Registration, Enrollment, Grade Policies

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Add/Drops of Courses

Adding Courses

Students may add group/online seminar courses to their schedule during the first two weeks after classes start. Adding a group/online seminar after the 3rd week of the term will require instructor permission.

Students in the doctoral degree programs and Respecialization certificate program may contract for an individual course either in advance of the term or anytime while the term is underway, provided that they have ample time left to submit the completed work for assessment with their faculty member, the course is eligible for individual contracting, and given the constraints of the timely response policy for faculty.

Contracting for a course in the previous term that has already concluded is not permissible.

Adds that occur after the pre-term registration period ends are subject to a late registration fee. Please consult the University Master Calendar for specifics on these registration deadlines and the Schedule of Fees for fee amounts.

Master’s/Certificate Program Course Drops

A student who needs to withdraw from a course should request to do so with the Office of the Registrar. During the add/drop period for their term/module, students may drop courses from their schedule without academic penalty as long as they are adding a replacement course and their credit load remains unchanged.

For 12 and 15 week courses, the add/drop period is the first two weeks. Beginning with the third week of classes through the seventh week after classes begin, a student who needs to withdraw from a course will have a grade of ‘W’ (Withdrawn) posted to the transcript. After the eighth week has commenced, if the student withdraws from the course, then the appropriate grade is ‘NC’ (No Credit).

For 7 week modules, from the start of the module through the second week, a dropped course will result in a grade of ‘W’ (Withdrawn) posted to the transcript. After the third week has commenced, if the student withdraws from the course, then the appropriate grade is ‘NC’ (No Credit).

For all course drops, the refund schedule will apply as published in the refund policy.

Doctoral Program Course Drops

School of Leadership Studies

In the SLS doctoral programs, a student may request to drop an ungraded contract/course in a current or future term at any time for any reason. If the student is a financial aid recipient, their request to drop the course will be evaluated as to how it may affect current or future financial aid eligibility, and if an effect is found the student will be so advised before the drop is processed. A grade of ‘W’ (Withdrawn) may be posted by the Registrar.

School of Psychology

Group Courses and Individually Delivered Course Drops

In the School of Psychology doctoral and RCP programs, dropped courses that utilized group study of any kind (Moodle seminar or otherwise) have additional criteria that determine the final grade posted for a dropped course, as follows: 

• If the drop occurs within two weeks of the course start, or, in the case of an individual contract submitted after the term has commenced, it occurs within two weeks of contract submission, and there is no financial aid impact to the drop, the course can be dropped with no grade. A financial aid eligibility impact to the drop will require the posting of a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) grade by the Registrar.
• Students may drop courses after two weeks and before the 8th week of the term has commenced with the permission of the faculty member with a ‘W’ if:

a. the Withdrawal is not a substitute for a failing grade based on complete, or nearly complete, participation in the course with poor performance that would typically receive a poor grade;

b. the instructor deems the Withdrawal more appropriate than an Incomplete based on the amount of course requirements the student has yet to fulfill and the unfeasibility of allowing the student to finish those requirements at a later time with an Incomplete.

• The Program Director or Director of Clinical Training can have a Clinical Psychology/RCP student dropped from a course when it is determined that the student does not have a passing transcripted grade for one or more of the registered course’s pre-requisites or, in the case of IQEB, the student does not have the materials required to complete the assignment.  If there is no financial aid impact to the drop, the course can be dropped with no grade at any time during the term. A financial aid eligibility impact to the drop will require the posting of a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) grade by the Registrar.

If the student unilaterally withdraws from the course, or drops the course after the 8th week has commenced (deadline as posted in the university calendar) then the appropriate grade is ‘NC’ (No Credit).

If the student withdraws from the course with permission from the faculty member to complete the course with that faculty member at a later time, then the appropriate grade is ‘I’ (Incomplete). The ‘I’ grade requires a mutually agreeable expiration date (between faculty assessor and student). If a letter grade is not submitted to replace the ‘I’ by the expiration date in place of the ‘I’, a grade of ‘NC’ will be posted by the Registrar. The maximum amount of time an Incomplete can have before a final grade is required to be posted is one year from the originally scheduled end of the course.

Psychological Assessment Labs (PALS) and Research Skills Seminars (RSSs) Drops

In a lab with only a face-to-face component a Clinical Psychology/RCP student may drop the PALS/RSS lab up to the day the lab meets without receiving a grade. A financial aid eligibility impact to the drop will require the posting of a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) grade by the Registrar. After the lab begins a student may drop the lab and be awarded a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) with the permission of the instructor.

If the PALS/RSS lab extends after the face-to-face component a student may drop the lab within a two week period following the face-to-face meeting without receiving a grade. A financial aid eligibility impact to the drop will require the posting of a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) grade by the Registrar.

