Doctoral Programs

The Graduate College of Education at SF State offers two doctoral programs, one a Joint Ph.D. Program in Special Education and the other an Ed.D. Program with dual focus in P-12 education and post-secondary education systems. Each of the programs provides unique opportunities and focus for candidates who seek advanced doctoral study at the doctoral level.

The Joint Ph.D. Program in Special Education is offered jointly by the Department of Special Education in the GCOE at SF State and the Graduate College of Education at the University of California at Berkeley. Candidates in the Joint Ph.D. Program are often practitioners in special education and related fields who seek leadership positions in the field. Experiences of students in the Joint Ph.D. program include opportunities to combine theory and applied practice in their research contributions to advance the field, working with mentors from SF State and UC Berkeley. Graduates of the Joint Ph.D. Program assume leadership positions as university faculty, researchers, administrators and supervisors in professional preparation programs for individuals with disabilities across the life span and settings in schools and communities.

The Ed.D. Educational Leadership Program is offered within the Graduate College of Education and is designed to prepare leaders in educational systems for young children through secondary education and in post-secondary education at two-year and four-year colleges. Candidates who enter the Ed.D. Program are often experienced educators who seek leadership positions as administrators, program developers, professional development directors, researchers and faculty to advance education programs for children, youth and adults in schools and communities. The Ed.D. Program at SF State is focused on social justice to ensure that graduates become leaders to improve educational systems to become leaders to improve educational systems to advance equity and access to education for all. Ed.D. students work closely with faculty mentors to complete dissertation work that make real, practical, and immediate impact to improve equity and social justice for students at all grade levels and from all backgrounds.

Students working with instructor

Doctoral Programs

The following Doctoral programs are available at SF State:

San Francisco State University (Graduate College Of Education) and the University Of California, Berkeley (Graduate School Of Education) jointly offer a PH.D. program in Special Education.

The San Francisco State Ed.D. program is focused on both P-12 and higher education. Our accelerated three-year timeline and weekend class schedule make this an excellent program for practitioners currently working in the field and looking to take their career to the next level.