Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the general admission requirements for California State University, Fresno. These include a master’s degree from an accredited institution, a grade point average of at least 3.0 in upper-division undergraduate and master’s degree coursework. Applicants must also demonstrate high potential for educational leadership and scholarly achievement through professional experience, academic accomplishment, and professional recommendations.
The deadline for application to the program is in January. Finalists are interviewed by the Doctoral Program Admissions Committee.
Program Requirements
Students in the program move through three phases of study, comprising 60 units. Phase one comprises nine core courses, phase two comprises specialization courses, and phase three comprises the dissertation. All students move through phase one as a cohort. Students may choose to specialize in P-12 or higher education leadership.
Program Structure. The program is a 60-unit degree with 27 units of core courses (27 units= 9 courses), 21 units of specialization courses (21 units = 7 courses), and 12 dissertation units. Fieldwork components are embedded in many of the core and specialization courses. The program has two strands, one in P-12 Educational Leadership and the other in Higher Education Leadership. Students will progress through the program in cohorts, and each cohort will include students from both strands. This model ensures that “educational leadership” is broadly conceived, allowing students in the P-12 strand to develop deep understandings about what they are preparing P-12 students for, and allowing students in the post-secondary strand to develop deep understandings about where their students are coming from. The program can be completed in three years. Students will attend an intensive residency each of at least three summers they are enrolled in the program (in the range of 3-5 days per residency). During residencies, students and faculty will engage together in community-building, orientation, advising, and non-coursework activities.
Core and specialization courses will take place online, making the online program accessible to working professionals. During the academic year, therefore, the online program will be a virtual campus experience of interactive classes, delivered online and incorporating the latest social networking tools. Courses are offered using the Canvas online platform with enhanced features. The courses use a balance of synchronous and asynchronous tools available in Canvas, in addition to email, videoconference, teleconference, and other technology as appropriate (e.g., Skype, Google Hangout, GoogleDocs). While online students may not have entered the program with skills on the cutting edge of technology, they will leave the program prepared to lead innovations in teaching and learning online.
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