Full Description

The Nonprofit Management graduate certificate prepares graduates to work in the management and administrative positions in nonprofit organizations across a range of industries. Students acquire basic management skills, as well as applied skills specific to the nonprofit sector, which may include fundraising, executive board relations, policy advocacy and nonprofit law.

Prospective employers are nonprofit sector organizations as well as private and public sector organizations that frequently interact with nonprofit organizations.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Writing sample
• Three letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competence in management skills related to the nonprofit sector, which may include nonprofit law, leadership skills, advocacy and grant writing.

• Delivery:
  • Fully online

Full Description

The Global Issues undergraduate certificate examines a range of global issues through the framework of sustainable development, an approach to public policymaking that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable development policies seek to address the world’s most pressing "wicked problems" through cooperative action as a global community. Examples include poverty, hunger, inequality, access to education, health and well-being, climate change and sustainable communities. The certificate is an excellent complement to any major and enables students to more fully understand how their major field of study can have a positive impact on the world around them.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Communicate the basic concepts of sustainable development policy approaches to global issues and their relevance to the student’s major field of study.
2. Articulate the importance of international cooperation for addressing global issues.
3. Articulate the importance of strong local, national and international public institutions for addressing global issues.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Full Description

The Master of Public Administration degree in Public Administration is designed for students wishing to become policy analysts, managers and executives within public and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum provides students with a broad foundation in public and nonprofit management, including the scope and history of public administration, administrative theory, ethical behavior in public management, public financial management, program evaluation, methods, personnel management and information technology management.

The M.P.A. degree can be completed in two years by taking two courses each term, including summers. Courses are offered in an asynchronous online format in back-to-back seven-week sessions. Courses utilize a mix of web-based instruction supported by audio and video technologies direct to the respective student's home.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale¹
• Official transcript(s)
• Current résumé
• Goal statement
• Writing sample (single-authored paper or manuscript completed during undergraduate or graduate school that exemplifies the applicant's critical thinking skills)
• Three letters of recommendation from faculty or individuals familiar with the applicant's ability to do graduate-level work
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

In some cases, applicants with a GPA below 2.750 may be admitted to the program conditionally provided other supporting materials are strong.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate ability to lead and manage in public governance.
2. Participate in and contribute to the policy process.
3. Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions.
4. Articulate and apply a public service perspective.
5. Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.

Dual Degree with M.P.H. in Health Policy and Management

Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.P.A. degree in Public Administration and the M.P.H. degree in Health Policy and Management. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.

The M.P.A./M.P.H. Health Policy and Management dual degree program prepares students to work at the intersection of public administrative policy and healthcare policy. The integrated curriculum is designed to help students develop real-world knowledge and skills needed to pursue successful careers in this complex landscape.

Dual Degree Requirements

¹

Students without substantive full-time administrative experience in a public service organization ("pre-service students") must complete minimum 3 credit hours of PADM 60392; they will earn the dual degree with 69 total credit hours. Students with substantive full-time administrative experience in a public service organization ("in-service students") may have PADM 60392 waived with the approval of the M.P.A. coordinator. Pre-service students or students wishing to gain experience in a new area will also be placed in an agency for at least 300 hours of experience. Students who are deemed eligible to have PADM 60392 waived may graduate with fewer than 69 credit hours, but no fewer than 66 total credit hours.

²

It is expected that students enrolled in HPM 60392 who do not complete the course in one term will continuously register for HPM 60492 each semester, until all requirements have been met. Credit hours for HPM 60492 do not apply toward the minimum total credit hours for the dual degree.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

• Delivery:
  • Fully online

Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Political Science prepares students for research and teaching careers in higher education and for research-based careers in fields that are focused on political, economic and social issues. The degree program is broadly focused on the dynamics surrounding representation, equity, conflict, human rights, development and conflict resolution. Students develop their own research questions in an interdisciplinary and theoretically sophisticated way. Students work with faculty mentors throughout their degree program and often develop and present their own research at regional or national conferences.

The Political Science major comprises the following concentrations, from which students select two:

• American Politics and Policy
• Conflict Analysis and Management
• Transnational and Comparative Politics

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae with cover letter
• Goal statement
• Writing sample
• Three letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Priority deadline: February 15
    All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Understand the theoretical underpinnings of political science and be able to address real world issues and problems.
2. Attain research and methodological skills that will further their research and make them attractive to future employers.
3. Effectively communicate research findings and implications to a range of audiences including scholars, practitioners and citizens.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Full Description

The Master of Arts degree in Political Science focuses broadly on the dynamics surrounding representation, equity, conflict, human rights, development and conflict resolution. Students delve into the scholarship on these dynamics (among others) in an interdisciplinary and theoretically sophisticated way, thinking about how the political process and government policy-making affect the lives of citizens, and how citizens influence those processes.

The Political Science major comprises the following concentrations:

• American Politics and Policy
• Conflict Analysis and Management
• Transnational and Comparative Politics

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements 

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae with cover letter
• Goal statement
• Writing sample
• Three letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Priority deadline: February 15
    All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Understand the theoretical underpinnings of political science and be able to address real world issues and problems.
2. Attain research and methodological skills that will further their research and make them attractive to future employers.
3. Effectively communicate research findings and implications to a range of audiences including scholars, practitioners and citizens.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus