Management and Community Organizations

Certificate Program
Frequently Asked Questions!

Many people who work in community organizations are "accidental managers"-- they started organizing or providing a direct service because of their deep commitment to an issue or need, but several years later face the challenge of administering growing, complex organizations. The certificate in Management of Community Organizations (MCO) provides management training within the framework of the social, economic, and political values that shape the nonprofit sector.

The program trains people with a commitment to social purpose and effective management who wish to work at the community level.

Who Should Apply

The certificate in Management of Community Organizations is open to students with a bachelor's degree and is especially appropriate for:

• New managers of community organizations
• Those with experience in the field who want to obtain management training
• Mid-career individuals interested in pursuing community work
• People who want to start a new agency or program
• Individuals seeking to explore graduate education in nonprofit management

Students interested in earning a graduate degree often can apply the certificate courses toward a Tufts master's degree in urban and environmental policy and planning.

Curriculum

To earn the MCO certificate, students complete four graduate-level courses for credit. Students choose the four courses from a combination of MCO core courses and MCO skills and urban and social policy electives. Students must select at least one core course as part of their program of study.

MCO Core Courses
Select at least one core course from the following:

• UEP 253 Financial Analysis and Management (Spring)
• UEP 256 Program Evaluation (Spring only)
• UEP 261 Community Development, Planning, and Politics (Spring)
• UEP 273 Nonprofits, States, and Markets (Fall)

Course descriptions for these core courses can be found on the UEP website

MCO Course Electives
Select up to three skills and urban and social policy electives from the following:

• UEP 161B Writing and Public Communication (Summer)
• UEP 182 Social Policy for Children and Families (Fall)
• UEP 188 Seminar on Government and the Family (Spring)
• UEP 191B Philanthropy and Fundraising (Summer)
• UEP 205 Urban Planning and Design (Fall)
• UEP 213 Housing Policy (Fall)
• UEP 215 Legal Frameworks of Social Policy (Spring)
• UEP 230 Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution (Fall, Spring, and Summer)
• UEP 240 U.S. Social Welfare Policy (Fall and Spring)
• UEP 251 Economics for Planning and Policy Analysis (Fall)
• UEP 271 Community Economic Development (Fall)
• UEP 284 Developing Sustainable Communities (Fall and Spring)
• UEP 294A Local Government Finance (Summer)
• UEP 294B Jobs that Work (Summer)
• UEP 294-02 Policy Implementation and Innovation (Spring)
• UEP 294-07 Planning for People and Places: Contemporary Dilemmas (Spring)

(Students may substitute other Tufts graduate courses, subject to the approval of the certificate advisor. Course offerings may vary from year to year.)

Read more about many of these UEP courses at the UEP web site

Tuition:

Certificate students pay a course rate for each required certificate course of $3,430 per course (2012-2013).

Students in a certificate program may be eligible for Stafford Loan assistance. Contact the Student Financial Services Office at (617) 627-2000 for more information.

Certificate courses are also available, at a cost of $3,170 per course, to students who are not pursuing a certificate. In addition, students have the option of auditing courses for $600 per course, but these courses cannot be applied toward a certificate.

Summary of Consumer Information for Students

PDF version

For more information, contact:
Certificate Faculty Advisor:
Rusty Russell, J.D. (617) 627-2220

Download Application Forms for the certificate program.