Fielding Graduate University Announces Acquisition of Organization Systems Renewal (OSR) Master's Degree Program

Fielding's Master of Arts in Organizational Development and Leadership now offers students two unique delivery models

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Feb 27, 2015, 04:58 ET

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fielding Graduate University President Katrina Rogers, PhD, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Organization Systems Renewal (OSR) master's degree program. The OSR program is now being offered as a part of the Master of Arts in Organizational Development and Leadership (MA-ODL) program at Fielding Graduate University. On February 24, 2015, in Seattle, Washington, OSR and Fielding met to formally launch their agreement. Following the meeting, OSR and Fielding leadership, alumni, faculty and students gathered for an evening reception hosted by Fielding at The Mountaineers Program Center to publicly announce the new collaboration. "OSR and Fielding have followed a similar path in leading the field of organizational development, leadership, and change. We are honored that OSR has joined Fielding to continue our leadership together in promoting organizational effectiveness through systems change." President Rogers said.

Fielding is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and was founded in 1974. A nonprofit leader in blended graduate education for over forty years, Fielding's accreditation is maintained through the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Fielding's global, distributed community of professionals is dedicated to lifelong learning, social justice and innovation, and advancement for individuals, organizations, communities, and society. Fielding faculty members represent a breadth of scholarship and practice within the fields of clinical and media psychology, human and organizational development, and educational leadership.

The OSR program has conducted twenty cohorts in its 35-year history, boasting alumni presence in organizations such as Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, Boys and Girls Clubs, the higher education sector as well as other private and non-profit organizations.

The OSR master's degree program will be offered as a part of Fielding's current MA-ODL program, which will now provide students with two unique delivery models. One model is the ODL~OSR Cohort allowing working professionals to obtain their degree through an in-depth learning experience that is highly collaborative and experiential. This model combines face-to-face interaction and online learning with faculty and peers who meet in Seattle and surrounding areas. Students complete online courses in the areas of leadership, design, group dynamics, and systems thinking, scheduled throughout five terms (20 months) beginning in the fall of each year. Students who complete this cohort model receive an emphasis in Organization Systems Renewal. The first ODL~OSR Cohort term begins in the fall of 2015.

The ODL~ Self-Directed is another model that allows working professionals who wish to achieve their educational goals by engaging with a diverse global community. This flexible model combines action inquiry, group engagement, and scholarship with praxis. The ODL~ Self-Directed model is a collaborative, in-depth learning experience with faculty and peers and includes two face-to-face residential sessions combined with online learning. Through full- or part-time participation, ODL~ Self-Directed can begin any fall, spring or summer term.

MA-ODL Program Director Marcella Benson-Quaziena, PhD, stated, "The two offerings coming together is a natural fit. The students are similar in their goals and desires, intellectual curiosity, heart and spirit. The MA-ODL program is now comprised of two delivery models that reach a wide range of adult learners giving them a choice based on their engagement style, professional and personal commitments, and desire to integrate scholarship with practice."

For more information about Fielding Graduate University, please visit www.fielding.edu.

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