Phillips Graduate University
Phillips Graduate University is a nonprofit graduate university founded in 1971 and based in Chatsworth, California. Following a 2019 restructuring, it now focuses on international and online graduate programs in psychology and business, delivered via a MoodleCloud LMS and a Beijing channel partnership, while operating the California Family Counseling Center.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersChatsworth, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Phillips Graduate University does
Phillips Graduate University (PGU) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) graduate university headquartered at 19900 Plummer St., Chatsworth, California, with origins traceable to the 1950s through the work of family therapy pioneers Clinton E. Phillips, Ph.D., and David Jansen, D.Min., and formally incorporated in 1971 as the California Family Study Center. PGU was structured as a graduate-only institution offering master's and doctoral programs in psychology, marriage and family therapy, organizational management, and business administration, and historically operated the California Family Counseling Center, which the institution reports has served more than 30,000 families.
In April 2019, PGU executed a strategic restructuring: it voluntarily withdrew WASC regional accreditation, transferred its Marriage and Family Therapy program to partner university Campbellsville University, and suspended all in-person degree programs in California in order to refocus on international and online program delivery. Day-to-day operations now run through the MoodleCloud-based MyPGU student portal, with the California Family Counseling Center and MFT Consortium continuing as community engagement vehicles, and records administration is handled by Campbellsville University as permanent Custodian of Records starting July 1, 2022. PGU is pursuing Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) accreditation to legitimize its online and international credentials.
PGU's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed, and pricing for degree programs is not posted. The primary forward growth lever is a 2025-2028 exclusive representation agreement with Beijing Caiding Technology Co., Ltd. (北京财丁科技有限公司), under which PGU programs are marketed in China from an office in Haidian District, Beijing. PGU serves two principal customer segments: graduate students seeking master's and doctoral credentials (primary), and community members seeking family counseling services through the California Family Counseling Center (secondary). Headcount is reported in the 101-250 range.
Phillips Graduate University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phillips Graduate University
- Legal name
- Phillips Graduate University
- Website
- https://pgu.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Phillips Graduate University is a nonprofit graduate university founded in 1971 and based in Chatsworth, California. Following a 2019 restructuring, it now focuses on international and online graduate programs in psychology and business, delivered via a MoodleCloud LMS and a Beijing channel partnership, while operating the California Family Counseling Center.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Phillips Graduate University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.) (EDAHAFAB), Management Research Institutes & Doctoral (PhD/DBA) Programs (EDAHAHAO), Diploma-to-Degree / Articulation & Credit-Transfer Pathways (EDAIAJAG)
Keywords
Where Phillips Graduate University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chatsworth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Phillips Graduate University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Official Transcript |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Phillips Graduate University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phillips Graduate University is a nonprofit graduate institution offering master's and doctoral degree programs in psychology, marriage and family therapy, organizational management, and business administration. Programs are delivered online through the MyPGU portal and via international education partnerships, with the MFT program transferred to Campbellsville University. The institution also operates community counseling services through its California Family Counseling Center.
Product overview
Phillips Graduate University is a nonprofit educational institution offering a portfolio of graduate-level degree programs in psychology, business administration, and family therapy. The university operates as a single unified institution providing multiple degree pathways including Master of Arts in Psychology with various specializations (MFT/AT, SC & PPS, MFT & PPS, SP & PPS), doctoral programs (Psy.D. in Organizational Management & Consulting, Ph.D. in Psychology), and business programs (MBA, Executive MBA, DBA). The institution also operates the California Family Counseling Center providing community counseling services and the MFT Consortium in partnership with Campbellsville University. Programs are delivered through the MoodleCloud-based MyPGU student portal, with the university's restructuring in 2019 shifting focus to international and online program delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Master of Arts in Psychology
- Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Organizational Management & Consulting
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Executive Master of Business Administration
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
- California Family Counseling Center
- MFT Consortium Programs
Companies that use Phillips Graduate University
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Phillips Graduate University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Phillips Graduate University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Campbellsville UniversitycoreStrategic partnership with Campbellsville University in Kentucky. In April 2019, PGU transferred its MFT program to Campbellsville University. Campbellsville also serves as the permanent Custodian of Records for all transcript requests and degree verifications starting July 1, 2022, processing all requests from their main campus in Campbellsville, Kentucky.
