Ed.D. Program (PK-12) Frequently Asked Questions
Application Questions
Prospective students complete a California State University application and submit a department/program application to the Educational Leadership Department. Full information and links to the university and program applications can be found at the College of Education Admissions website.
Letters of recommendation should come from professionals who are fully informed about your work, including areas where you have provided leadership. Recommendations can be either professional (e.g., current employer) or academic (e.g., professor from previous degree).
No. The GRE is no longer required by SDSU for Graduate Admission.
Writing is among the most significant activities in which you will engage within the program. Authoring a dissertation is a significant undertaking and your ability to write with clarity and care for a reader is key. Your writing sample will serve to demonstrate your abilities to be successful in these endeavors. Our preference is for the sample to be academic writing. For example, a paper or research project from your previous graduate work. If such evidence is unavailable, you should consider a professional writing example. This might be something you produced on-the-job (e.g., WSCUC report, program review or evaluation, training materials). Applicants are advised to avoid more informal forms of writing, such as school newsletters, web-posted communications, and the like. In sum, we appreciate reviewing a formal example of your writing, and an example that is academic writing—or as close to academic writing as possible.
Financial Matters Questions
Cost is dependent on how many semesters you are enrolled. The number of semesters is dependent on both coursework and dissertation progress. Current Ed.D. tuition is available at the SDSU Tuition and Other Fees page in the “Ed Doctoral” column:
Once you have completed the application process, you can also submit an application for financial aid. Information is available at the SDSU Financial Aid & Scholarships' FAFSA page.
The majority of students who apply financial aid to this program do so with student
loans. The department and college have limited scholarship money; applications tend
to be competitive. Once you have completed the application process, you can also submit
an application for financial aid and search opportunities both inside and outside
the university. Information is available at the SDSU Financial Aid & Scholarships'
FAFSA page: https://sacd.sdsu.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid/how-to-apply
We encourage potential students to also review the Public Service Loan Forgiveness
program from the Federal Government to explore eligibility and terms: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
Program Questions
At present, most course meetings are being conducted online via Zoom. The few exceptions will find classes meeting at Health Sciences Middle and High College in central San Diego or the San Diego State University campus. For district-partner cohorts, faculty may arrange check-in meetings either online and/or in your local district.
In our traditional three-year program, classes typically meet one night a week, from about 5 PM until 9 PM. In addition, there are occasional Saturday seminars. In the second year, you will typically follow the same schedule, although the number of classes is usually slightly reduced, due to independent dissertation work. In the third year, the number of classes remains about the same as year two.
The Ed.D. is a cohorted program. We accept between 12-30 students into the traditional cohort each year. In some years, multiple cohorts are established. Classes may consist of a single cohort, or a combination of cohorts that represent multiple years. Class size is dependent on the number of students recruited into a cohort and whether or not a particular course involves combined cohorts.
As a past NISL participant, it is possible to complete the program in advance of the traditional three-year program of study. When successful, this reduces the program by up to two semesters—to a minimum of seven, rather than nine semesters. This type of accelerated timeline is largely predicated on meeting the dissertation work deadlines, which means making rapid, high-quality progress in each phase of the dissertation. Some students (NISL and non-NISL) require additional semesters as a result of their progress on the dissertation. We are very supportive at each stage of writing—but, ultimately, accomplishing this accelerated program of study is fully dependent on the student. This is understandable since each student has different life experiences and responsibilities which intersect with their doctoral program work.
Typically, we can run an independent, geographic-specific cohort with 15 or more students. We have established cohorts across the state as a result of our district partnerships. We are happy to work with potential students to recruit others in your area, if you think there would be the required number. If you have a group of 15 interested leaders, please contact our Ed.D. Program Director for more information.
The Ed.D. program accepts an incoming cohort of students each Spring; classes commence in late May of the same year. Students are accepted into a cohort with a specific program of study (course sequence). Because Ed.D. students follow a predetermined timeline and set of course requirements, it is not possible to pursue this degree on a self-paced, individualized schedule. While pursuing the doctorate with a group of peers is a feature of the program, prospective students should note that falling behind during the course of study will typically cause at least one year’s delay, since our course rotation is based on the annual admission of incoming students. We understand that life’s responsibilities are many and work within the University’s requirements to support students who face competing challenges mid-program. That said, prospective students should carefully consider the required investment of time before requesting admission to the program.
We understand that life’s responsibilities are many and work within the University’s requirements to support students who face competing challenges mid-program. While pursuing the doctorate with a group of peers is a feature of the program, prospective students should note that falling behind during the course of study will typically cause at least one year’s delay, since our course rotation is based on the annual admission of incoming students. We encourage prospective students to carefully consider the required investment of time before requesting admission to the program.