Listed below are the most frequently asked questions about our doctoral program. If you have any further questions regarding our degree programs, distributed learning model, or admission process, please contact Carmen Kuchera at 800.340.1099 (x4063) or e-mail .

• How do Knowledge Assessments work and how is this different from a credit system?
• What are the residency requirements for the program?
• How much will the New Student Orientation (NSO) cost?
• How does billing work? Can I be billed monthly?
• What type of students are successful in the program?
• Who attends the doctoral degree program?
• How do I know Fielding is the right learning environment for me?
• How long does the program take?
• How do I contact faculty to complete assessments and how much guidance do they offer?
• Can I receive credit for previous work completed at other academic institutions?
• What are some recent dissertation topics?
• What services are covered by tuition?
• Are scholarships available?
• For more information about the program, how can I speak with a faculty member or student?
• What do your graduates do with their degrees?
• Why should I choose Fielding over other online distance learning programs?
• What is Fielding's reputation?

Q. How do Knowledge Assessments work and how is this different from a credit system? [back to list of questions]
A. Knowledge Assessments (KA's) are demonstrations of student competency in a knowledge area. They are typically written documents demonstrating overview, in-depth and applied perspectives of the student's knowledge, but alternate models of demonstrating these competencies may be negotiated with the faculty assessor. The contract details are collaboratively developed between the student and the assessing faculty member. The student elects whether to work for a letter grade or credit/no-credit. A Knowledge Assessment (KA) differs from a course in several ways but primarily in that KA's are individually crafted around the student's learning plan not the instructors.

Q. What are the residency requirements for the program? [back to list of questions]
A. Students are required to attend the New Student Orientation (NSO) at the very beginning of the program. The NSO is a five-day session that introduces students to the Fielding learning model, HOD faculty, and fellow students. Students must also present their Final Oral Review when their dissertation is complete and ready for public dissemination. This can be done during a National Session, Research and Practice Session (RaP), cluster meeting, Intensive, or other HOD event open to the Fielding community. The HOD program also offers other community-based seminars and meetings for students to attend in order to build personal relationships, acquire content and develop their research skills. Click here for more information about these learning resources.

Q. How much will the New Student Orientation (NSO) cost? [back to list of questions]
A. The cost of the session including 4.5 days of food service and materials is $850.

Q. How does billing work? Can I be billed monthly? [back to list of questions]
A. Please see our tuition payment information on our web site:
http://www.fielding.edu/policies/financia/tuitpmts.htm

Q. What type of students are successful in the program? [back to list of questions]
A Students who excel in the program are largely self-directed; have adequate financial and familial support; have several reasons for wanting a Ph.D; are able to fit Fielding work into their lives; and describe themselves as engaged and involved.

Q. Who attends the doctoral degree program? [back to list of questions]
A. Many are independent consultants, higher education faculty and administrators, corporate managers, public policy makers, human services professionals in non-profit organizations, human resource directors, health care and information professionals. Just as the faculty are a highly diverse multi-disciplinary group so are the students who are drawn to the program. Doctoral students are mature professionals, who pursue their degrees within the context of their personal and work lives: they are geographically dispersed and culturally diverse. More than 65% are women professionals. The average age of the beginning student is 45.

Q. How do I know Fielding is the right learning environment for me? [back to list of questions]
A. If you are an independent learner and want flexibility yet have the self-discipline to create your own structure, you will find our environment a good fit. If you have strong writing skills and can set school as a priority, you will find that our program provides the setting to develop your particular interests. If you can initiate relationships, you will enjoy the close collegiality with other students and collaborative opportunities with faculty. If you have good Internet skills, you will be able to engage easily with our national learning network.

Q. How long does the program take? [back to list of questions]
A. We strongly recommend that students spend at least 20 hours a week on their studies. To complete assessments at a reasonable pace, students find that they need to make room for scholarly writing. Some students are able to work more quickly than others. If you have strong scholarship skills and can manage time effectively, you may complete the program in four to six years. The average time to completion is four and half years. However, if you have other demands or unforeseen events occur during your program, you may take longer.

