Goddard College
Goddard College is a private, co-educational college located in Plainfield, Vermont that offers a different kind of intensive-residency, student-centered type of curriculum. Founded in 1863 by Royce Stanley Pitkin, Goddard’s first president, the college has gone through several transformations in an effort to keep pace with the changing needs of the changing times.
From 1863 to 1937, Goddard functioned as a seminary until it moved to Plainfield in 1938 where it was reconstituted into a college based on the principles of progressive education by John Dewey. In 1963, the college set up its Adult Degree Program, the blueprint of its current intensive residency curriculum.
Today, Goddard College offers students Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts degrees through its self-directed intensive residency programs in Plainfield, Vermont and in Port Townsend, Washington. The intensive residency program entails faculty and students of a degree program to attend two eight-day residencies a year. Students go to the residency site and, for eight consecutive days, attend lectures and various activities pertaining to their studies all the way until late at night. After these residencies, they then go back home and study independently and send packets of fulfilled program requirements to their mentors every three weeks. Students therefore complete their studies according to the pace they set for themselves. This self-paced method of learning is slowly being adopted by various schools all throughout the United States.
Cost of tuition per semester for academic year 2009-2010 varies according to the degree chosen as well as the number of credits a student decides to take on.
There are residence halls for students who may want to live on campus during the intensive residency period.
For more information about admissions, financial aid or online learning opportunities such as distance education degree programs and online classes, please contact Goddard College.