After that two-week period a student may be awarded a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) with instructor permission if:

a. the Withdrawal is not a substitute for a failing grade based on complete, or nearly complete, participation in the course with poor performance that would typically receive a poor grade; 

b. the instructor deems the Withdrawal more appropriate than an Incomplete based on the amount of course requirements the student has yet to fulfill and the unfeasibility of allowing the student to finish those requirements at a later time with an Incomplete.

If the student unilaterally withdraws from the lab the appropriate grade is ‘NC’ (No Credit).

Policy Revised 05/01/2021

Alumni Enrollment

Graduates of Fielding’s degree programs are welcome to apply to our other program offerings.

In addition, doctoral program alumni may request to continue study in a specific doctoral program knowledge area course to supplement the academic content of their programs, or as a requirement for licensure in their state. Requests for additional study must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office and approved by the Dean or Director of the program in which the course is offered. Such enrollments are valid for one trimester and normal grade policies apply. Under these contracts of study, alumni/students have access to the appropriate faculty member and administrative personnel, and may attend classes, sessions or seminars related to the course being studied during the agreed upon period.

Alumni enrolled in such study will not be eligible for financial aid or in-school deferments. Tuition is as noted in the Tuition Rates and Fees  section of this catalog. Please note that taking additional academic courses does not automatically enroll the alumni in any of the formal certificate or degree programs; alumni seeking additional certificates or degrees from Fielding must follow admissions procedures for those programs.

Policy Revised 09/01/2022

Concurrent Enrollment

Fielding does not allow, in any of its schools, concurrent enrollment between two degree programs (master’s/doctorate).

The School of Leadership Studies allows concurrent (overlapping) enrollment for qualifying students between a degree program and some of the short-term certificate programs in the School. Qualifications are as follows:

• An existing doctoral student must have successfully completed one year in the doctoral program before certificate enrollment can begin.
• An existing certificate student must have successfully completed one term in the certificate program before doctoral enrollment can begin.
• The student must be meeting satisfactory academic progress standards in their original program.
• The student must receive approval for concurrent enrollment from the program directors of both the original program and the proposed new program.

The School of Psychology does not permit concurrent enrollment in another program(s) at Fielding for any of their students.

Students should consult with their Graduate Program Advisor for specifics on which programs allow concurrent enrollment and satisfactory academic progress implications.

Bear in mind that separate tuition and fees are charged by each department for each course of study, although discounts are available in some cases. For tuition and fee information, please refer to the Tuition Rates and Fees  section of this catalog.

Policy Revised 09/01/2021

Course/Seminar/Session Cancellations

Fielding Graduate University reserves the right to cancel classes as instructor availability, enrollment numbers or space issues may demand. Every effort will be made to avoid cancellation or interruption of instruction where possible, and to provide alternate arrangements when necessary to avoid impeding student progress.

Policy Revised 01/01/2009

Enrollment Statuses and Registration Limits

Matriculation

Enrollment at Fielding Graduate University constitutes an agreement by the student to abide by the rules, regulations, and policies of the university. Matriculation requires a completed Admission Agreement, signed by the student and the Director of Enrollment Operations or designee, receipt of the student’s first tuition payment and any other required enrollment fees, and successful attendance/participation at the face-to-face orientation for that academic program or other initial event. Exceptions to the in-person attendance requirement at the face-to-face orientation must be approved by the Provost or designated proxy and only deferred attendance is permitted; the requirement will not be waived. 

Maintaining student status requires that the student is registered, actively engaged in making progress towards their degree, and meeting program requirements. Active student status determines which students may use facilities/technologies provided by the university, may participate in the student governance process, and are covered by the Student Code of Conduct and the grievance process.

Applicants/new students who voluntarily withdraw or are withdrawn from the enrollment agreement prior to or during the face-to-face orientation will not incur tuition charges and 100% of their tuition payment will be refunded.

Enrollment Status

Fielding uses a course credit system to determine student enrollment status. The number of registered semester units per credit hour for the student’s enrollment dates, and/or specific academic activities, determines the enrollment status of the student in the following manner:

Audited courses and courses not required for certificate/degree completion cannot be used in calculating enrollment status. 

Certification of status, when needed, is provided by the Office of the Registrar.

International Student Enrollment Requirements

In order to maintain lawful student status in the United States, international students must be mindful of the rules and regulations that govern their nonimmigrant visa classification. Numerous U.S. federal regulations make it especially important for students in the F-1 student category to consult regularly with a Designated School Official in the Registrar’s office before taking any action that might impact their immigration status and educational endeavors in the United States.

All international students in F-1 status must register for a full-time course load before each term starts. International students on F-1 student visas must maintain full-time status throughout each semester according to federal regulations governing F-1 students. Please contact a Designated School Official in the Registrar’s Office at registrar@fielding.edu if you have any questions concerning full-time status.