Q. How do I contact faculty to complete assessments and how much guidance do they offer? [back to list of questions]
A. Each knowledge area (KA) has a number of faculty who are identified as assessors in that area. Most assessors have posted their faculty guidelines, or preferences, that explain what they look for when conducting an assessment. Students also receive study guides in each knowledge area. Students are expected to contact the faculty member of their choice to develop an individualized assessment contract. The sequencing of KA's and the specific topics covered can be tailored to the students' interests. Students and faculty can meet face-to-face at the national sessions and when they visit clusters. They can also be contacted on the web, through email, and via more structured seminars offered online.

Q. Can I receive credit for previous work completed at other academic institutions? [back to list of questions]
A. Yes, we accept up to 20 units of Post-Master's level transfer credits under the conditions set in our transfer credit policy. In addition, any prior learning is acknowledged during the negotiation of each knowledge area (KA) assessment with the faculty assessor, allowing students to build on the work they completed at another institution.

Q. What are some recent dissertation topics? [back to list of questions]
A. Click here to download a partial list of dissertation topics. (PDF)

Q. What services are covered by tuition? [back to list of questions]
A. As a non-profit tuition driven institution it is the mainstay of all Fielding operations. The tuition supports all academic, training, faculty and administrative services on a year round basis. In addition, we provide access to First Search Database and a host of other databases. Tuition is billed three times each year; however, other arrangements can be made with our Finance Office. The Board of Trustees reviews tuition annually.The tuition schedule is on FELIX page /policies/financia/tuitinfo.htm.

Q. Are scholarships available? [back to list of questions]
A. We are working in the area of development to receive more support from the community of Santa Barbara and our alumni throughout the world. As a result we a have recently doubled the number of scholarships for the PhD students in the School of Human and Organizational Development (HOD). Though modest, current students who have been with us one year are eligible to apply for scholarships in the range of $500-$5,000 per year.

Students are also encouraged to write grants to assist with their tuition and support their research.

If you are able to commit the time to study, you can control the cost of your program by completing it in as little as 3-4 years. We do not hold you back, or charge you by the class or credit hour, but rather by the year. We only have one residency requirement which also saves you money as compared to other schools that have colloquia about once per year that are required.

Q. How can I speak with a faculty member or student? [back to list of questions]
A. Please contact the admission staff who will put you in touch with a faculty member, a student in your region, an Alumni Ambassador, or someone else who can answer your questions.

Q. What do your graduates do with their degrees? [back to list of questions]
A. Our graduates are in the human services professions, in education, in business and industry, or in private consulting. Many continue in positions they previously held but gain additional responsibilities or find the kinds of projects they are assigned more interesting and challenging than before. Some connect with one of the many new opportunities they discover within the Fielding community. Most students find a new level of personal and professional enthusiasm in whatever they choose to pursue.

Q. Why should I choose Fielding over other online distance learning programs? [back to list of questions]
A. Doctoral students at Fielding enjoy the advantages of developing their own curriculum. This model of crafting your own program is ideal for adult learners who wish to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing career or family. Many cite this flexibility as a major advantage over traditional, campus-based programs. With a network of over 650 graduates and 25 years in the field, Fielding students gain access to an internationally dispersed community of faculty, students and alumni.

Q. What is Fielding's reputation? [back to list of questions]
A. Fielding's School of Human and Organization Development has been called the Harvard of Organization Development (OD). For those who affiliate with OD Network, Fielding graduates and faculty are frequently found among the top presenters, leaders and facilitators. In the widely dispersed field of human development, Fielding graduates are well represented, serving as educators, administrators and social change agents. Fielding faculty and graduates are well represented, too, on the faculties of both private and public institutes of higher learning in the US and abroad. Finally, research done by faculty, graduates and students is published by the most prestigious of scholarly publishing houses and journals in human development, organization development, management, sociology, political science, communications and social work.