Education Doctoral Studies

College of Education
Dean: Jacob E. Perea

Educational Leadership
BH 521
415-405-4103
Director: Robert Gabriner
Graduate Coordinator: Patricia Irvine

Special Education
BH 156
415-338-1161
Chair: Nicholas Certo, Ph.D.
Co-Directors: Marci Hanson (SFSU) and Anne Cunningham (UC Berkeley)
Advisers: Certo, Courey, Filippini, Hanson, Hong, Hsia, Hunt, LePage, Lueck, Paillard, Prinz, Robinson, Rosen, Soto, Wolfberg

Programs

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
Ph.D. in Education: Concentration in Special Education

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION (Ed.D.) IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is an intensive multidisciplinary three-year program implemented at SFSU to accommodate the needs of working professionals and maximize the use of multidisciplinary faculty expertise in the San Francisco Metropolitan Bay Area. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership immerses its students in an exploration of critical challenges that high-level P-12 school district and community college educational leaders must grapple with, while providing enriching educational opportunities that are available only in dynamic urban and transitioning communities. The aim of the program is to prepare outstanding educational leaders who will create transformational change and promote equity and scholastic achievement in both the P-12 school districts and community colleges located in the 14 counties that constitute the San Francisco Metropolitan Bay Area.

The innovative curriculum for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership addresses five major categories (leadership and systemic reform; learning, curriculum and assessment; equity, diversity, and structural inequality; educational program administration; research activities), supported by four cross-cutting professional development themes (education in urban and transitioning communities; real world applications and residency experiences; evidence-based decision-making, use of research, and analysis of data; accelerating learning to close the learning gap and equalize access to lifelong learning).

The distinctive structural features of the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership may be summarized as follows:

• It is a three-year multidisciplinary course of study that culminates in a doctoral degree in educational leadership (Ed.D.) with specializations in P-12 and community college leadership.
• Upon graduation, students are qualified to fill positions as administrators in P-12 school districts, community colleges, county offices of education, and other school consortia.
• Course scheduling will accommodate the needs of working professionals. Course work is offered during the summer and on weekends during fall and spring semesters.
• Arrangements will be made to use technology to deliver instruction in order to meet student needs when appropriate and feasible.
• The student cohort model provides ongoing support and builds professional networking opportunities among peers.
• P-12 school district and community college-based residencies, job-embedded, and problem-based learning are integral to the program.
• Dissertation research addresses real issues in diverse educational settings.
• Moral visions of equity and diversity are incorporated into all aspects of the program.
• Multidisciplinary and distinguished faculty expertise will promote high quality educational research and practice.
• Substantial community partnerships with P-12 and community college leaders will address regional needs through their active involvement in program design, candidate recruitment and admissions, teaching, and program assessment and evaluation (Senate Bill 724, Chapter 269, Statutes of 2005; Summary of Provisions, by CSU Chancellor’s Office).

Admission Requirements

The program encourages individuals to apply who have a background and experience in educational leadership who seek a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership with a specialization in P-12 or community college leadership.

The program requires the following of applicants for admission:

• an earned baccalaureate degree and master's degree from accredited institutions of higher education with a cumulative grade point average in upper division and graduate study of 3.0 or above;
• demonstrated competence in writing as determined by the Ed.D. Program and Graduate Studies at SFSU;
• for non-native speakers of English, a score of 550 on the written, 213 on computer-based or internet-based test, 80 on the computer TOEFL or 6.0 on the IELTS;
• submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores on the three sections of the General Test; GRE scores from the previous five (5) years are acceptable as valid for this purpose;
• sufficient preparation and experience in educational leadership to benefit from the Ed.D. Program;
• demonstrated educational leadership potential and skills including successful experience in school, postsecondary, community, and/or policy leadership;
• demonstrated academic excellence, problem-solving ability, technology proficiency, and interest in critically assessing and bringing about improvements to current educational policies and practices;
• professional resume, including whether the applicant has proficiency in a second language although a second language is not required;
• three letters of recommendation attesting to the leadership and scholarship potential of the candidate; applicants who will specialize as P-12 educational leaders are expected to have one of these letters address their effectiveness as a classroom instructor;
• a written personal statement reflecting an understanding of the challenges facing the public schools or community colleges/institutions of higher education in California; applicants who will specialize as P-12 educational leaders are also expected to include their experiences as classroom instructors;
• submission of a statement of time commitment to complete the Ed.D. Program within three years;
• a statement of support for the candidate’s doctoral studies from his/her employer or, in cases where this is not provided, an indication of the candidate’s plan for meeting the demands of the program and his/her professional responsibilities; and
• a personal interview with the Admissions Committee.