- Beijing Caiding Technology Co., Ltd. (北京财丁科技有限公司)coreInternational partnership agreement (2025-2028) for offering PGU programs in China. Representative: Lin Ju. Contact: 010-53346777, 18611717026. Office: Room 236, Block C, Dongsheng Building, Haidian District, Beijing. Email: [email protected].
- MFT ConsortiumcorePGU operates the MFT Consortium Programs, a collaborative initiative for Marriage and Family Therapy education and training across partner institutions.
- American Institute of Family RelationsminorHistorical partnership origin: In the 1950s, founders Clinton E. Phillips, Ph.D., and David Jansen, D.Min. pioneered the application of family systems theory and initiated family therapy at the American Institute of Family Relations, founded by Paul Popenoe.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Phillips Graduate University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National University: National University is a nonprofit university with a strong online graduate portfolio spanning psychology, marriage and family therapy, business, and education. It is a broader incumbent competing with PGU in the online graduate market, especially in California.
- Walden University: Walden is a large for-profit online university offering graduate degrees in psychology, counseling, and management. It is a benchmark for the online graduate segment PGU has pivoted into, though Walden is far larger and better capitalized.
- Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology: Pepperdine's GSE&P offers master's and doctoral programs in clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, and organizational leadership, overlapping with PGU's degree portfolio but as part of a much larger, broadly recognized private research university.
Direct peers
- Saybrook University: Saybrook is a nonprofit, graduate-only university focused on humanistic and organizational psychology, with online and low-residency delivery. It is closely comparable to PGU in scale, mission, and emphasis on practitioner psychology.
- Antioch University: Antioch is a multi-campus nonprofit graduate university with low-residency and online programs in psychology, counseling, and management. It shares PGU's graduate-only, practitioner-oriented posture and reliance on nontraditional delivery.
- Pacific Oaks College: Pacific Oaks is a nonprofit institution in Pasadena offering graduate degrees in marriage and family therapy, counseling, and education, with an emphasis on human development and social justice — overlapping directly with PGU's MFT and psychology niche.
- Alliant International University: Alliant is a graduate-focused nonprofit university emphasizing psychology, marriage and family therapy, counseling, and organizational studies, closely mirroring PGU's psychology and MFT heritage. It targets similar practitioner-track students seeking master's and doctoral credentials.
- Campbellsville University: Campbellsville University absorbed PGU's flagship MFT program in 2019 and now serves as PGU's Custodian of Records. It is the most directly comparable peer, offering graduate programs in counseling and psychology to a similar student persona.
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology: The Chicago School is a nonprofit, graduate-only institution specializing in psychology, counseling, and applied behavioral science degrees. It competes directly with PGU in the online and on-ground graduate psychology market.
Emerging players
- Sofia University (formerly ITP): Sofia is a small nonprofit graduate university offering master's and doctoral degrees in psychology, counseling, and transformative studies, with a hybrid/online model. It is comparable in scale and graduate-only focus, though it targets a different psychology niche than PGU.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Phillips Graduate University social profiles
Digital presencePhillips Graduate University compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Phillips Graduate University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phillips Graduate University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Phillips Graduate University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Phillips Graduate University M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Phillips Graduate University
What does Phillips Graduate University do?
Phillips Graduate University is a nonprofit graduate institution offering master's and doctoral degree programs in psychology, marriage and family therapy, organizational management, and business administration. Programs are delivered online through the MyPGU portal and via international education partnerships, with the MFT program transferred to Campbellsville University. The institution also operates community counseling services through its California Family Counseling Center.
Is Phillips Graduate University a public or private company?
Phillips Graduate University is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Phillips Graduate University founded?
Phillips Graduate University was founded in 1971. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Phillips Graduate University based?
Phillips Graduate University is headquartered in Chatsworth, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Phillips Graduate University's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National University, Walden University and Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Direct peers are Saybrook University, Antioch University, Pacific Oaks College, Alliant International University, Campbellsville University and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Sofia University (formerly ITP) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Phillips Graduate University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phillips Graduate University.
What industry is Phillips Graduate University in?
Phillips Graduate University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAD, Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs), with a secondary code of EDAHAFAB, Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.