Certification Programs

American Humanics Certification Program

About the Program
American Humanics is a national alliance of colleges, universities, and nonprofits whose mission is to educate, prepare, and certify professionals to strengthen and lead nonprofit organizations.  Participation in the American Humanics Program builds on and enhances college degrees by providing the skills and knowledge needed to achieve success as an entry level nonprofit professional. Louisiana State University in Shreveport offers students from all academic majors the opportunity to earn their American Humanics Certification online by accomplishing the following:

• Completion of nonprofit competency requirements. These serve as a framework for our university curriculum and include selected seminar topics meeting the needs of the nonprofit sector.  Competency areas include Ethics, Strategic Planning, Leadership, Boards of Directors, Volunteer Management, Finance, Grant Writing and  Nonprofit Management.
• 300 or more hours of internships (AmeriCorps service or 2 years previous experience in nonprofit sector waives this requirement).
• Completion of a baccalaureate degree.
• Attendance at one annual American Humanics Management Institute.

AH Course Requirements

• ACCT 205 - Principles of Accounting
• MADM 301 - Behavioral Management in Organizations
  - or -
• POLI 201 - Introduction to Public Administration
• SOCL 302 - Social Organizations   
• MKT 301 -Principles of Marketing
• SOCL 392 - Practicum in Not-for-Profit Organizations. This one hour course must be repeated in three consecutive semesters. Curriculum changes each semester.
• SOCL 492 - Seminar in Not-for-Profit Organizations.
• SOCL 493 - American Humanics Management Institute (AHMI). One hour credit course requiring students to attend one national training institute. A student attending AHMI in January should add this course to their schedule in the Spring semester following the trip in order to receive credit. Online students must make arrangements to extend their stay at AHMI in order to complete an additional one-day seminar.
• SOCL 495 & 499 - (approval of Director required) Field Research or similar internship courses in the student’s major field of study for six hours of credit, taken only upon completion of the Seminar in Not-for-Profit Organizations.

Have you served in AmeriCorps?

If you are serving or have served in AmeriCorps, and have completed your baccalaureate degree: 

You may apply previously completed equivalent courses in accounting, organizational theory and research, and marketing towards your American Humanics degree. If these requirements have been met, you may enroll in the Master of Science in Human Services Administration as a non-degree seeking student and take two courses.

For More Information Contact:

Stacey Martino, MA
Applied Research Project Manager &
American Humanics Coordinator
LSUS Institute for Human Services & Public Policy
318-795-4245
stacey.martino@lsus.edu