Management in Nonprofit-Organisations (M.A.)
Master of Arts
Features of the degree program Management in Nonprofit-Organisations
Professional nonprofit management is a sought-after profession. Managers of foundations, associations, or social institutions require specific skills and know-how to reach the nonprofit aims of their organisations. The Master degree program Management in Nonprofit-Organisations provides instruction in just these qualifications.
Nonprofit-Organisations are quickly gaining in importance, and their numbers are growing rapidly. Yet this also means increased competition between them. Organisations must compete for donations, honorary members, or public esteem. "To survive this competition, a new type of manager is needed," says Prof. Dr. Gesa Birnkraut, head of the Master degree program. "Professionals with socio-political instinct are in high demand, professionals with sound management know-how who are familiar with the distinctive political and legal features of the nonprofit sector."
Students and alumni introduce themselves
Oskar Heinrichs
After completing my Bachelor's degree in Public and Nonprofit Management in Berlin, it was important to me to complete a Master's programme that was as practice-oriented as possible. My choice fell on Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.
I was mainly attracted by the broad range of course content and the specialisation options on offer. These provide a comprehensive and realistic knowledge base, perfect for anyone who wants to work professionally in the non-profit sector. A lot of the knowledge transfer is based on project work, excursions and guest lectures by practitioners. I particularly like the relaxed atmosphere within the cohorts and the good interaction with our professors. The diverse CVs of my fellow students are also interesting, which always makes it exciting to interact with each other. I can recommend the degree programme to anyone who is interested in an intercultural and interdisciplinary degree with a high practical component.
I was also really positively surprised by the framework conditions. As a young student city centre, Osnabrück has really grown on me over the last year and our Caprivi Campus offers a really nice learning environment.
Alejandra Bedoya Robledo
I am currently studying for a Master's degree in "Management in Non-Profit Organisations" and I am also a DAAD scholarship holder of the Helmut Schmidt Programme in cooperation with Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design in my home country of Colombia and, parallel to my studies, I was involved with the NGO Techo for a long time. This is how I discovered that my path is more towards non-profit organisations and that design is the creative tool for me that can help improve processes and projects in an NPO.
Volunteering is an aspect that is taken into account when applying for the Master's degree, but it is not a mandatory requirement. I am currently a member of the Verein für Nonprofit Management e.V, which was founded by lecturers and alumni of the Master's programme. The association focuses on creating networks to support students and alumni as they enter the professional world. Through this experience, I learnt how a non-profit organisation works in Germany.
The Master's programme offers many courses and focus areas in which we can learn about the functioning of non-profit organisations from many perspectives. Through field trips and visits to different organisations, we can understand how the different working structures function and we can get closer to practice and the professional world. We also have teachers with different educational backgrounds, which gives us a theoretical and practical insight into today's world.
Nadia Burdenski
I already knew during my Bachelor's degree in Social Work that working at management level appealed to me and that I would like to work in a non-profit organisation later on. I am therefore very grateful that my path led me to Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and to this Master's programme.
The diversity of the programme content on offer and the different professional and cultural backgrounds of my fellow students are what I find most appealing. As the number of students on this degree programme is relatively small, there is an intensive exchange of ideas about various socially relevant topics and questions during the seminars and beyond, which encourages students to critically question their own views. I find this very enriching, both personally and professionally. As well as broadening my horizons, I also appreciate the specialist and professional expertise of the lecturers on this degree programme. The lecturers come from different subject areas and therefore bring a variety of theoretical and practical experience with them, which enriches the seminars.
I also find the alumni association of the degree programme very special, which offers the students of the Master's programme a varied programme every year and enables them to put what they have learned from their studies into practice in their association work. I can also highly recommend Osnabrück as a place to study. The small but beautiful city has much more to offer than it seems at first glance. In addition to the beautiful old town centre with its many nice cafés, bars and restaurants, there are regular food festivals, music events and other such events that bring Osnabrück to life, especially in the summer. A visit to the theatre (free of charge for Osnabrück students) is also not to be missed.
Thea Marie Bade
During my two years of professional experience - after completing my Bachelor's degree in Social Work and Social Pedagogy - I realised that I was very interested in both the management aspects and the political dimensions of the NPO sector. The diverse course content and opportunities to choose a very individual specialisation on the one hand and to gain various insights into academic work on the other made this Master's degree the right choice for me. The numerous options to carry out projects for and with organisations during my studies or to get involved in the student association for non-profit management make it possible to put a lot of theoretical content into practice and also create good networks in the industry at an early stage.
Coming from a larger city, I was very surprised at how much Osnabrück has to offer in all respects - be it the variety of offers for students, the lively city centre with numerous cafés and bars or the opportunities for activities with friends and family.
I recommend the degree programme to anyone who wants to get to know the world of NPOs in depth in a familiar yet highly professional environment and then put what they have learned into practice with a great deal of passion.