Course Load for Financial Aid

Students receiving federal student aid must maintain at least half-time enrollment in degree-required coursework each term in order to be eligible for disbursements and in-school deferment benefits for that term. Other agencies that provide loans, scholarships, or other educational funding may establish different definitions of required status and/or may establish different requirements to maintain eligibility for funding.  Students should be familiar with the regulations of any agency to which they have an obligation. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@fielding.edu if you have any questions concerning your financial aid eligibility.

Maximum Credit Load

Students who wish to seek a registered credit overload in a given term must consult with the program director or designee for approval. Overload must be approved for each additional course the student wishes to add to their load beyond the limit. Current limits per program are as follows:

In all cases, this limit does not include incomplete work from prior terms or ongoing practice activities that are transcripted after completion (e.g., clinical or research practica, dissertation steps).

Individual programs may add additional conditions or restrictions.

Continuous Registration

All students at Fielding Graduate University are expected to register for courses and pay tuition and fees by the deadlines posted to the university master calendar for each of the three terms per academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer) until graduation. 

The only alternatives to continuous registration are either a leave of absence or withdrawal from the university. Students who do not register for classes by the deadline published in the university master calendar are subject to unofficial withdrawal. The deadline will be the 7th day of the term except when this date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, in which case the deadline is the first business day following.

For all students, beginning with the Spring 2016 term, leaves of absence are reported to the federal government as periods of withdrawal whenever the student is not registered in any coursework for that leave period.

See the Leaves and Withdrawal policy for more information.

Re-enrollment

A student who was unofficially withdrawn by the Registrar’s Office may wish to apply for re-enrollment. See the Re-enrollment policy for more information.

Policy Revision Effective 01/01/2022

Faculty Assignments and Continued Enrollment

Students in the doctoral and other individualized, multi-modal study programs must have an assignment to a faculty advisor/mentor at all times during their active enrollment. Either students or faculty may withdraw from such assignments. Ideally, students will negotiate a replacement faculty advisor/mentor within 30 days of such a change. If not, the school administration will assign a faculty advisor/mentor to the student.

Upon beginning the dissertation process, each doctoral student is responsible for the establishment of their dissertation committee, including the chair of the committee. Either students or faculty may withdraw from such assignments. Students are entirely responsible for the replacement of all members of the dissertation committee, including the dissertation chair. If a doctoral student is unable to successfully negotiate a replacement dissertation committee chair within 90 days, Fielding Graduate University reserves the right to withdraw the student from the program.

Students enrolled in master’s degree or academic certificate programs may or may not have faculty advisor/mentor assignments, depending upon the philosophy and delivery of those programs. If such faculty assignments are required, the above policy applies.

Policy Revised 01/01/2003

Grades and Credit

Documentation of courses attempted and completed is maintained in the student’s file. Units of credit and grades are recorded on the student’s transcript.

Any non-term courses, clinical training, research training, or dissertation steps completions (e.g., steps or hours were accrued) that occurred during a term break will be credited in the previous term, except in cases of exams administered during the term break, which will be credited to the next subsequent term.

After graduation or withdrawal, Fielding keeps only those records necessary to verify the transcript or as required by law.

Credit Hours

Fielding Graduate University monitors compliance with federal rules concerning the amount of work required for a unit of credit. This policy requires that an amount of work for each unit of credit be institutionally established, represented in intended learning outcomes, and verified by evidence of student achievement. Credit hours do not directly reflect the total number of hours per week a student spends in class and instead reflect each course’s workload.

Fielding’s policy, which is in compliance with federal, state and accreditation standards, and is in historical alignment with the Carnegie formula, is that every one unit for which credit is given is understood to represent approximately three hours of actual coursework per week for the average student. This formula directly relates to instructional assignments, both in and out of class, and applies to all Fielding courses regardless of delivery method (e.g., residential with seat-time, independent study, online or hybrid). Coursework includes class contact time either asynchronously or synchronously, individual faculty/student contact time, and time spent studying, doing research, and completing homework assignments.

Estimated Clock Hour Workload per Credits/Length of Term

A student enrolled in 16 units of coursework (4-5 courses), should expect to work on coursework for about 48 hours per week.

Exceptions to this formula such as for internship courses are delineated below.

Applied Media, Research Practica and Clinical Training Practica/Experiences
A clock hour to semester credit ratio of 40:1 or 80:1, as appropriate and as defined in the course description for the respective course will be used.

Continuing Education
CE credits for psychologists that are offered through the APA approved provider program in the School of Psychology are awarded on the basis of 1 hour equaling 1 credit. Credits awarded through all other continuing education programs at Fielding are based upon the Continuing Education Unit (CEU), which is defined as 10 hours equaling 1 CEU.

Psychological Assessment Labs and Research Skills Seminars
One half semester unit (0.5) is assigned per full lab day (6-8 clock hours).

