Fielding Graduate University - Comprehensive Analysis Report

Summary

Fielding Graduate University, founded in 1974, is a private, non-profit graduate-level university based in Santa Barbara, California, catering to adult students and mid-career professionals. It offers flexible, hybrid, and online programs. Fielding's mission is to provide interdisciplinary programs for scholar-practitioners, fostering student-driven inquiry for enhanced knowledge. The university envisions educating leaders, scholars, and practitioners for a more just and sustainable world.

1. Strategic Focus & Objectives

Core Objectives

• Fielding Graduate University focuses on serving adult learners and working professionals through hybrid and fully online programs.

• The university aims to promote lifelong learning and social justice.

• It seeks to integrate scholarship with practical application to benefit individuals, organizations, communities, and society.

Specialization Areas

• Programs include psychology, human and organizational development, leadership, and education.

• Fielding offers graduate-level degrees, including certificate, master's, and doctoral programs, in various fields.

Target Markets

• Fielding Graduate University targets adult learners seeking graduate-level education.

• It caters to working professionals looking for flexible programs.

2. Financial Overview

Funding History

• Fielding Graduate University's endowment was $6.9 million in 2020.

• The university's programs are approved for Federal Student Aid through the US Department of Education.

• Fielding is an approved educational institution for student aid from some Canadian provinces.

• Students with veteran's benefits or vocational rehabilitation funding can utilize these resources.

• Scholarship opportunities are available to supplement student funding.

3. Product Pipeline

Key Products/Services

• Clinical Psychology PhD Program: This is a doctoral program in clinical psychology. It's in the late development stage, targeting individuals seeking advanced knowledge and practice in clinical psychology. The program can be completed in five or six years.

• Organizational Leadership PhD Program: An accelerated doctoral program offered through the School of Leadership. This will prepare students wanting to earn a doctorate degree in as little as three years.

• Graduate-Level Degrees (Certificate, Master's, and Doctoral): Provides a range of programs in clinical psychology, media psychology, educational leadership, organizational leadership, and human development.

4. Technology & Innovation

Technology Stack

• Fielding Graduate University uses a distributed learning model, integrating in-person engagement with academic technologies.

• myFIELDING: A single access point for university resources, including Moodle courses, news, announcements, and email.

• Moodle Learning Management System (LMS).

• Google Suite: Includes G Suite student email and other Google cloud-based applications.

• Grammarly: Used for grammar and spell-checking.

• Kaltura: A cloud-based video hosting platform with a built-in video editor.

• Qualtrics: Used for creating and distributing surveys.

5. Leadership & Management

Executive Team

• Interim President: John L. Bennett, Ph.D., MPA. He is a Fielding alum and former member of the Board of Trustees. He was a business and behavioral science professor and Wayland H. Cato, Jr. Chair of Leadership at the McColl School of Business, Queens University of Charlotte.

• Provost and Senior Vice President: Monique L. Snowden, PhD.

Recent Leadership Changes

• John L. Bennett was selected as Fielding's Interim President, effective February 1, 2025.

6. Competitive Analysis

Major Competitors

• Saybrook University: Offers graduate programs focused on humanistic psychology and integrative health.

• University of California, Berkeley: A large public university with a wide range of graduate programs.

• Claremont Graduate University: A private graduate university offering programs in humanities, social sciences, management, and arts.

7. Market Analysis

Market Overview

• Fielding Graduate University operates within the adult education market.

• The university provides graduate-level programs in psychology, education, and organizational studies.

• It primarily uses distance education methods.

8. Strategic Partnerships

• University of the Virgin Islands (UVI): Partnership to offer a doctorate in Creative Leadership.

• University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and Tulane University’s Payson Center for Global Development: Working to develop a doctoral program in urban leadership and entrepreneurship.

• North Carolina A&T and the Association of American Colleges & Universities: Collaboration to establish the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL).

• Universidad de Guadalajara: International collaboration through the Letters to Fly program.

• The Keystone Group: Collaboration to advance executive coaching in China.

• The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME): A United Nations-supported initiative.

9. Operational Insights

• Fielding Graduate University operates on a distributed learning model, combining online learning with in-person engagement.

• Engagement occurs through regional gatherings, Global Sessions, and program-specific conferences.

• The university has administrative offices in Santa Barbara, California, and Washington, D.C.

10. Future Outlook

Strategic Roadmap

• Fielding Graduate University is focused on implementing a new vision for the future.

• The goal is to ensure a sustainable, long-term trajectory.

• The university aims to educate leaders, scholars, and practitioners for a more just and sustainable world.