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Ready to Lead Change
If you are an educator ready to take on bigger challenges, the Ed.D. Educational Leadership program helps you grow as a liberatory leader.
San Francisco State University’s Ed.D. program is centered on leadership for social justice and equity and is grounded in critical theories, collaborative learning and practitioner inquiry. Our doctoral faculty form a multidisciplinary community of scholar-practitioners committed to supporting students as they develop the knowledge, resilience and leadership capacity to redesign policies, practices and systems. Students engage in original, practice-based research intended to advance meaningful change and expand more humanizing and liberatory approaches to education in California.
Application Timeline
- Cal State Apply accepts applications for the Fall 2027 cohort from October 1, 2026, to March 1, 2027.
- The Ed.D. Program will begin reviewing applications December 1, 2026.
Minimum Requirement Qualifications
Requirements for admission shall apply to all Ed.D. applicants and shall include, at minimum, the following:
- Earned baccalaureate degree and master's degree from accredited institutions of higher education with a cumulative grade point average in graduate study of 3.0 or above;
- English Language Proficiency Requirement: Applicants required to demonstrate English language proficiency must submit official test scores meeting one of the following minimums: TOEFL iBT (80), IELTS (6.5 overall band score), or PTE Academic (55).
Preparing Application Materials
For this University requirement, you will need to provide transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you have attended. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded initially, however, if accepted, you will be required to upload official transcripts.
Please submit a typed, single-spaced personal statement of one to two pages, not to exceed 1,000 words. Explain why you are applying to San Francisco State University’s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and how your professional experiences, leadership commitments, and educational context have prepared you for doctoral study. Describe why this program is the right fit for your goals, particularly your interest in advancing equity, justice, and transformative change in education. Your statement should also address your future career goals, your developing interests in research and practice, and the experiences, perspectives, and commitments you would bring to the cohort. We encourage you to reflect on how you hope to grow as a scholar-practitioner who can critically examine inequitable systems, work in solidarity with communities, and help design more humanizing and liberatory educational environments. You may identify potential faculty mentors whose work aligns with your interests.
Submit a current CV or résumé that outlines your educational background, professional experience, leadership roles, and significant accomplishments. Include relevant employment history, professional development, service activities, certifications, presentations, publications, awards, and other experiences that demonstrate your potential for doctoral study and leadership in educational settings.
You must submit three (3) letters of recommendation from employers or other individuals who can attest to your suitability for the program. Under the Evaluations tab, you will be prompted to supply the names and emails of your recommenders. An email will then be sent to them directly with a link to the application and instructions for how to supply the recommendation.
Fee and Payment Information
The CSU makes every effort to keep student costs to a minimum. Fees listed in published schedules or student accounts may need to be increased when public funding is inadequate. Therefore, CSU must reserve the right, even after initial fee payments are made, to increase or modify any listed fees, without notice, until the date when instruction for a particular semester or quarter has begun.
For more detailed information about the current schedule of fees, the tuition and registration process, fee payment deadlines, financial aid recipient deadlines, miscellaneous fees, payment methods and important dates, please see the link below to the Bursar’s Office website:
Financial Aid and Scholarships
To qualify for financial aid, current and prospective students must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). SF State also sets aside a small pool of University FAFSA grant funding for doctoral students who qualify based on financial need. For help with SF State financial aid or other options for Ed.D. students, contact Financial Aid by email at finaid@sfsu.edu or by phone at (415) 338-7000.
Limited funding is available to current students enrolled in the Ed.D Program.
Ed.D Scholarships
- Vanson Nguyen Scholarship: A competitive scholarship that supports Ed.D students who demonstrate commitment to and accomplishments in transformative research and work for social justice and equity in education. Awarded in the fall.
- The Ed.D Scholarship: A competitive scholarshipto provide support to full-time Ed.D students who are emerging and innovative scholar-practitioners. Award amount and term varies.
- The EdDoc Grant: Awarded to all Ed.D students who meet the eligibility criteria determined by the Office of Financial Aid. Students do not apply for this award but must have submitted a FAFSA application for the upcoming academic year. Award amount varies and is disbursed after census in fall and spring.
Graduate Assistantship
- Generally open to students in their final year.
- Size of award is variable.
- GAs are expected to attend each class meeting and work with faculty to support students in class and outside of class.
- Award available for the semester following application.
- Student must be enrolled full-time during semester of award.
Travel Award
- An award up to $1,500
- Awarded to attend /present at educational conferences
Research & Student Assistant Opportunities
- Available to generally second and third-year student fully enrolled in the program.
- Size of award is variable.
- Flexible hours.
- Some types of work available include Creating a Catalogue of Theoretical Frameworks Relevant to Educational Research & Examples of Educational Research Across Research Designs
Newsletter Editor
- Available to generally second and third-year student fully enrolled in the program.
- Size of award is variable.
- Flexible hours.
- Editor compiles and edits monthly EdD newsletter for publication between August through June.
- Publish in Constant Contact and create archives for the EdD website
For more information about the Ed.D. Program Awards, please contact the Ed.D. Program Office.
Applications are now being accepted for the Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program. The program seeks to provide grants and forgivable loans to doctoral students who are interested in applying and competing for CSU instructional faculty positions after completion of the doctoral degree