Short Courses
A course offered in a term of less than 15 weeks shall contain the same contact hours, preparation time, content, and requirements as the same course would if offered over a 15 week semester.

Variable Units
Courses that are listed for variable units must specify in the syllabus how unit values will be assigned. Requirements should be clearly delineated for each unit value offered. Students should be expected to perform work in proportion to the number of units for which they have registered.

Unit value for course offerings and justification for same is determined per program in the course or curricula proposal. Credit hour assignments are expected to be reviewed for accuracy during each program’s periodic renewal/audit.

Grading System

Fielding’s faculty assign grades to represent satisfactory completion of graduation requirements. Some degree programs may have more restrictive grading policies than others. Related policies specific to a particular school or program are available elsewhere in this catalog.

Passing Grades per Program

Credit/No Credit Grade Option

In general, the grading default for courses is letter grading with a student option for credit/no credit (pass/fail). In some cases, the program will have determined that credit/no credit grading is always preferable for a course, or that only letter grading is allowed. Courses that are only available for credit/no credit grading are noted in the course catalog with a grade option of “Credit/No Credit Only.” Courses that are only available for letter grading are noted in the course catalog with a grade option of “Letter Only.” A course that is typically offered with a default letter grade schema, but on a particular occasion will be offered as credit/no credit only will announce this in the syllabus.

If available, a student can choose the credit/no credit option at the time of registration and may not change the grading basis in a course after the deadline given in the University’s Master Calendar. 

A student who registers for a course on the credit/no credit basis and earns a grade of B or better is awarded the symbol CR for the course. If the student receives a grade lower than a B, a grade of NC is recorded. If the student receives the symbol CR, the course is not included in the grade point average; if the student receives a grade of NC, the course is included in the grade point average. A CR grade will count for course credits will count towards applicable graduation requirements. A grade of NC will not count for course credits and will not fill any requirements for graduation.

Coursework requirements and methods of evaluation in a course will be the same for students registered on the credit/no credit basis as they are for students registered on the letter-grade basis. Students are still subject to the same prerequisites and requirements for a credit/no credit course as students enrolled in the course under the standard grading system.

A student who wishes to change their grade option on an eligible course should contact the Registrar’s Office prior to the posted deadline. The student will need to know the course number of the class they wish to change. A course is ineligible for a grade option change when the course is always graded a certain way (only letter grades or only credit/no credit) or the particular offering will be graded either only letter or only credit/no credit (as announced in the syllabus).

Once the deadline to change the grade option is over, a student who has registered for an eligible course on the credit/no credit option may not for any reason change to letter grading, or vice versa.

Students who need to document that a CR grade is passing for scholarship applications, employer reimbursement or similar needs, may contact the Registrar’s office for a letter.

Incompletes

The grade of ‘I’ (Incomplete) may be assigned by the faculty member when the student’s work is substantially complete, yet incomplete due to circumstances which were unforeseen and justifiable. A request for an Incomplete should be initiated by the student, and approved by the faculty member, prior to the deadline for submission of grades. The student’s request must include the reason for the Incomplete grade request, the deliverables to be completed, and the submission date proposed for the deliverables. If the faculty approves the request for the Incomplete they will provide an expiration date for the Incomplete. The expiration date should take into account the student’s submission date of coursework and the time necessary for faculty review of the materials in order to grade. Generally, a gap of 1-4 weeks is needed between the submission and expiration dates. The student must submit the required coursework deliverables on or prior to the submission date agreed to, and the faculty must submit the new grade to Fielding’s administrative offices for processing prior to the expiration date for the Incomplete. An Incomplete grade not changed by the expiration date will revert to an ‘NC’ (No Credit). Incomplete expiration dates may be extended by faculty as necessary, although PSY courses are limited to expiration dates that are no later than one year from the course’s end date.

Auditing

When a residential location in the Neuropsychology certificate program is not otherwise full, alumni from the program or approved health care and health service providers are permitted to return to audit the didactic courses of the two year program. No other auditing of courses in other programs by students or alumni is formally recognized.

An audit status indicates that the student has merely received instruction, rather than achieved a given standard. This technique is often employed by individuals who wish to take a specific course without the risk of under-performance resulting in a poor or failing grade. This can be helpful when reviewing a long-unstudied subject, or when first beginning the study of a discipline where one has little experience or confidence. Some students audit a class merely for enjoyment with no need or desire of academic credit.

At Fielding, an audit registration is a non-credit registration for the student who wishes to attend lectures in a course, and/or observe classroom activity online, without any responsibility to take examinations, complete homework or papers, practice hours, or to be evaluated. At the discretion of the instructor, a student registered as an auditor may be expected to participate in any and all in-person classroom or online discussions.

