1. What is an international student?
2. Is the TOEFL required?
3. May I send my official, international, transcripts directly to Fielding?
4. How can I get my foreign transcripts translated to English?
5. Does my Canadian transcript need to be evaluated?
6. Is there financial aid available for international students?
7. What kind of computer do I need?
8. How will I access the library resources I need if I live outside of the United States?
9. How far is Fielding from the closest international airport?

1. What is an international student? [back to top]
For purposes of admission into Fielding Graduate University, international students are defined solely on their citizenship/residency status. If a student does not hold citizenship or permanent residency in the United States, the student is deemed an international student.

2. Is the TOEFL required? [back to top]
No. The Admission Committee will evaluate your English writing skills during the application review period.

3. May I send my official, international, transcripts directly to Fielding? [back to top]
No, Fielding’s Admission Office requires an independent evaluation of degrees or academic records from institutions not accredited in the U.S. We accept evaluations from the following agencies because they have the necessary resources to determine how your prior degrees compare to those earned at a regionally accredited U.S. institution. Cost and processing time vary with each organization. Please note that all application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be in English.

AACRAO: Complete the “Form to Request an Evaluation by an Individual” to request a “Basic Statement of Comparability Evaluation” or “Course-By-Course Evaluation.”
IERF: Complete the “Standard Application” to request a “General Report” or “Detail Report.”
WES: Complete the “Application” to request the “Document by Document Report” or “Comprehensive Course-By-Course Report.”

You will need to send the evaluation agency an official copy of your original transcripts from international universities, along with a precise word-for-word translation in English (please note that specific requirements may differ for each agency). Once the evaluation is complete, you will send Fielding’s Admission Office an official copy of your unopened evaluation (in the original, sealed envelope) along with a copy of the documents you originally sent to the evaluation agency, including a copy of your translated transcript.

Specific Program Requirements:

• PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Media Psychology, and Respecialization in Clinical Psychology: Please request the more detailed evaluation for both undergraduate and graduate coursework.
• PhD in Human and Organization Development/Human and Organizational Systems: Please request the more basic evaluation for both undergraduate and graduate coursework.
• EdD, Master’s in Collaborative Leadership, Master’s in Organization Management and Development: Please request a basic evaluation for undergraduate work. If you are requesting transfer credit for graduate coursework, please request a detailed evaluation for graduate coursework. If you are not requesting transfer credit for graduate coursework, please request a basic evaluation.
• MA in Media Psychology and Social Change: Please request the basic evaluation for undergraduate coursework.
• Neuropsychology Certificate Program: Please request a basic evaluation of graduate coursework.

4. How can I get my foreign transcripts translated to English? [back to top]
If the college or university that you attended, or the government ministry or consulate of your home country does not provide translation services, you should contact a professional translation service in your home country or in the U.S. You may wish to contact University Language Services, Inc. at 800.322.0284 or fax 212.349.0964. Outside of the U.S., call 1.212.766.3920. This information is provided for your convenience only. All arrangements must be made directly with the translation service that you select.

5. Does my Canadian transcript need to be evaluated?
Yes. Transcripts from Canadian institutions will need to undergo an independent evaluation to establish equivalency based on a regionally accredited U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree.

6. Is there financial aid available for international students? [back to top]
International students studying at Fielding may be eligible to apply for alternative loans through private lenders. Generally, international students need to have a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner to obtain these loans. Private loans have varying terms and conditions. Please do not agree to any loan until you have a full understanding of your responsibilities.

The U.S. federal government may award financial aid to eligible non-citizens if one of the following applies:

• The student is a U.S. Permanent Resident and has an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-551)
• The student is a Conditional Permanent Resident (I-551C)
• The student is another eligible non-citizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service showing any one of the following designations: “Refugee,” “Asylum Granted,” “Indefinite Parole,” “Humanitarian Parole,” or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant.”

If you are an eligible non-citizen, you must provide your Alien Registration Number (ARN) on the FAFSA. For more information, please visit our Aid for International Students page.

7. What kind of computer do I need? [back to top]
To evaluate your current computer system or review our recommendations for a new purchase, please review our Computer Recommendations.

8. How will I access the library resources I need if I live outside of the United States?
Our Library Services provides a range of online library resources that are accessible to its students from anywhere, as long as they have an Internet connection. We also provide a subsidized document delivery service through which many journal articles and book chapters that are not available through those online library resources can be ordered, regardless of your geographical location. However, given the flexibility in both content and process of the Fielding Learning Model, it is possible that during the course of your studies, you will want or need to obtain books, articles, or other documents that will not be available through Library Services. In the U.S., that can be easily accomplished through local public libraries' interlibrary loan services, by visiting a nearby academic library, or other methods. If you live outside of the U.S. and comparable resources are not available through the local public or academic library, you may have to purchase more of these materials. Library Services will be able to assist you with selecting the best method for obtaining what you need, be it inside or outside the U.S.

9. How far is Fielding from the closest international airport? [back to top]
Santa Barbara Airport is a short commuter flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Another option is to ride the Santa Barbara Airbus from LAX to Santa Barbara. The airbus makes seven round trips daily.