Admissions

Application Deadlines

University Standard

For admission to any Fielding program leading to a degree (master’s/doctorate), except the accelerated MA in Organization Development and Leadership, it is required - at minimum - that the applicant submit an official transcript of an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree from a US college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency or one recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or an equivalent international degree as determined through an official course-by-course evaluation by an approved independent international transcript evaluation agency.

In addition, the following Fielding Graduate University programs require that the bachelor’s or master’s degree institution be regionally accredited by a US regional accrediting agency, or an equivalent international degree as determined through an official course-by-course evaluation by an approved independent international transcript evaluation agency:

• Clinical Psychology PhD program
• Respecialization in Clinical Psychology certificate program
• Neuropsychology certificate program

The accelerated MA in Organization Development and Leadership program may accept an official transcript or an official confirmation via a degree verification service of an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree from a US college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency or one recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or an equivalent international degree as determined through an official course-by-course evaluation by an approved independent international transcript evaluation agency.

For any academic credit bearing activity at Fielding that does not result in the conferral of a degree (certificate programs and non-matriculated academic credit) the program must require for admission, at minimum, an official confirmation via a degree verification service and/or direct confirmation with the awarding institution’s records office that the applicant has completed a baccalaureate degree or higher from a regionally accredited US institution or one recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or an equivalent international degree  as determined through an official course-by-course evaluation by an approved independent international transcript evaluation agency.

Transcripts used to request transfer credits must meet the accreditation requirements, and if an international transcript, must be submitted through an official course-by-course evaluation by an approved independent international transcript evaluation agency.   

Applicants for admission to any Fielding academic credit program who have international degrees will need to have their international transcripts evaluated for degree equivalency with a course-by-course evaluation, unless their international degree program has an established articulation agreement with Fielding. Applicants should review the information about those organizations that Fielding has approved to provide such evaluations.

English Proficiency

All admitted students must have the ability to read and write English at the level of a graduate of an American university as demonstrated by the possession of a bachelor’s level degree or the equivalent.

Programmatic Admissions Standards

Programs are free to enact additional admissions standards as long as they exceed the above requirements. The following outlines the minimum education and transcript requirements for each of the programs offered at Fielding Graduate University if those standards exceed the above university-wide standard. The minimum degree(s) must be listed as conferred on the transcript before the application will be reviewed for admission. Applications with transcripts that do not meet the minimum requirements will be reviewed for additional transcripted degrees or certifications, relevant training or work experience, or other criteria that would indicate readiness and ability to succeed in the program.

Nonimmigrant (International) Students

Fielding is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students and those students follow the same application process as all other students. An applicant wishing to enroll at Fielding on a nonimmigrant visa (F-1) for either the purposes of ease of travel to residency sessions or for moving to the United States for the duration of their studies will need to speak to a Designated School Official (DSO) in the Registrar’s Office and must meet all of the additional requirements outlined as follows:

• Be admitted to a degree program with a required in-person residency component and maintain full-time enrollment while on F-1 visa status. Online only portions of programs and certificate program students are not eligible for F-1 visas.
• Supply documentation of their available financing. This is usually accomplished via bank statements or bank letters certifying that a student has the financial resources to attend the university.
• Supply copies of passports, address information and other pertinent demographic information for themselves and any dependents.
• Complete the appropriate F-1 visa application with their local consulate, including paying their own F-1 visa application fees.
• International students transferring from another college/university on an F-1 student visa are required to submit copies of their visa, I-94 card, and all previously issued I-20 Forms. The SEVIS Transfer Eligibility process must also be completed by the international student adviser at the student’s previous institution.

Note: Fielding has no residence halls or living facilities; thus, F-1 visa students are responsible for securing their own housing. Fielding also does not provide on-campus employment.

Notification of Acceptance

Offers of admission are to a specific degree or certificate program at Fielding Graduate University and are not transferrable to other Fielding programs. Applicants are notified by email of their acceptance or denial for admission into said program. Applicants invited to matriculate will be notified how to declare their intent to enroll and the deadline by which to do so. Provisional acceptance is not granted. 

Deferred Admission

Applicants for all degree or certificate programs who are unable to begin enrollment in the term for which they received an offer of admission may request a deferred admission. 

For all programs except the Clinical Psychology PhD or Respecialization Certificate program, the request will be handled as follows: The program may extend the offer of admission one time to the next available start term immediately subsequent to the original offer. An applicant who does not enroll under this deferred admission offer must submit a new application to be considered again for admission in a future term.   

For the Clinical Psychology PhD or Respecialization Certificate programs, an applicant who is unable to begin enrollment in the term for which they received an offer of admission may request to be considered for admission for the next available start term without submitting a new application. The program may agree to a deferred application review, which may require submission of supplemental application materials pertaining to the deferral request, and consider the applicant as a candidate in comparison with the applicant pool for that term. An applicant who does not enroll or is not admitted under an admission offer through this deferred application process must submit a new application to be considered again for admission in a future term.  

Deferred admission requests should be made in writing to the Admissions Office (apply@fielding.edu).

Transfer Credits

Some programs at Fielding will evaluate requests for transfer credit. Specific policies about what each program will consider are published in the Transfer and Articulation Handbook. Transcripts from prior schools used to request transfer credits must meet the accreditation requirements, and if an international transcript, must be submitted through an official course-by-course evaluation by an approved independent international transcript evaluation agency. 

Generally, students are required to complete course work and requirements as described in program materials. However, prior experiential learning may be utilized to demonstrate competence for courses in certain programs. If students can successfully document requirements have been met through work experience, those requirements are waived in the student’s degree audit and will appear on the Fielding transcript.

Regarding the Transfer of Fielding Credits to Other Schools

No school can guarantee that credits from courses are transferable, unless two schools have a consortium agreement in place. Transfer of credits is always at the discretion of the receiving school and depends on the comparability of curricula and accreditation.

Related Policies:

• Non-discrimination policy   
• ​Enrollment Statuses Policy  

Policy Revised 2/01/2022