Successfully audited classes appear on the student’s transcript marked with AU (Audit) in the grade value column. Audit registration will not be included in computing a student’s academic/enrollment load and does not count towards satisfactory academic progress or financial aid eligibility. Audited courses do not meet graduation requirements nor impact the student’s grade point average. Auditing students are counted towards the course’s enrollment cap. Credit for courses audited will not subsequently be granted on the basis of the audit.

Grade Points and Averages

Fielding emphasizes competence, and encourages students to value learning over grades. However, some students may prefer letter grades for a variety of external reasons. All grades can be calculated on a 4.0 scale, where ‘A+’ = 4.3, ‘A’ = 4.0, ‘A-’ = 3.7, ‘B+’ = 3.3, ‘B’ = 3.0, etc. Grades of ‘I,’ ‘IP,’ ‘CR,’ ‘R,’ ‘AU,’ and ‘W’ are not calculated into a student’s grade point average. ‘NC’ and ‘F’ grades both count as zero grade points towards the grade point average. When a course needs to be retaken, both the original grade and credits and the grade and credits earned in repetition will be used in computing the grade point average, except in cases where a student has successfully petitioned to have a grade replaced.

The grade point average calculation for satisfactory academic progress may differ, as specified in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

Grade Deadline

Instructors/faculty are expected to use the online grading system in WebAdvisor whenever possible and as implemented. In general, grades are due at the end of the university’s term. Please consult the University Master Calendar for specific grade deadlines.

If the course has been graded with an Incomplete, the expiration date on the Incomplete supersedes the established grade deadline for that course in that term and becomes the new grade deadline.

Grade Notifications

The online grading system will notify the student by email at their Fielding email account of grades submitted by the faculty as each submission occurs. Students can view their grades online in WebAdvisor Self-Service and print unofficial transcripts (trackign sheets) at any time.

Grade Changes

Students must contact their assessing faculty/instructor directly if an assigned grade for a completed course is in question. Grades are based upon the substantive judgment of the faculty member, and faculty grading decisions are final. If the assessing faculty member/instructor determines that an assigned grade should be changed, the assessing faculty/instructor should submit the request for the grade change to the Registrar’s Office. For students in accelerated (module programs) such requests must be received within one month (4 weeks) of the course’s original end date. For all other programs, such requests must be received within six months of the original grade posting.

Grade Replacement

Students* can choose to repeat a course in which they earned a non-passing grade and petition to have the original grade replaced with an ‘R’. For purposes of replacement grade petitions, a non-passing grade is considered a ‘B-’ or below for the doctoral, postdoctoral, and postbaccalaureate certificate programs, and a ‘C-’ or below for master’s and all other graduate certificate programs.

Courses must be repeated within one of the 3 subsequent terms from the original term in which the course was registered to be eligible for grade replacement. For students who withdraw and re-enroll, non-passing grades from before the withdrawn period must be repeated within three terms (12 months) of re-enrolling, or as directed by the university or program as a condition of their re-enrollment in order to be eligible for grade replacement.

If the student has attempted the same course multiple times, only one of the non-passing grades is eligible for petition to be replaced. Students may petition for grade replacement of a maximum of 3 credit-bearing courses (up to 12 credits total) per academic program.

Course grades that have been reviewed by the disciplinary committee for allegations of academic dishonesty may be ineligible for replacement based on the outcomes of those disciplinary findings.

In the case that a course is no longer offered due to a curriculum change, a student may petition for grade replacement of an equivalent course in the new curriculum (if one exists) with the permission of the program.

To petition for grade replacement, students must submit a request to the Registrar’s office after the eligible course has been successfully completed. The request for grade replacement must be submitted within one term after successfully completing the eligible course. The registrar’s office will determine if the request meets the terms of this policy and if so, a grade replacement will be made.

*Grade replacement will not be permitted for Clinical Psychology PhD and Respecialization certificate students whose non-passing grade was earned Fall 2016 or later. Both the passing and non-passing grades will be calculated in the grade point average. 

Policy Revised 03/01/2022

Leaves and Withdrawals

Leave of Absence Policy

The purpose of leave time is to permit students time off from their studies.

Approved leaves of absence are considered a temporary hiatus from study and do not constitute dismissal from Fielding. Students concurrently enrolled in more than one academic program are ineligible to take leave in just one program. Not all academic programs allow for leaves, and others allow for leaves only after the first term or first year of enrollment or re-enrollment has passed. Students should check with the Advising office and/or published leave policies by school or program with questions about the applicability of leaves for their program(s), personal leave eligibility, or the leave policy.

There are four types of leaves available to students at Fielding Graduate University: 1) full-term leave, 2) emergency leave, 3) military leave, and 4) leave during clinical practicum or internship.

Requests for leave must be made in writing to the Advising office, and approval for the leave must be obtained before beginning the leave. All leave requests must include a specific reason for the leave. Any student taking leave without approval will be considered withdrawn.

