Taking Your Career
to the Next Level

How are you preparing yourself to be a nonprofit leader?

You probably attend a conference or two a year, learn from colleagues or mentors, take professional development courses, and maybe get time to read periodicals or blog posts.

Today, I’m writing to encourage you to think of something more; specifically, a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University.

I completed my master’s program there several years ago and consider it to be one of the best professional decisions I have ever made.

Why? Because unlike other degree programs that focus on the “how” of nonprofit management, Indiana University’s program focuses on the “why”—the social, cultural, political and economic roles played by philanthropy and nonprofit organizations.

I gained a fuller understanding of the nonprofit sector, learned from professors who were conducting cutting-edge research, and built a network of practitioners nationwide.

Plus, the Executive Master’s is a three-year program designed for busy professionals who can’t pick up and move to Indiana. You can complete the degree entirely from a distance through online course work. However, you also have the option to complete hybrid courses that allow you to interact with colleagues and faculty for one week per class in the summer. (This is what I did, and it was one of the most valuable parts of my experience.) The program is flexible and some electives can even be transferred from other institutions.

If you have any questions, please ask me or get more information here.

Where were you in your career three years ago? Where would you like to be three years from now? Why not have a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies by then?

Ann C. Fitzgerald
M.A., Philanthropic Studies