Admission Requirements

The program encourages individuals who have a background, experience and/or potential in educational leadership to apply for a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership with a specialization in P-12 or community college leadership. We are seeking students who have:

• 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.

Admission shall be granted on a competitive basis in accordance with Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations (Section 41020). Meeting the minimum requirements qualifies an individual for the program but does not guarantee admission. 

Requirements for admission shall apply to all Ed.D. applicants and shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. 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;
2. The GRE requirement is no longer required for admissions to the program.
3. Non-native speakers of English must have a minimum score of 80 on the iBT-TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS overall, or a 55 PTE;
4. Three letters of recommendation attesting to the leadership and scholarship potential of the candidate;
5. Personal statement (typed, single-spaced 1,000-word limit) describing your preparation for this program and demonstrating your understanding of the challenges and critical issues in education in California;
6. Professional resume, including whether the applicant has proficiency in a second language although a second language is not required;

Students whose applications meet the requirements listed above may be invited for an interview. The SF State Online Bulletin provides detailed information about admissions policies.