Fielding Graduate University

What Fielding Graduate University does

Fielding Graduate University is a private, nonprofit graduate institution founded in 1974 and headquartered at 2020 De La Vina Street in Santa Barbara, California, with a secondary office in Washington, D.C. It serves working professionals seeking doctoral (PhD, EdD), master's, and certificate credentials through a distributed learning model that combines asynchronous online coursework with periodic intensives. Programs are organized under two academic schools — the School of Psychology (including the only APA-accredited distributed-learning PhD in Clinical Psychology, plus programs in media psychology, applied psychological science, and infant/early childhood development) and the School of Leadership Studies (PhDs in Organizational Development and Change and Human Development, the EdD in Leadership for Change, and Evidence-Based Coaching) — supplemented by three research centers (Institute for Social Innovation, Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education, and the Alonso Center for Psychodynamic Studies) and the Fielding University Press publishing arm, which has produced 40+ scholarly titles since 2014.

The underlying technology footprint is a distributed learning delivery platform paired with standard calendar integrations (Google Calendar, iCalendar, Microsoft Outlook) and a Salesforce-based admissions portal; the APA accreditation of the Clinical Psychology PhD and the ICF accreditation of the Evidence-Based Coaching program are the most consequential technical and regulatory assets, since they constrain replication by competitors. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees billed per term or module across the degree catalog, with secondary contributions from Fielding University Press royalties and licensed scholarship programs (Dr. Sally Peterson Research Excellence Award, Josselson SQIP Student Travel Award, Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Scholarship). The go-to-market motion is sales-led: prospective students are routed through admissions advisors, virtual information sessions, and application deadlines, supported by content marketing via the Fielding Newsroom and Fielding Press, presence at academic conferences such as the APA Convention, and post-enrollment community engagement through Fielding Connect and alumni.fielding.edu.

Fielding has 7,500+ alumni located globally, a 52-year operating history under a scholar-practitioner academic identity, and a Board of Trustees governance structure with no parent company or external shareholders. In February 2026 the institution entered an agreement to merge with Excelsior University — a combination that would establish the Fielding College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences — and concurrently transitioned leadership, with Lynne D. Richardson, PhD, succeeding John Bennett, PhD, as President. The merger is announced but not yet closed.

Name

Fielding Graduate University

Legal name

Fielding Graduate University

Website

https://fielding.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fielding Graduate University is a private nonprofit graduate institution founded in 1974 in Santa Barbara, California, serving working professionals through APA-accredited distributed-learning doctoral, master's, and certificate programs in psychology and leadership, with a planned 2026 merger with Excelsior University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Graduate and Doctoral Programs)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA), Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.) (EDAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Doctoral graduate education
• Clinical psychology programs
• Leadership studies degrees
• Online doctoral programs
• Scholar-practitioner training

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue is generated through tuition and fees from doctoral degree programs (PhD, EdD), master's degrees, and certificate programs. Students pay tuition per term or module as they progress through their programs.
2. Fielding University Press Publications: University press publishes academic books and scholarly works, with over 40 faculty and alumni works published internationally since 2014.
3. Financial Aid and Scholarships: Students receive various scholarships and fellowships including the Dr. Sally Peterson Research Excellence Award, Josselson SQIP Student Travel Award, and Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Scholarship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fielding Graduate University is a private nonprofit graduate institution that delivers accredited doctoral (PhD, EdD), master's, and certificate programs through a distributed (online) learning model with periodic in-person intensives. Its core academic offerings span two schools — the School of Psychology (clinical, media, applied, and infant/early childhood psychology) and the School of Leadership Studies (organizational development, human development, leadership for change, evidence-based coaching). Programs are structured for working professionals pursuing advanced degrees while maintaining their careers.

Product overview

Fielding Graduate University offers doctoral degrees (PhD, EdD), master's degrees, and certificates through two academic schools: the School of Psychology and the School of Leadership Studies. The university operates Fielding University Press, a publishing arm that disseminates scholarly works from faculty and alumni. Programs include APA-accredited doctoral training in Clinical Psychology, programs in organizational development and change, human development, and leadership studies. The institution also maintains research centers including the Institute for Social Innovation, the Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education, and the Alonso Center for Psychodynamic Studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School of Psychology: Academic school offering PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Psychology with emphasis in Media & Technology, PhD in Applied Psychological Science, PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development, MA in Applied Media Psychology, and various certificates. The Clinical Psychology PhD is APA-accredited.
• School of Leadership Studies
• Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education
• Alonso Center for Psychodynamic Studies
• Institute for Social Innovation (ISI)
• Dr. Dianne Kipnes Library
• Fielding University Press

