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Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA)

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You don’t have to put your career on hold to change the world.

The Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA) degree was created to fulfill the needs of full-time nonprofit employees and experienced professionals transitioning to the sector.

EMNA students have a minimum of two years work experience, the motivation to improve their business acumen and a desire to change the world. On average, students have 12 years of nonprofit work experience.

When you graduate from the EMNA program, you’ll not only receive a degree from a legendary nonprofit university renowned for advancing the greater good, you will join a powerful alumni network that can help you affect even more change—no matter the challenges you’ll address in the sector.

Duration:
14 to 60 months

Format & Location:
Part-time on the Notre Dame campus

Start Date:
Early June

Related Programs

Mendoza School of Business
Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA)

Highlights

Improve your business acumen, improve the world.

As a student in the EMNA program, you will earn a degree from a nationally ranked school of business and acquire insights and strategies to expand the impact of any nonprofit organization with which you choose to work.

Executive MNA faculty

Nationally recognized faculty

Learn from nationally recognized faculty through the perennially ranked Mendoza College of Business.

Executive Masters in Nonprofit Administration classroom.

Blend of online and in-person courses

With a blend of online and in-person courses, you’ll have the best of both worlds: the flexibility to earn a degree on your own terms—and the opportunity to take classes on one of the country’s most iconic campuses.

Executive MNA Field Project

EMNA Field Project

Through the EMNA Field Project, you’ll develop self-direction and leadership skills by implementing solutions in support of your current employer.

5
Number of countries represented in a typical MNA class

29
Number of nonprofit organizations represented in a typical MNA class

60
Number of years MNA program has existed

Learn more about the student experience from current EMNA candidates:

Mendoza School of Business

Career Development

Take your career to the next level, and serve a greater good.

According to The Financial Times, Mendoza’s Global Alumni Network ranks #5 in the world.

Enhance your sphere of influence by connecting with experienced nonprofit classmates who share your desire to do meaningful work. Grow in and out of the classroom with faculty passionate about and dedicated to nonprofit management.

While more than 90% of students are employed full-time, individualized career services and alumni job postings are available to our EMNA students.

Student Life

Any executive master’s degree is a balancing act.

Between the demands of full-time employment and your coursework, you might assume you won’t have time to reap the benefits of student life at Notre Dame. Nothing could be further from the truth.

With an average cohort size of 32, you’ll form lifelong connections with your peers from a wide range of industries in the nonprofit sector.

Past and current students have come to us from the China Foundation Center, Salvation Army and the United States Army, to name a few.

In addition, while you’re on campus during your summer trips to South Bend, be sure to visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, light a candle in the Grotto and rub Knute Rockne’s nose for good luck (all vital Notre Dame traditions).

What You’ll Learn

Academic rigor and flexibility aren’t mutually exclusive.

As a student in the Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration program, you’ll immerse yourself in a rigorous curriculum designed to deepen your knowledge of everything from economics to management to human resources—delivered in a way that you can manage.

You’ll start as a cohort on Notre Dame’s campus the first summer, then take fall and spring courses online. A total of 10 weeks of campus classes across 2-5 summers is required; Begin the first summer with two or four weeks of curriculum.

Through courses like Board Relations and Management, Financial Management and Fund Development, you’ll acquire insights and strategies to expand the impact of the work you do every day.

Finally, through your capstone EMNA Field Project, you will apply the lessons you’ve learned in the program toward solving real business needs within your nonprofit organization.

Mendoza School of Business

Admission

The Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA) program is tailored for working professionals with at least two years of work experience in the nonprofit sector. Due to the hybrid structure of the EMNA program, Notre Dame is unable to support student visas for this program.

We are currently accepting applications for admission with the following deadlines. There is limited space in this program. We encourage applying as soon as possible for admission to the summer cohort.

RoundDeadlineVirtual Interview DatesDecision
Early DecisionSept. 12, 2023Oct. 10-12; Oct. 17-19, 2023Nov. 3, 2023
1Oct. 25, 2023Nov. 14-16; Nov. 28-30, 2023Dec. 15, 2023
2Jan. 10, 2024Feb. 13-15; Feb. 20-22, 2024Mar. 15, 2024
3Mar. 19, 2024Apr. 9-11; Apr. 16-18, 2024May 10, 2024
4May 7, 2024May 21, 22, & 23, 2024Rolling
Mendoza School of Business
Mendoza School of Business
Mendoza School of Business

Tuition & Aid

The Notre Dame Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration affords one of the best graduate degree returns on investment in the country, aided by merit-based fellowships and the EMNA program’s partnerships with nonprofit employers.

  • The Volunteers of America (VOA) Program Fellowship is a half-tuition scholarship offered to a VOA-selected employee.
  • Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW) Fellowship is awarded to an employee selected by CCFW to attend the EMNA program.

85%
of entering Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration students were awarded a fellowship in 2022

$1,222
per credit for the Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration 2024-2025 academic year

Mendoza School of Business

Visit Us

When considering a decision as important as where to pursue your master’s degree, a campus visit will help give you the insight you need to make the right choice.

It’s a chance for you to get to know Notre Dame and for us to get to know you.

Our students tell us that visiting the campus greatly impacted their decision to attend Notre Dame. Your visit can include:

  • Connecting with the admissions team
  • A tour of the Mendoza College of Business

Register for an Upcoming Campus Visit

Events

Wed Apr 17
Mendoza Graduate Programs Campus Visit
Fri Apr 19
Mendoza Graduate Programs Campus Visit
Mon Apr 22
Mendoza Graduate Programs Campus Visit
All Events