Fielding Graduate University
Fielding Graduate University appears in our ranking of 5 Most Affordable Doctorate in Early Childhood Education Online
Fielding Graduate University is a school in California that primarily offers post-graduate courses and programs. Established in 1974, the three founders behind this university wanted to create a school that would offer opportunities for students who were in the middle of their careers. Those students often wanted to go back to school and further their studies but didn't want to take time away from their careers. Called The Fielding Institute when it first opened, the school offered distance education programs for graduate students. Those students could do research and complete workbooks for course credit. The school would serve as the Fielding Graduate Institute before becoming Fielding Graduate University.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching gave the university its Community Engagement Classification in 2015 because of the opportunities it offered for its students and for the ways in which its students gave back to their own communities. It now offers online degree programs in education and psychology fields for adult students. The university expects students do either a thesis or a dissertation and requires that they take online courses that include video lectures. Students will work closely with their mentors and with their peers, and they have the chance to attend special events every year. More than 1,000 students take classes from the Fielding Graduate University.
Fielding Graduate University Accreditation Details
All the doctoral and graduate programs offered by Fielding Graduate University have accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WASCSCUC). As this is a form of regional accreditation, it allows students to bring credits with them and to take credits from the university to another school. Students can also apply for the funding they might need from the government. The APA also granted accreditation to some of the university's psychology programs.
Fielding Graduate University Application Requirements
Students with an interest in earning a PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development from Fielding Graduate University can learn more about the program in a few different ways. The university encourages students to attend one of its webinars, which take place every month. This allows students to hear more about the program and learn about some of the classes they will take. They can also attend an in-person information session. The Admissions Department offers help for students with the application itself.
All incoming students must do three different things. They will fill out the university's online application to tell the admissions board where they went to college, their interests and what they want to study at the graduate or doctoral level. Students must also submit official transcripts and pay a $75 application fee. The infant and early childhood development program has some different requirements too. This program asks for a CV that lists all the educational and professional experiences that an applicant has. The resume should show that the student has several years of professional experience beyond the classroom.
This program also asks for a writing sample that demonstrates the critical thinking skills that the student has. It does not have a minimum of maximum length for this essay. Students can write a brand new sample or submit an essay they wrote in one of their past classes. The program requires a statement of purpose and two letters of recommendation too. Students can use the statement of purpose to explain exactly why they selected Fielding Graduate University and what they hope to do in graduate school. Their letters of recommendation should come from academic references who are familiar with their educational work and professional references who can speak about their fieldwork experiences.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Instead of charging students a rate based on credit hours as other colleges do, Fielding Graduate University charges students one rate that they pay each term. This rate is $8,740 per term for students in the infant and early childhood development PhD program. Students also pay fees when they attend a doctoral session. The university charges new students $150 and charges returning students $295. They also pay $125 to attend a dissertation session. The university allows students to bring their spouses to some of the local sessions for an additional fee too.
Fielding Graduate University offers a monthly payment plan that allows students to make payment arrangements. The university will automatically take money from their cards or bank accounts every month. Students can also use the financial aid programs available in their states, federal student loans and employer reimbursement plans. Doctoral students can apply for the university's Provost Achievement Scholarship, which awards students between $1,000 and $3,000 every year. Students can use other resources that the university puts online to look for other external funding options.
Online Degrees Available
The PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development (IECD) that Fielding Graduate University offers prepares students for working in a number of different careers. It can help those who want to work in special education as well as those with an interest in counseling. Students will learn about the development of families and how children grow and change over time. The university encourages students to take part in the information sessions that it offers in major cities across the country and those that take place online.
The PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development program is unique because it offers opportunities for both online and offline learning. Students can attend seminars and view lectures online and use their course discussion boards to connect with their peers. The university has an online library that provides students will all the resources they need. That library also gives them full access to academic journals. Fielding Graduate University offers workshops in different regions that students can attend for class credit too.
The PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development majors enroll in a program with an emphasis on mental health and developmental disorders. They can also choose a concentration in reflective practice and supervision, community college leadership for change, creative longevity and wisdom and several others. The mental health and developmental disorders concentration features 32 credits of core classes, 12 credits of leadership courses and 12 credits of both electives and research classes. The core features classes such as Language Development, Developmental Disabilities, Sensory and Motor Development and Family Systems Theory and Functioning. Fielding Graduate University also awards students four credits after they pass a comprehensive exam and 17 credits for their dissertation work and presentation.