The Department of Educational Leadership Doctoral Program
Ignacio Hernandez, Program Director
Education Building, Room 310
559.278.0427
FAX: 559.278.0457
kremen.fresnostate.edu/dr-educational-leadership/index.html
Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
About the Program
Fresno State’s doctoral program in educational leadership supports the California State University system-wide effort to offer professional practice doctoral programs in Educational Leadership for California residents.
Fresno State’s program supports working professionals poised for leadership in P12 schools and districts, community colleges, and universities. The 60-unit program includes 48 units of coursework and 12 units of dissertation. It can be completed in three years of full-time study and is designed to complement students’ full-time employment. Upon completion, candidates will earn a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree.
Our cohort-based doctoral program offers two delivery formats for students: Face-to-Face and Online. Both formats allow students to focus on either P12 Educational Leadership or Community College/Higher Education Leadership.
Our program prepares its students to develop new skills that will enable them to:
- Acquire theoretical, practical, methodological, and empirical knowledge,
- Conduct field-based research,
- Serve the needs of an increasingly diverse student population,
- Establish sound educational policy and practice,
- Play a leadership role in educational reform,
- And conduct educational assessments and evaluations.
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. Applicants must submit a writing sample, a current résumé or curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation.
The deadline for application to the program is early February. 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.