A. Apply for admission to the university:
Domestic Application for Admission
International Application for Admission
Additional forms for international applicants:
NAFSA
Financial Statement
You must check with specific College of Education Departments whether there is a departmental application that also needs to be completed and submitted.
Click here to view the listing of College of Education Departments and Programs.
Graduate Program and Application Deadlines
B. If you are currently a graduate or a credential
student at SFSU and want to change majors to a graduate program
in Education, you need to file Request
for Change of Graduate Program Form.
If you are a Second Baccalaureate student, you must apply for graduate admission (see above).
C. What is expected of a graduate student?
Rigor
Graduate study in the field of Education involves the rigorous exploration of contemporary theories and practices of teaching and learning. Many students view the Master’s Degree in Education as a terminal degree, although some use it as the basis for further doctoral study. For those students who have previously completed teaching credentials, graduate study affords the opportunity to go beyond the primarily methodological focus of their credential study to explore broader issues, theories, and debates that cut across varying the subdisciplines of Education. Graduate study also offers the opportunity to work more closely with individual faculty members, particularly as the student fulfills the final, culminating experience requirement. All graduate students in the College of Education are expected to undertake challenging programs of study and to apply themselves seriously to those studies.
Culminating Experience
All College of Education graduate students are expected to complete a “culminating experience” as the capstone of their graduate degree program. This is based upon the philosophy that the culmination of graduate study takes place when the student generates new knowledge through some form of original research or other applied piece of work. There are a range of culminating experiences that are available within the College, and these vary by program. These may include the thesis, field study, internship, or other applied piece of original work.
Specific Steps
The following are some specific steps that each graduate student should take initially to insure academic success:
• Obtain a copy of the University Bulletin or consult it online, and regularly consult the College of Education website.
• Set up a personal file for all graduate program papers and keep copies of every form filed with the university. All forms filed must be word processed or typed.
• Seek out an advisor during the first semester of enrollment. The Chair of the department can assist with such assignments. Meet regularly with the advisor and plan out the entire program of coursework as early as possible. Be aware that required courses may not be offered every semester, and that there is a seven-year “window” of time within which all graduate program requirements must be completed.
D. What is expected of a graduate advisor?
Disciplinary Knowledge
Graduate study in the field of Education involves the rigorous exploration of contemporary theories and practices of teaching and learning, and faculty members who teach and advise in these programs are expected to display advanced knowledge within their academic disciplines. All graduate faculty advisors have doctoral degrees and are permanent faculty members who are tenured or on the tenure-track, and all are expected to be professionally active in research, writing, and applied educational innovation.
Procedural Knowledge
Graduate faculty advisors are expected to be knowledgeable about individual program requirements as well as general university Graduate Division requirements in order to provide accurate and timely advice to graduate students. Difficult questions may always be referred to the College’s Graduate Office.
Accessibility
Graduate faculty advisors are expected to be accessible to graduate students. Each department posts faculty office hours at the start of each semester, and all faculty members have office phones and email addresses through which they may be contacted. Students who have difficulty reaching an advisor may also go through the Chair or Administrative Office Coordinator (AOC) of their department to make contact. Faculty advisors are expected to meet regularly with graduate students to help them individually plan their programs, enter the final plan on the Graduate Approved Program (GAP), monitor progress, and guide the student through the Culminating Experience.
E. How to get an advisor:
Contact individual Department (click here for department info)
F. An overview of graduate program procedures:
Steps for Completing a Graduate Degree
