Nonprofit organizations are a powerful third sector, standing alongside for-profit businesses and governmental entities, that drive our economy and contribute to the quality of life we all enjoy. In today’s complex world, nonprofit organizations play an integral role in almost every facet of our society and those working and volunteering in this sector demonstrate servant leadership in its purest form.
OCU's Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership degree is designed for those interested in working in — and, ultimately, leading — nonprofit organizations working on causes related to animals, education, the environment, health, human services, international affairs and religion.
Oklahoma City University offers a 36-credit-hour Master of Arts degree that can be completed in either one or two years, depending on each student’s specific needs. All classes are held in the evenings and are offered both in-person and via live-streaming to allow students to participate from any location in the U.S.
Courses are led by seasoned faculty who bring their real-world experience to the classroom. Students can expect to study topics like leadership, strategic planning, law, marketing, grant writing and more.
Classes are offered in 8-week blocks, allowing students to complete as many as four per semester but never juggling more than two classes at any given time. This makes it possible to complete all 12 courses (36 credit hours) in as little as one academic year (fall, spring and summer).
| Nonprofit Leadership: 1 Year | Monday Evenings | Wednesday Evenings |
| Fall 1 | Sociology of Leadership I | Strategic Planning & Program Development for Nonprofits |
| Fall 2 | Sociology of Leadership II | Resource Mobilization & Development |
| Spring 1 | Research Data in Nonprofits | Law & Nonprofit Organizations |
| Spring 2 | Nonprofit Program Evaluation | Advocacy for Social Change |
| Summer 1 | Grant Writing | Nonprofit Financial Oversight |
| Summer 2 | Professional Project (capstone) | Marketing for Nonprofits |
| Nonprofit Leadership: 2 Years | Year 1 | Year 2 |
| Meeting Day & Time | Monday Evenings | Wednesday Evenings |
| Fall 1 | Sociology of Leadership I | Strategic Planning & Program Development for Nonprofits |
| Fall 2 | Sociology of Leadership II | Resource Mobilization & Development |
| Spring 1 | Research Data in Nonprofits | Law & Nonprofit Organizations |
| Spring 2 | Nonprofit Program Evaluation | Advocacy for Social Change |
| Summer 1 | Grant Writing | Nonprofit Financial Oversight |
| Summer 2 | Professional Project (capstone) | Marketing for Nonprofits |
| Nonprofit Leadership: 2 Years | Year 1 | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 2 |
| Meeting Day & Time | Monday Evenings | Wednesday Evenings | Monday Evenings | Wednesday Evenings |
| Fall 1 | Sociology of Leadership I | Strategic Planning & Program Development for Nonprofits | N/A | Advocacy for Social Change |
| Fall 2 | Sociology of Leadership II | N/A | Marketing for Nonprofits | Resource Mobilization & Development |
| Spring 1 | Research Data in Nonprofits | Law & Nonprofit Organizations | N/A | Nonprofit Financial Oversight |
| Spring 2 | Nonprofit Program Evaluation | N/A | Grant Writing | Professional Project |
If you would like to review a description for any course in the program, please review the current Graduate Student Catalog (PDF)
Oklahoma City University's Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership program features a per-credit-hour tuition price of $520. Once fees are factored in for the 36-credit-hour program, the total cost is $24,660 -- a competitive price when compared to similar degrees at other institutions.
| Tuition Per Credit Hour | $520 |
| Total Program Tuition and Fees | $24,660 |
| Billable Costs (per academic year) | |
| Tuition | $9,360 |
| General Fees | $2,970 |
| Total Billable Costs | $12,330 |
| Discretionary Costs (per academic year) | |
| Housing and Food* | $15,300 |
| Books** | $1,530 |
| Health Insurance*** | $2,650 |
| Transportation | $1,700 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $2,700 |
| Loan Fees | $210 |
| Total Discretionary Costs | $24,090 |
| Total Billable and Discretionary Costs (per academic year) | $36,420 |
Note that costs are for the 2024-25 academic year and are subject to change. Billable costs will be billed to each student by the university. Discretionary costs are illustrative estimates and will vary based on each student.
*Housing and food figures for represent an estimate of annual costs. Housing rates and meal plan costs vary by residence hall, room style and meal plan choice. More information can be found here. Figures for students living off-campus are an illustrative estimate and will vary based on students' living arrangements.
**The annual estimated cost of books ($2,040) is not applied toward billable costs for students who opt out of the university's Slingshot (bookstore) automatic textbook service. Students may opt out by logging into their OCU Slingshot account and updating their preferences.
***Students are not required to purchase university-provided health-insurance coverage, but must opt out of coverage in order to avoid the billable cost of $2,650 each academic year.