Students are not permitted to participate in any academic activity while on leave, including but not limited to: attending virtual or in-person national/global sessions or professional development seminars, coursework, clinical training, residency activities, research, internship, or data collection. In addition, instructors are not required to review student work received during the leave period. Again, students on leave may not attend residency sessions.

This break from academic coursework is best determined by students and can include, for example, time off to deal with health issues (emotional and physical), family, financial, and work related concerns. Furthermore, students are responsible for using these leaves for their intended purposes.

Students on financial aid should be aware that disbursements of student loan funds and in-school deferment statuses can be affected by leaves of absence. A student who is on academic and/or financial aid probation may not meet the terms of probation if the leave is not part of the approved academic plan upon which the probation is based.

Full-Term Leave of Absence

Students are eligible for up to three non-consecutive full-term leaves during their student tenure, no more than one term per 12-month period. A student will not be charged tuition for the period of a term-length approved leave. If a student has already paid tuition for the term, a tuition credit will be posted to the student account.

Advance request of full-term leave is strongly encouraged in order to adequately plan for the academic and financial repercussions of the leave, and the request must be received no later than the 1^st day of the term. Leave requests received after the 1^st day of the term may be considered for an Emergency Leave of Absence.

Emergency Leave of Absence

If a student encounters an emergency situation after the 1^st day of the term/module that will cause them to be unable to complete their enrolled coursework, the student may be eligible to request an emergency leave of absence for the remainder of the term/module. The emergency leave replaces one of the three terms of leave of absence available to the student. 

The request for emergency leave must include an explanation by the student of the situation that has led to the need for the emergency leave. The Director of Advising will review all emergency leave requests and must approve an emergency leave before it can be taken. The student must work with their instructors and the Registrar’s office to determine if and when any in-progress coursework will be completed, with the Registrar making the final determination about in-progress coursework, if necessary, in compliance with applicable policies and regulations. Students who remain enrolled in their courses (and receive grades of Incomplete) will not receive a tuition refund.

Students who request to drop all current term registered courses will have ‘W’ grades transcripted, even if the emergency leave begins prior to the add/drop deadline. Depending on the date of the leave request, students requesting an emergency leave may receive a tuition recalculation or refund in accordance with the tuition refund schedule.

For students on payment plans, monthly payments will continue when a student is on leave.

Military Leave of Absence

Enrolled students in any academic program are eligible for military leave regardless of academic standing. Military leave cannot exceed 180 days in a 12-month period with the student returning to study on or before the 180-day period. If there are multiple deployments, a military leave can be granted for each deployment; howeverm, the same 180-day limit in a 12-month time period applies. The leave may start as soon as two weeks after the date of the student being notified of their deployment by the military. The student must provide copies of the official notification.

The student must work with their faculty and the Registrar’s office to determine if and when any in-progress coursework will be completed, with the Registrar making the final determination, if necessary, in compliance with applicable policies and regulations.

Students who remain enrolled in their courses (and receive grades of Incomplete) will not receive a tuition refund. Students who withdraw from all courses will receive a full refund for the term. 

Students with federal or private student loans who may be deployed longer than 180 days in a 12-month period should contact their loan servicer(s) to request a Military Deferment on those loans.

Leave During Clinical Practicum/Internship

Students in the Clinical Psychology PhD or Respecialization certificate programs whose only academic activity in an academic term is clinical practicum or internship and who need to request a leave of absence from their training site may request a short-term leave of absence from Fielding that matches the dates of the leave from the training site.    

The student must work with the Director of Clinical Training to determine eligibility before applying for a leave from their training site.  The student must provide documented approval from the training site, a description of the reason for the leave, and any other requested supporting documentation to the advising office in advance of the leave start date to be considered for this leave of absence.

Returning from Leaves

All leaves are granted with the expectation that the student will return from the leave on the date indicated in the approval. To return from leave, all past due tuition and fees must be paid by the 15^th day of the month prior to the return date. In addition, students must register for academic work within 15 calendar days of the return date. Failure to register for coursework or to pay an outstanding balance upon return may result in withdrawal by the institution.

In certain exceptional situations, students may be allowed to return early from a leave. Tuition will be charged for any applicable period of enrollment and students enrolled for more than 60% of a term will owe the full tuition for that term. Leaves ended early will still count as a full term leave towards the student’s total leave time permitted. If a student wishes to return from a leave early, they should make a written request to the Advising office detailing the exceptional circumstances that necessitate the early return. Requests will be reviewed by the Director of Advising, and any decisions made will be final.

Requests for Additional Leave

If the student needs additional time away from study beyond one full term or 180 days of Emergency/Military Leave within a 12-month period, the student will need to withdraw and apply for re-enrollment when circumstances allow it. Students who have been separated from the university may be eligible to re-enroll.