Marlene Walk
- Today's professional activity:
Assistant Professor, Indiana University, School of Public
and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Master thesis:
Employees in Nonprofit Organizations – Influencing Factors
for Disoppointment and Recommendations for Human Resouce Policies
- Bachelor's programme:
Diplom-Sozialpädagogin/Sozialarbeiter, HAWK Hildesheim, Germany
Sebastian Joy
- Today's professional activity:
Prasident of ProVeg International - Master thesis:
Strategic management in non-profit organisations - an empirical study in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) - Bachelor's programme:
Cognitive Science, Universität Osnabrück, Germany / Universität Yokohama
Ilona Adamova
-
Today's professional activity:
Officer "Coordination of private funds" at World Vision Germany e.V.
-
Master thesis:
Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development from the perspective of development co-operation. What specific contributions development organisations make in disaster situations using the example of Misereor -
Bachelor's programme:
German Studies / German Language, State Institute for Foreign Languages Tbilisi (Tbilisi), Georgia
Rachide Tennin
- Today's professional activity:
Finance Coordinator bei Medico International e.V.
- Master thesis:
Role and Impact of NGOs in Basic Education in Togo
- Bachelor's programme:
Education Sciences, University of Lomé, Togo
Theresa Aengenheyster
- Today's professional activity:
Consultant, Corporate Cooperations and CSR Partnerships, Aktion Deutschland Hilft e.V. Cologne
- Master thesis:
Corporate Giving - An investigation into the motivation of companies to donate using the example of corporate donations from Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli e.V.
- Bachelor's programme:
European studies, University Osnabrück, Germany
Mennatallah Gadelkrem
- Today's professional activity:
Labour broker, Jobcenter Kreis Steinfurt, Germany
- Master thesis:
Refugees as potential employees in Germany. Challenges and opportunities.
News
The new scholarship group for the winter semester 2024/2025 has been selected!
In this intake, a total of nine DAAD scholarships were awarded in the Helmut Schmidt Program. We are pleased to welcome outstanding scholarship recipients from nine different countries: Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Some changes to the curriculum will come into force in the 2024/2025 winter semester due to reaccreditation. A significant change is the change of the lecture language from German to English. This applies to all core modules of the course and the focus on development cooperation. The three other focus areas (change management, human resources management and educational management and planning in the municipality) will continue to be offered in German.
With the change in the language of the event, the access/admission regulations also change: Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of the English language that corresponds to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the time of application. Applicants who neither have a German university entrance qualification nor have acquired their bachelor's degree at a German university must also provide evidence of sufficient knowledge of the German language at least at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or equivalent evidence.
The degree program at a glance
- Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Start
Winter semester (end of september)
- Placement test
–
- Standard period of study
4 semesters
- Language
English
- Type of study
Consecutive Master degree program
- Numerus Clausus
--
- Location
Osnabrück – Caprivi Campus
- Admission restriction
Yes
Detailed Information
Future non-profit managers may find employment in the following fields of activity, among others:
- Humanitarian or social organisations, charities
- Political organisations, non-governmental organisations
- Industrial and professional associations
- Foundations
- Development aid agencies
- Environmental protection and nature conservation associations
- Church-related organisations
- Consumer policy organisations
- Non-profit organisations involved in sports, culture, education or training
- Formally organised citizens’ initiatives
The Association for Nonprofit Management e.V. forms an interface between theory and practice in the non-profit sector. It was founded in 2012 by students of the Master's program in Management in Nonprofit Organizations. We promote a lively exchange of knowledge and experiences between students and graduates of the Master's degree program in Management in non-profit organizations at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and non-profit organizations. The association's network paves the way for students and graduates to enter the profession and at the same time offers organizations the opportunity to specifically recruit young talent. As a reliable intermediary, our aim is to ensure the stability of the relationships between the individual target groups.
We achieve this by:
- active networking
- Information events
- Fireside evenings
- Excursions
- Arrangement of internships
- theses and jobs
Contact
- Program management
Prof. Dr. Gesa Birnkraut
Program director
Room: CH 0107
Phone: +49 (0)541 969-3527
E-mail: g.birnkraut@hs-osnabrueck.de
Office hours:
by arrangement
- Advice and coordination
Mechthild Gerdes M.A.
Program coordinator
Room: CH 0106
Phone: +49 (0)541 969-3054
E-mail: npo@hs-osnabrueck.de
Office hours:
by arrangement
- Application, admission and exams
Mirlinda Beqiraj
Registrar's office
Room: CB 0016
Phone: +49 (0)541 969-3114
E-mail: m.beqiraj@hs-osnabrueck.de
Office hours:
Monday and Thursday 1.30 pm to 4 pm, Tuesday and Friday 9:30 am to 12:00 am