related to the "flattening" of the business environment; and the impact of ethical considerations on the responsible achievement of business goals. Individual and collective choice, and how they figure in the management of competitive environments and the organization's position on contemporary moral issues are the focus of the course.
Managerial Accounting and Finance for Leadership – 4 credits
This course equips students to more effectively and ethically lead and influence in situations where financial issues play a key role, with particular attention to public fiscal management. This course serves as an introduction to the concepts and principles of financial management and managerial accounting, focusing on the development and use of budgets for planning and control, demonstrating accountability, and establishing priorities within an organization. Students will explore the tools and techniques available to maximize the use of scarce resources, and the implications of public funding and cost accounting for programs and initiatives within the organization.
Strategic Planning and Policy for Nonprofits – 4 credits
The ability to implement a successful strategic planning process is dependent upon
understanding the variety of approaches that exist among nonprofit organizations. Organizational dynamics influence the likelihood of success, as well as the leadership provided by the CEO, and the partnership between the Board and staff. Fulfillment of a nonprofit's mission is directly related to effective implementation of this process, and the competency of professionals in this area to manage it. The primary goal of this course is to expose students to a variety of approaches to successful strategic planning. Using independent research and their own organizations as current cases, students will explore the complexity involved in successful planning, and enhance their competency in managing this process. The goal will be to move the organization beyond creating a document, and to utilize the strategic plan to transform organizations.
Dynamics of Nonprofit Governance – 4 credits
This course examines the new trends and standards in the area of nonprofit governance. It is designed to explore policy issues associated with governance, as well as to provide practical applications for those in nonprofit management. The structure of nonprofits in relation to board composition and arrangement are examined. Topics include interactivity with the executive director and staff, board development, board management, committee operation, and areas of board responsibility.
Strategic Human Resource Management – 4 credits
This course takes a proactive approach to the management of people and resources, and the interaction of sociotechnical systems with stakeholders (the "human element") in moving the organization forward. Using their workplace as the starting point, students will walk through a strategic, competency-based facilitation model of human resource management. The course deals with practical aspects of managing people in the workplace, emphasizing the strategic rather than the administrative role of HR. Its thrust will be HR's status within the organization as a partner in the effort to gain and sustain competitive advantage. The basics in the functional areas of HR are addressed: job analysis, staffing, job design, training, performance appraisal, compensation, succession planning, work-life balance, termination, and the implications of a global economy for human resource management.
Strategic Fundraising – 4 credits
This course presents the techniques and strategies behind successful nonprofit fundraising in the areas of planning, budgeting, control, and other development. Fundraising is more of an art than a science, because fundraising is about people, personalities, and personal relationships. Topics include identification and evaluation of potential donors, development of strategies, differentiating your organization, regulatory compliance, and developing a comprehensive plan.
Master's Capstone Project – 4 credits
In this summative course in the program, each student will undertake a major investigation of a significant leadership and management challenge. Students propose either a public policy initiative or an organizational change or innovation that is responsive to the problem they have identified. In the process of researching the problem and proposing an evidence-based solution or improvement, students integrate principles, theories, and methods learned in required program courses.
Students may enroll in a non-credit self-study Proposal Development course, whenever and as often as they wish. The Proposal Development course guides them in writing an approvable proposal. Once the proposal is approved and students have completed all other courses in their program, they may enroll in the Capstone course. During this final course in the program, students will gather and analyze their research, and create a viable strategic plan for implementing their project.
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The OnlineNEC Experience
New England College (NEC) has a rich tradition of academic excellence. Our online programs are designed for professionals who have already achieved success in their careers and who want to enrich their knowledge with advanced study.
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