Upon acceptance, into the EdD Program, students are required to attend a four-day New Student Orientation.  This represents the only residency requirement of the program.  These five-day sessions (Wednesday through Sunday) are held four times a year in various locations throughout the United States.

The NSO is a distinguishing feature of Fielding Graduate University.  It is an important beginning to enrolling in the EdD Program.  The goals are to

• assess each student's academic readiness
• evaluate research and personal skills and learning resources
• orient new students to the adult learning model
• provide an opportunity to set academic and professional goals
• develop a support group
• join the School of ELC community of scholars