If a student has exhausted their total eligible leave time, any further leave requests will be reviewed by the Director of Advising on a case-by-case basis for approval, and any decisions rendered are final. In no situation will a leave be approved that exceeds 180 days in a 12-month period.

Withdrawal Policy

Elective Withdrawals

Students are encouraged to consult with faculty advisors or program directors, their Graduate Program Advisors and other administrative or financial personnel prior to withdrawal in order to receive support in the decision-making process and to discuss any possible alternatives to withdrawal. However, if a student decides to withdraw from their academic program at Fielding, the student must submit a signed, written statement to the Registrar’s office, including reasons affecting the decision. Email submissions are acceptable if they are sent from a student’s Fielding email account.

Elective withdrawals will be effective as of the first day received by Fielding administration, except in the case of a student who requests to withdraw while still on leave. When an elective withdrawal request is made while the student is on leave or immediately upon return from leave, the withdrawal date will be the date the student began the leave of absence. Students may also request to be withdrawn effective as of a future date, such as at the end of a term.

Unofficial Withdrawals

The Registrar’s office will withdraw students when academic engagement cannot be confirmed regardless of whether the student has notified administration of their withdrawal. The withdrawal date will be the last date of confirmed academic engagement or the mid-point of the term/module, as determined by the Registrar in compliance with applicable policies and regulations.

Policy Revised 03/01/2023

Re-enrollment

If a withdrawn student wishes to re-enter the same program they left, they must contact the Advising Office (advisors@fielding.edu) to apply for re-enrollment.

• If the student was in good academic standing at the time of withdrawal, and less than 3 terms have passed since the start of the withdrawal period, s/he is eligible to re-enroll under their same catalog year that was in effect when they withdrew, if that curriculum is still available.
• Students must be in good financial standing in order to re-enroll. All past due tuition and fees must be paid in advance of re-enrollment. Tuition for the upcoming term must be paid ten days prior to the first day of re-enrollment.
• If more than three terms have passed since the start of the withdrawal period, or the student was not in good standing at the time of withdrawal, applicants will be evaluated by the program to determine eligibility to re-enroll. With rare exception, such students will be subject to current catalog/graduation requirements in the program they are re-entering. The student’s prior work completed at Fielding will be evaluated for applicability to current program requirements. The university may require that additional conditions be met, including but not limited to: successful completion of a New Student Orientation or attendance at a national session, and/or completion of specific coursework in the first year of re-enrollment.
• At the discretion of the Director of Advising, a new application submitted through the Office of Admissions may be required if the out-of-school period has exceeded 5 years.
• Re-enrollment in a program that is no longer being offered will require Provost approval.

Re-enrollment applicants will be asked to document how their circumstances have changed to permit timely completion of the program requirements. Service members whose withdrawal was necessitated by required military service, should document said military service.

Re-enrollment requests are subject to review and re-enrollment is not automatic or guaranteed. The Advising office will be available to provide guidance regarding re-enrollment matriculation dates, academic offerings, financial considerations, and other variables related to a return to school. With rare exception, re-enrolling students are expected to begin study at the start of the term/module. Applications for re-enrollment must be received prior to the overall term’s re-enrollment application deadline as published on the University Master Calendar.

The Registrar’s office will notify the student of the outcome of the request for re-enrollment, and any conditions for re-enrollment.

No student will be re-enrolled without first settling her/his financial obligations to Fielding, and signing a re-enrollment agreement.

Re-enrollment Rights of Service Members

Service members who are requesting re-enrollment within 3 years after the completion of the military service that necessitated their withdrawal, will be considered for re-enrollment to the same program to which they were last admitted or the most similar program if that program is no longer offered.

For the first academic year in which the student returns, they will be assessed the tuition and fee charges at the same rate that was in place at the time the student ceased their prior attendance. If the service member is re-enrolled in a different program in which the current tuition/fees is less than the tuition/fees of the prior program, the lesser tuition/fees will be assessed.

Returning service members will be re-enrolled to the same catalog of graduation requirements under which they left, unless the program has changed so substantially that the university determines there are no reasonable efforts (such as refresher courses at no cost) that the university can take to prepare the student to resume the program at the point where they left off; or after making such efforts, the university determines the student is not prepared to resume or complete the program.

Policy Revised 05/01/2021

Session Registration

Fielding has a registration deadline for all sessions. This takes place approximately eight weeks prior to the beginning of each session and is clearly stated on the session websites and in each registration booklet. The University Master Calendar lists session dates and registration deadlines.

