Psychology and Counseling Programs at the Fielding Graduate University
Fielding Graduate University appears in our ranking of the Top 5 Best Online Ph.D. in Psychology Degree Programs
Fielding Graduate University offers certificate programs for graduate and doctoral students as well as full degree programs in psychology. Students can earn a post-bachelor clinical psychology certificate, a media psychology certificate or a post-doctorate certificate in either neuropsychology or clinical psychology. The post-doctorate clinical psychology program helps those who practice psychology change to a new specialization. Each certificate program includes 12 credits and can help students improve their scholarly writing and develop better research skills.
One of the university’s only graduate programs is its Master of Arts in Media Psychology. Ranked as one of the country’s best online psychology programs, it looks at the positive role of psychology in the media and public. Students learn how to engage with audiences and tell stories that capture and keep their attention. The program requires that students take nine classes and then do a capstone for a total of 40 credit hours. They’ll take required classes and electives, including Psychology of Technology, Positive Media Psychology, Introduction to Media Psychology, Research Methods and The Psychology of Social Media Strategy.
Two doctoral programs are also available from Fielding Graduate University in clinical psychology and media psychology. The media psychology program includes concentrations in the social impact of mobile media and immersive technology, brand psychology and audience engagement, and positive psychology and media. Students take foundation and required courses, including History and Systems of Psychology, Foundations of Media Psychology and Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior before taking concentration classes. Students in the clinical psychology program can choose a concentration in forensic psychology, neuropsychology, health psychology or social justice and diversity. They will take required psychology courses and concentration classes as well as do two internships.
About Fielding Graduate University
Fielding Graduate University is a graduate university that offers programs for students at the post-bachelor and higher levels. Established in 1974 as the Fielding Graduate Institute, it opened in Santa Barbara, California after a group of professionals decided to open a school that offered psychology training for graduate students and others. It would later become The Fielding Institute before adopting the Fielding Graduate University name. The university now uses a slogan that tells students the changes they want to see in the world will start with they change themselves.
Fielding Graduate University made history when it developed a media psychology program. That program inspired other colleges to create similar programs that study the connection between the media and their audiences. Fielding created the nation’s first graduate and doctoral programs in media psychology. Students attending the university agree to take online classes and attend sessions on the Fielding Graduate University campus and locations across the country each year. All students do research projects and other work that they present to others for feedback. The feedback they get from their peers and professors help them improve that work. Fielding Graduate University now offers two doctoral programs that students can finish in three to six years, which is less than it takes at other colleges. Higher Education Magazine ranks the university as one of the best for minority students.
Fielding Graduate University Accreditation Details
Fielding is one of the schools in the western United States that has accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This accreditation comes from the organization’s Senior College and University Commission (SCUC), which grants accreditation to schools that offer degrees at the bachelor’s level and higher. The university also has probationary accreditation from the APA for its doctoral clinical psychology program and for the continuing education programs available for psychology professionals.
Fielding Graduate University Application Requirements
Though all students applying to Fielding Graduate University must submit an application by the final deadline of July 18, the requirements they need to meet will vary. Students applying to the post-bachelor certificate program need a bachelor’s degree, a grade point average of at least 2.75, a resume and a completed application. They will also provide an official transcript, statement of purpose and three letters of recommendation. The media psychology certificate program requires a GPA of 2.5 and a bachelor’s degree as well as a transcript and online application. Students applying to the post-doctorate certificate program need a graduate degree in psychology or education and a current/valid psychology license.
The media psychology program requires both a GPA of at least 2.5 and either a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Students will submit the Fielding Graduate University application after uploading a resume and a statement of purpose. They can then send their transcripts to the university through the mail. Both of the university’s doctoral programs require a bachelor’s degree and a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students applying to a combined program do not need a graduate degree, but those who want to immediately enter a doctoral program will need that type of degree. Fielding Graduate University asks for a current resume and a writing sample that demonstrates the student’s critical thinking skills as well as three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose. The university charges a $75 application fee for all students too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
All post-bachelor certificate students pay $720 per credit hour in the clinical psychology program and $610 per credit hour in the media psychology program. Other certificate programs charge around the same amount. Graduate students majoring in media psychology will pay the same $610 per credit hour rate. The university charges one rate per term for doctoral students rather than a rate based on credit hours. Those students pay $9,700 per term in any of the doctoral programs.
Fielding Graduate University believes that students who make financial plans for the future will have a better chance of getting through a program with success. It offers a payment plan that features monthly payments for professional students and financial aid. Both graduate and doctoral students can take advantage of the government’s federal direct loans and PLUS loans to pay for their education. There are both scholarships and grants available from the university that provide students with $500 to $10,000 each year. The Fielding Common School Application is open to all students. They can log in with their account information and apply to any scholarships that are available. The psychology programs offered by Fielding Graduate University allow students to apply for fellowships too.
