MA NML Admissions

The Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management and Leadership program is open to applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree in any major from an accredited institution. Applicants are evaluated based on overall strength of the total application package. Prior experience in nonprofits is a plus, but not required.

The MA NML program of study is designed to for new students to begin studies in the Fall semester of each year. The Graduate School application portal is currently open for Fall applicants. The deadline to apply for Fall is July 1.

UGA Double Dawgs and non-degree nonprofit (NP) certificate students may apply for admission to spring (by October 15) or summer (by March 15) semesters. NP certificate students may use up to twelve hours of graduate MNML courses taken in the certificate program towards the MA degree.

1. Apply to the UGA Graduate School online. Visit the UGA Graduate School Website to apply and view requirements and fees. Tuition Assistance Program and UGA Honors students must also apply to the Graduate School.
2. Submit three additional departmental requirements via the Graduate School website:
   1. Resume/CV. Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae detailing work, educational, professional and volunteer experience.
   2. Goals Statement. Please send a statement/essay of approximately 3 pages in length that outlines your interest in graduate education and a career in the nonprofit sector. A successful statement reflects your passion for working with nonprofit organizations, describes the impact you hope to make in your career and addresses the following questions:
      • Why are you seeking a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management and Leadership?
      • What experiences, professional and/or personal, have led you to pursue the MA NML degree?  Please outline why the program at UGA is of particular interest to you.
      • What are your professional goals regarding work in the nonprofit sector? Please include a brief outline of your areas of interest with respect to both content (ie: environment; arts; human services; etc.) as well as process (ie: grant writing; program evaluation; program management and administration; etc.).
   3. Three Letters of Recommendation (at least one should be from a current/former instructor addressing your academic capacity to succeed at the graduate level) and at least one should be from a current/former employment supervisor or other director/mentor preferred. Letters are to be submitted online via the Graduate School admissions web site.

The deadline to apply for Fall  is July 1 however, we prefer for all prospective applicants to please submit their documents no later than April 1. Students wishing to apply for fall assistantships should have their application in no later than March 1. Once the MA NML program office and the Graduate School have received all of your application materials, your application will be sent forward to the MA NML admissions committee for review. You will be notified by email of the committee’s decision soon thereafter.

Prospective students should have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of no less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Entrance test scores (GRE, MAT, GMAT) are not required for admission unless the applicant deems they are instrumental in demonstrating academic promise.

International applicants whose primary language is not English must submit official TOEFL or IELTS language proficiency scores as required by the Graduate School.

International applicants have additional requirements. Please visit the Graduate School webpage International Application Information for complete details