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Updated March 03, 2015

Education Doctoral Programs

 

Graduate College of Education

Dean: Judith Munter

 

Educational Leadership

BH 521
Phone: 415-405-4103

Director: Robert Gabriner, Ed.D.

 

Special Education

BH 156
Phone: 415-338-1161

Chair: Yvonne Bui
Co-Directors: Marci Hanson (SF State) and Anne Cunningham (UC Berkeley)
Advisors: Courey, Epstein, Friesen, Hanson, Hsia, Hunt, LePage, Lueck, Prinz, Robinson, Rosen, Solomon-Rice, Soto, Wolfberg, Yu

 

Programs

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

Ph.D. in Education: Concentration in Special Education

 

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Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program is an intensive, multidisciplinary three-year program implemented at SF State to accommodate the needs of working professionals and maximize the use of multidisciplinary faculty expertise in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program immerses its students in an exploration of critical challenges with which P-12 school district and community college educational leaders must grapple 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 that will create transformational change and promote equity and scholastic achievement in both the P-12 school districts and community colleges located in the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

The innovative curriculum addresses three major categories: Leadership and Administration, equity and inquiry.

 

The distinctive features of the program 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.
• Course scheduling accommodates the needs of working professionals. Course work is offered during the summer and on weekends during fall and spring semesters.
• The student cohort model provides ongoing support and builds professional networking opportunities among peers.
• Dissertation research addresses real issues in diverse educational settings.
• Equity and diversity are incorporated into the program.
• Multidisciplinary and distinguished faculty expertise promotes high-quality educational research and practice.
• Substantial community partnerships with P-12 and community college leaders 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, experience and/or potential 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 for admission:

• A 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.
• Demonstrated competence in writing as determined by the Ed.D. Program and Graduate Studies at SF State. Applicants must score a 4.0 or above on the analytical writing portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE); conditional admission may be offered to applicants with lower GRE writing scores.
• Non-native speakers of English must score 590 on the written test, 243 on computer-based or internet-based test, 96 on the computer-based TOEFL, or 7.0 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 valid for this purpose.
• 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 in 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.
• A written personal statement reflecting an understanding of the challenges facing the public schools or community colleges/institutions of higher education in California.
• 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.
• A personal interview with the admissions committee.

 

Students planning to earn a Tier II Credential (Professional Clear Administrative Services) by completing coursework in the program must hold a Tier I Credential.

 

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 does not include a second-language requirement.

 

Program Requirements

Criteria for Continuing in the Program

• Students are expected to maintain satisfactory progress toward approved academic objectives.
• Students must advance to candidacy and complete all courses and examinations satisfactorily.
• Students are expected to make progress in accordance with the Ed.D. cohort structure and program of study.
• Students must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Students may not have a grade point average below 3.0 in two successive semesters.
• Students 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. 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 program of study shall be composed of at least 60 semester units earned in graduate status.
• At least 42 semester units shall be completed in residence at SF State. The graduate coordinator may authorize the substitution of credit earned by alternate means for part of this residence requirement.
• 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 the culminating experience or dissertation.

 

Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) — minimum 60 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

 

Eighteen courses comprise the current curriculum of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program under three main themes: Leadership, Equity and Inquiry. The courses are described below with themes identified for each:

Program Milestones

Although students continuously self-reflect and receive feedback from faculty on their learning, there are three formal milestone assessments during the program:

• The initial milestone occurs after the first year of coursework, when the student must pass the qualifying examination to advance to the second year. The qualifying examination consists of a 15-page paper that is read and scored by a faculty panel.
• The second milestone occurs at the end of the second year of coursework, when the student presents a proposal for conducting research related to a significant problem or issue in P-12 or community college/ postsecondary education.
• The third and final milestone is the culmination of the student’s dissertation research, in which the student presents an oral defense of her/his written manuscript.

 

During years two and three, 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 improving of public P-12 or community college/postsecondary education. Work in support of the dissertation is embedded throughout the 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://edd.sfsu.edu.

Dr. 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: edd@sfsu.edu

 

Educational Leadership Discipline Courses

 

Doctor of Philosophy in Education: Concentration in Special Education

The Ph.D. in special education is a joint doctoral program within the Graduate 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 San Francisco State University are primarily from the Department of Special Education, which represents multiple areas of study 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 University of California, 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 advisor 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 (San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley). For SF State, applicants must submit a single page application from the Department of Special Education: www.sfsu.edu/~spedcd/joint.html. Faculty members from both campuses will review online applications submitted to U.C. Berkeley. Applicants do not apply to SF State 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 SF State campus for the annual December application deadline and application: http://www.sfsu.edu/~spedcd/, (415) 338-1161.

 

Applications and contact information for each campus: 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/joint.html; and, Graduate School of Education, Student Academic Services Office, 4307 Tolman Hall, #1670, University of California, Berkeley, CA  94720-1670; telephone: (510) 643-6871; http://gse.berkeley.edu,. UCB applications are available after August 1.

 

Areas of Specialization

In conjunction with the primary advisors, 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 advisors. 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.

 

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 special education; mild to moderate disabilities; moderate to severe disabilities; autism; visual impairments; and other areas selected by students in consultation with faculty advisors. 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 SF State campus.

 

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

 

Enrollment Enrollment is required on a year-to-year basis on both campuses and fees are paid to one campus during alternate years. Payment of fees on one campus permits the student to take course 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 three position papers, one of which is an empirical paper, and a dissertation prospectus. The position papers cover the three areas of specialization and need to demonstrate theoretical competence in the field of academic preparation as applied to problems of educational significance and competence in research methods. Students are encouraged to pursue a one-time university-level teaching experience for course credit and with a faculty mentor.

 

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 SF State, at least one member is from the Department of Special Education. The student, in consultation with the primary advisor, 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 approved dissertation prospectus form allows enrollment in dissertation coursework in the subsequent semester. Completion of the dissertation results in the award of a doctoral degree.

 

Education (Ph.D.) Concentration in Special Education — 45 - 53 units

Note: At San Francisco State University, doctoral candidates repeat enrollment in SPED 908 each semester with their primary advisor for up to, and not exceeding, 8 semesters. Following advancement to candidacy, the doctoral candidate enrolls in SPED 998 each semester with the chair, or co-chair, of their dissertation committee, for up to, and not exceeding 3 semesters.