The needs of students are at the very heart of most Fielding policies and practices and registration deadlines are set in order to provide better services to students, not to keep students from participating. Students spend much time and money attending the sessions and they need to accomplish their goals at the sessions. Therefore, it is important that we have proper room accommodations, correct audio-visual equipment, that student meetings are set up correctly and that schedules are accurate with correct times, locations, etc. The hotels we work with have strict deadlines for the sort of information we must give them and these deadlines are set shortly after the registration deadline we have set for students. This gives us a small amount of time to set up proper logistics and then provide the information to the hotel.

Student participation and communication are crucial both to the mission of the University and to successfully completing the doctorate. For this reason, there is no limit on the number of students who can attend a national or research session. If 400 students register for each session, we will set up the session to accommodate that number. When working with a group this size, last minute happenings (such as late registrants) can cause major mistakes in the overall schedule because slight changes as they move down the line of people needing to know (both Fielding staff, faculty, and hotel staff) can cause ripple effects. This is the reason we are fairly strict with the deadline; not as a restrictive measure. If an institution does not look out for the whole of the institution, then it is not looking out for the individual. Being a student-driven system does not mean that all students will have things best suited for them, it means systems will work well for MOST students.

Because we know that many students have major life events that impact their decision to attend or not to attend a session, we have a process for late registration. Students who have missed the deadline may appeal to the Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee will confer and respond in a timely manner to your request.

TO APPEAL:

Write a brief statement explaining why you missed the registration deadline and state why you feel it is important for you to attend this session. Send to Conference and Event Services via email (sessions@fielding.edu).

Anyone who is allowed to register after the deadline will be subject to a late registration fee. This fee is in addition to the session registration fee. These costs must be paid at the time of registration. Please note: students who are registered late for a session are only registered for the session as a whole and must add individual seminars to their schedule when they arrive at the session.

Policy Revised 09/01/2020

Transcripts

Transcript ordering is available online from the National Student Clearinghouse.  Transcript orders are processed in the order they are received. Normal processing time can be as little as 15 minutes for e-transcript delivery, and 1-3 business days for official paper transcripts. Processing time for mailed transcripts does not include delivery time. Please allow ample time for your transcript to arrive at your requested destination.

The transcript is a complete record of a student’s enrollment at Fielding Graduate University. Partial transcripts are not available. Transcripts will reflect current grades and classes as of the day we process your request.

Delivery Options

• Electronic (PDF transcript)
  • The recipient will be emailed a link to a secure internet page where they can retrive the official transcript
  • Printing is permissible
  • Modifications are not allowed
• Hold for Pick-Up
  • Once the transcript request is received in our office, the transcript will be available for pickup by the student (ID must be shown), or;
  • Authorized persons must bring a signed release statement from the student stating “I, [student’s name], give permission for [authorized party] to pick up my transcript on [date].”
• US Postal Service
  • Once the transcript request is received in our office, the transcript will be mailed within 1-3 business days. Please allow an additional 5-7 business days for delivery by the United States Postal Service to domestic mailing addresses.
• Express Mail
  • Transcript will be mailed within 1 business day of order to the recipient for receipt the next or second business day.

Fees for each delivery option are published in this catalog under Transcript Fees .

No transcripts are processed or mailed on days the University is closed. Please plan accordingly with the university holiday schedule in the calendar . 

Current students and alumni may print out unofficial copies of their academic records (tracking sheets) from WebAdvisor Self-Service.

Official transcripts of credit earned at other institutions which have been presented for admission and transfer credit purposes become the property of Fielding Graduate University and will not be returned or copied. Copies of these transcripts must be requested from the originating institution.

Policy Revised 10/10/2019

Transfer Credit

Applicants who wish to transfer credit from a prior school into a Fielding program of study should consult the website on Transferring Credit and the Transfer and Articulation handbook for related policies and procedures.

Notice Concerning Transferability of Credits and Credentials Earned at Our Institution

The transferability of credits you earn at Fielding Graduate University is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the degree, diploma, or certificate you earn in your program is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the credits that you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution. For this reason you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending Fielding Graduate University to determine if your credits or degree, diploma or certificate will transfer. 

VA Education Benefit Recipients

Students accepted to programs approved by the VA for education benefits who submit a Certificate of Eligibility or other acceptable proof of entitlement information of said benefits will have their records reviewed for previous education and training deemed equivalent to the University’s minimum requirements for transfer and articulation credit. The VA School Certifying Official (SCO) will review said records; if minimum requirements are deemed met, the SCO will solicit from the applicant the required supporting documentation for a full review by the appropriate academic personnel identified by the program or school to which the prospective student has been offered admission. The SCO and the University Registrar’s Office will maintain a written record of previous education and training of the veteran or eligible person which clearly indicates that appropriate credit has been given by the school for previous education and training, with the training period shortened proportionately.

Policy Revised 10/01/2019

Transferring Your Program of Study

Students who wish to transfer from one Fielding program of study should consult the Transfer and Articulation handbook for related policies, procedures and articulation agreements.