Starting this summer, the M.S. in Nonprofit Management (NOPM) program is launching two new elective courses: Advocacy and Strategy in the Nonprofit Sector, taught by Shaba Keys, and International Nongovernmental Organizations: Advocacy, Strategy, Challenges, Impact, taught by Louis Bickford.
The NOPM program offers various learning options. Full-time students study on-campus in New York City and take a portion of their courses online, and part-time students may study on-campus or online to offer flexibility for working professionals. These options offer all students the opportunity to access a Columbia University education and various ways to engage with dynamic courses taught by industry leaders and scholar-practitioners.
Advocacy and Strategy in the Nonprofit Sector (NOPM 5350)
Lecturer Shaba Keys will teach this innovative course, which aims to equip students with the necessary skills and intuition to tackle unprecedented global challenges and drive systemic change. The course focuses on New York City's ever-evolving policy landscape and blends classroom case studies with interactive fieldwork.
While other courses tackle policy and community mobilization, Keys designed this course to allow students to collaborate and create tangible resolutions to real-world challenges. This will provide students with the foundations of a portfolio and expert guidance throughout the creation process.
Keys is a social enterprise leader and strategist who has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of America and founded The Bridge Lab, a corporation that provides equitable access to the film and television industries. She has more than 25 years of experience managing public-private partnerships to address systemic inequities in various communities.
The three-credit course also features dynamic readings from industry professionals and theorists. These readings will equip students with the necessary tools to tackle weekly discussion posts and an advocacy plan project.
International Nongovernmental Organizations: Advocacy, Strategy, Challenges, Impact (NOPM PS5175)
Louis Bickford’s new course will examine international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) in depth. Through a unique scholar-practitioner perspective, students will learn the intricacies and ethics of advocacy-based INGOs and effectively prepare for careers in that field.
Students in this class will examine the role of INGOs as agents of social change while highlighting the ethical dilemmas, strategies, and challenges associated with INGOs. While this course is discussion-based, Bickford places an emphasis on conversations backed by empirical data—providing a strong balance between theory and practice.
Bickford has more than 20 years of experience in international human rights. He has made an impact and led initiatives at the Ford Foundation, International Center for Transitional Justice, and the RFK Human Rights Center.
Students will utilize critical and analytical thinking when writing papers, participating in class discussions, and conducting group exercises. The course is three credits.
Visit our website to explore more NOPM courses, and contact sps-nonprofit [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (sps-nonprofit[at]columbia[dot]edu) for more information about the program.
About the Program
Columbia University’s M.S. in Nonprofit Management program prepares graduates for leadership roles within mission-driven organizations in a wide variety of contexts, including global and community nonprofits, foundations, education, health care, and the arts, or as fundraising and development experts.
The fall 2025 application deadline for the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program is June 1. The program is offered full-time, part-time, online, and on-campus. Learn more about the program here.