Products and services

• PhD in Clinical Psychology APA-accredited doctoral program in Clinical Psychology; the only distributed learning program accredited by the American Psychological Association, combining online coursework with practicum requirements for working professionals.
• PhD in Psychology with emphasis in Media & Technology Doctoral program examining the intersection of psychology, media, and technology in contemporary society, delivered through the distributed learning model.
• PhD in Psychology with emphasis in Applied Psychological Science Doctoral program focused on applied psychological science research and practice, delivered via distributed learning.
• PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development Doctoral program studying infant and early childhood development, offered via the School of Psychology.
• PhD in Organizational Development and Change Doctoral program in organizational development and change within the School of Leadership Studies, delivered through distributed learning.
• PhD in Human Development Doctoral program in human development offered through the School of Leadership Studies via distributed learning.
• EdD in Leadership for Change Fully online, 64-credit Doctor of Education program designed for experienced leaders, strengthening leadership practice through advanced scholarship.
• Master's in Applied Media Psychology Master's program in applied media psychology offered by the School of Psychology.
• Master's in Infant, Child, and Family Mental Health and Development Master's program focused on infant, child, and family mental health and development.
• Master's in Organization Development and Leadership Master's program in organization development and leadership offered through the School of Leadership Studies.
• Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Clinical Psychology Postbaccalaureate certificate for students seeking foundational coursework in clinical psychology.
• Postdoctoral Certificate in Respecialization in Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral certificate for psychologists seeking respecialization in clinical psychology.
• Certificate in Media Psychology Certificate program in media psychology offered by the School of Psychology.
• Certificate in Evidence Based Coaching Certificate program in evidence-based coaching practices with ICF Coaching Education Accreditation Renewal, underscoring commitment to excellence in coaching education.
• Neuropsychology Specialization Training Program Specialization program in neuropsychology training offered by the School of Psychology.
• Fielding University Press University press publishing academic books across a variety of disciplines, grounded in Fielding's PhD programs and research; has published over 40 faculty and alumni works since 2014 and distributed internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of students report medium to low exposure to sustainability education before Fielding, showing significant learning value

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Excelsior UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Fielding and Excelsior University have entered into a merger agreement to combine forces. The planned merger will create Fielding College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences. This represents a major strategic combination of two institutions focused on flexible, quality graduate education.
• Common Ground Research NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFielding participates in conferences and publication opportunities through the Common Ground Research Networks, a free platform for scholars in behavioral and social sciences. Fielding scholar-practitioners can participate in conferences and pursue publication through this network.
• Graduate School Alliance for Education in CoachingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFielding's evidence-based coaching program book 'Coaching Education: Foundations of Excellence' was sponsored by GSAEC, bringing together 45 leading scholar-practitioners to advance academic standards in graduate-level coaching education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Walden University: Online-focused graduate university offering doctoral and master's programs in psychology, leadership, and related fields, targeting working professionals through a distributed learning model directly comparable to Fielding's approach.
• Capella University: Online university offering PhD, EdD, and master's programs including clinical psychology (APA-accredited) and leadership/organizational development, serving working adults through flexible online formats.
• Saybrook University: Nonprofit graduate university offering low-residency and online doctoral programs in psychology, leadership, and humanistic studies with a scholar-practitioner emphasis similar to Fielding's.
• Antioch University: Nonprofit graduate institution with distributed/low-residency doctoral programs in psychology and leadership, sharing Fielding's scholar-practitioner philosophy and adult-learner focus.
• Alliant International University: Private graduate university offering APA-accredited clinical psychology PhD programs and doctoral degrees in leadership/organizational studies, with hybrid delivery formats.
• Sofia University: Small nonprofit graduate school offering doctoral and master's programs in psychology and transformative leadership through low-residency and online formats serving working professionals.
• Excelsior University: Nonprofit online college serving adult learners with graduate programs in leadership, nursing, and technology; current merger partner of Fielding Graduate University, providing direct strategic comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit university with extensive online graduate offerings including psychology and leadership MBA/doctoral programs, competing for the same working-professional segment but at much greater scale.
• University of Phoenix: Large for-profit online university offering doctoral and master's programs in psychology, organizational leadership, and management, targeting working adults with flexible online delivery.
• Purdue Global: Online university offering graduate programs in psychology, organizational leadership, and education, backed by the Purdue brand and competing in the same working-adult online segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FieldingGradU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FieldingGrad
• Facebookfacebook.com/249955861683831
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fielding-graduate-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/fieldinggrad

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fielding Graduate University