Certificate in Non-Profit Career Foundations

The undergraduate Certificate in Non-Profit Career Foundations enables students to combine academic study in their Honours BA discipline(s) with the development of practical skills that will enable them to launch a career in the non-profit sector. 

These skills include: program development and evaluation; grant-writing; understanding the non-profit sector and its laws and regulations; governance in the non-profit sector; basic leadership skills and ethics; developing staff and volunteers; and basic budgeting. Students can also opt to add some specific skills in such areas as: professional fundraising; public and media relations; understanding public policy; and public speaking and communications.

The Certificate consists of 3.0 credits and must be completed concurrently with the students' Honours program. (See Notes 3 and 5)

Required Courses: (2.0 Credits)
OL140 - Leadership Foundations
HR307 - Program Development & Grant Writing
HR/OL322 - Non-Profits and NGOs
OL481 - Project Management

One of the following:  (0.5 Credit)
HR305 - Fundraising
HR/DMJN223 - Understanding Public Policy for Issue Advocacy
SK221 - Social Policy

One of the following:  (0.5 Credit)
DMJN253 - Introduction to Public and Media Relations
HR/DMJN252 - Designing Digital and Social Media
OL200 - Communication Skills for Leadership
SK321 - Community Practice

Additional Information
 
Notes

  1. At least 2.0 credits of the courses counted towards the Certificate must be taken at Wilfrid Laurier University.
  2. Students must attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.0 to graduate.
  3. Students who receive transfer credit for Conestoga College’s Post-Graduate Certificate in Management in Community Services through an articulation agreement with Laurier are ineligible for graduating with this certificate.
  4. Students should be aware that some of these courses have prerequisites. Although these prerequisites may be waived by the program or department administering the course, it is the responsibility of the student to make such arrangements.
  5. This certificate is only available to students on the Brantford campus.