Students are expected to be admitted with a Tier I Credential when they plan to earn a Tier II Credential (Professional Clear Administrative Services). Meeting the minimum requirements qualifies an individual for consideration, but does not guarantee admission to the program. Admission will be granted on a competitive basis. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership will not include a foreign language requirement.

Program Requirements

Criteria for Continuation in the Program

• Student is expected to maintain satisfactory progress toward approved academic objectives;
• Student must advance to candidacy and complete all courses and examinations satisfactorily;
• Student is expected to make progress in accordance with the Ed.D. cohort structure and program of study;
• The student must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average;
• The student may not have a grade point average below 3.0 in two successive quarters; and
• The student must pass all required examinations within two attempts.

Unit Requirements
The program expects the following of students in completing unit requirements:

• The curriculum shall be organized as a cohort-based program and shall include learning experiences that balance research, theory, and practice, including field experiences. The core curriculum shall provide professional preparation for leadership, including but not limited to theory and research methods, the structure and culture of education, and leadership in curriculum and instruction, equity, and assessment.
• The pattern of study shall be composed of at least 60 semester units earned in graduate status. At least four-fifths of the units required for the degree shall be in courses organized primarily for doctoral students, and the remaining units required for the degree shall be in courses organized primarily for doctoral students or courses organized primarily for master’s and doctoral students.
• At least 42 semester units shall be completed in residence at SFSU. The Graduate Coordinator may authorize the substitution of credit earned by alternate means for part of this residence requirement. SFSU may establish a transfer policy allowing application to degree requirements of relevant coursework and credits completed as a matriculated student in another graduate program, on the condition that the other program is appropriately accredited.
• A grade point average of 3.0 (grade of B) or better shall be maintained in all courses taken to satisfy the requirements for the degree, except that a course in which no letter grade is assigned shall not be used in computing the grade point average.
• No more than 12 semester units shall be allowed for a dissertation.

Major Examinations
The program requires all students to complete the following three major examinations:

1. The qualifying examination includes a rigorous written assessment of student knowledge;
2. During Year 2, passage of the dissertation proposal examination constitutes formal approval for the candidate to proceed with the dissertation research as proposed, subject to approval as necessary of the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS); and
3. At the end of Year 3, the final examination is an oral defense of the candidate’s dissertation.

During Years 2 and 3, the dissertation research will normally focus on a significant professional problem or issue and have the potential to contribute—generally or in the context of a particular educational institution—to improvement of public P-12 or community college/postsecondary education. Work in support of the dissertation is embedded throughout the Ed.D. curriculum. However, formal dissertation research is subject to passage of the dissertation proposal examination and human subjects approval by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS). The dissertation must demonstrate a strong scholarly and professional foundation of knowledge on the part of the student and the ability to apply this knowledge to rigorous study of P-12 or community college/postsecondary education.

Contact Information
For application details, please visit the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership web site: http://www.sfsu.edu/~edd/.

Robert Gabriner, Director,
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue, BH 521
San Francisco, CA  94132
Phone: 415-405-4103
Fax:    415-338-7019
Email: eed@sfsu.edu

For further information, please view the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership website: http://www.sfsu.edu/~edd.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION: CONCENTRATION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

The Ph.D. in Special Education is a joint doctoral program within the College of Education, San Francisco State University and the Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley. The doctoral committee is co-directed by a faculty member from each campus who functions in consultation with the Executive Committee composed of faculty members from both campuses. Student performance and competencies are required to meet the scholarly requirements of the Graduate Studies Divisions of both institutions.

Members of the faculty from SFSU are primarily from the Department of Special Education, which represents multiple areas relating to people with disabilities. Faculty from departments such as Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Ethnic Studies, and English are also available to work with doctoral students. The majority of the Berkeley faculty come from the Graduate School of Education and includes faculty from each of the major divisions: education, language, literacy, and culture; cognition and development; policy, organization, measurement, and evaluation; and social and cultural studies. In addition, faculty from several associated fields such as psychology, linguistics, public health, optometry, anthropology, public policy, social welfare, and social and behavioral sciences also participate in the program. Students are assigned a primary adviser from each campus.

Admission Requirements

The program encourages individuals to apply who have a background and experience in special education-as well as those from related disciplines in the social, behavioral, and health sciences-who seek leadership and research training. In addition to the academic criteria for admission, consideration is given to successful experience working with individuals with disabilities or in programs serving this population. Students without sufficient preparation and experience in special education will be considered for admission and required to enroll in prerequisite foundation course work.

Selection Criteria

The major factors used in selection of candidates are: (1) undergraduate grade point average; (2) graduate grade point average; (3) verbal and quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination, taken within the last five years (the GRE must be taken no later than the October test date preceding the admission deadline for fellowship applicants and no later than the December test date for applicants not applying for fellowships); (4) letters of recommendation; (5) statement of purpose which describes interests and research questions motivating the candidate to apply to the program; (6) writing sample (i.e., research paper, publication, etc.); (7) academic training and related professional experience in special education; and (8) personal interview.

Application Procedures

Applications must be submitted to both campuses (SFSU and UCB). For SFSU, applicants must submit only copies of all parts of the UCB application, including one set of official transcripts, a goal statement, a writing sample, GRE scores within the last five years, and a resume. Applicants do not apply to SFSU Graduate Admissions until admission decisions are completed at the department level. For UCB, follow instructions outlined in the Graduate School of Education application and the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships. Contact SFSU campus for the annual December application deadline: http://www.sfsu.edu/~spedcd, (415) 338-1161.

Applications are available from:
Department of Special Education, Joint Doctoral Program, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132; telephone: (415) 338-1161; www.sfsu.edu/~spedcd; and Student Academic Services Office, Graduate School of Education, 4307 Tolman Hall, #1670, University of California, Berkeley, CA  94720-1670; telephone: (510) 643-6871; www-gse.berkeley.edu. UCB applications are available after August 1.

Areas of Specialization

In conjunction with the primary advisers, students will select a course of study which is congruent with their professional development goals and previous course work and experience. Students select three areas of specialization in consultation with the primary advisers. These three areas are to represent three distinct areas of study and represent substantial and different bodies of relevant literature. A minimum of three courses or nine units is required in each area of specialization, not including directed or independent study. At least one of the three areas of study must be completed at the opposite campus.

Students select an area of academic specialization in both special and general education. Faculty and program resources on the two campuses are used to develop advanced knowledge of theory and research in an area of exceptionality. Specializations include: human development; language and literacy; bilingualism; technology; educational policy and administration; early childhood; mild to moderate disabilities; moderate to severe disabilities; autism; vision impairments; and other areas selected by students in consultation with faculty advisers. Students develop three areas of emphasis or specialization within their program.

Students who are accepted into the program and who have minimal or no academic course work in special education will be required to enroll in prerequisite foundation courses. These courses are taken primarily at the SFSU campus.

Normative Time for Program. The normative time for completion of the doctoral degree is six years. Two years of full-time residence is required.

Enrollment. Enrollment is required on a year-to-year basis between the two campuses. Payment of fees on one campus permits the student to take work and utilize the facilities of the other campus at no additional charge. Students may elect courses from any department or college on either campus each semester. Core courses are completed within the first two years in the program.

Pre-qualifying Review. The prequalifying review for the doctoral degree consists of the approval of two position papers, one of which is an empirical paper, a research internship, and a dissertation prospectus. The position papers cover the areas of specialization and should demonstrate theoretical competence in the field of academic preparation as applied to problems of educational significance and competence in research methods.

Qualifying Examination. The qualifying examination is an oral examination of two to three hours duration. The examination committee is comprised of at least three members representing each campus. From UC, Berkeley, one member is from the Graduate School of Education and one member from outside the school. From SFSU, at least one member is from the Department of Special Education. The student, in consultation with the primary adviser, selects members of the oral examination committee. The chairperson of the committee may be a member from either campus. The passing of the oral examination is prerequisite to advancement to candidacy.

Advancement to Candidacy. Following successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student advances to candidacy and submits a dissertation proposal. Advancement to candidacy occurs by the end of the semester following the completion of the qualifying examination. A Dissertation Committee, comprised of faculty members representing both campuses, is formed. One member must be outside the UCB School of Graduate Education. The student selects the committee and requests a faculty member from each campus to serve as co-chair. The approval of the dissertation proposal and completion of the dissertation results in the award of a doctoral degree.

Program Requirements

The total number of units required for the doctoral program ranges from 45-53 units.

During participation in the doctoral program, students need to enroll in a minimum of 3 units at SFSU and 8 units at U.C. Berkeley each semester. Additional course work at SFSU includes the following doctoral level courses, as well as additional graduate level courses in special education under advisement.