The program encourages individuals to apply who have a background, experience, and potential in educational leadership in the community, early childhood, P-12 and postsecondary settings, who are committed to social justice, and who seek to build their expertise and capacity as agents of change through a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.)

The program requires the following for admission:

A master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education with a cumulative grade point average in graduate study of 3.0 or above.
Demonstrated educational leadership experience or potential in educational settings, community-based organizations, or policy development and analysis.
Demonstrated academic excellence, problem-solving ability, and interest in critically assessing and bringing about improvements in current educational policies and practices.
Professional r'sum or Curriculum Vitae.
Three letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate's leadership and scholarship potential.
A written personal statement reflecting an understanding of the equity challenges leaders face in California's public schools or community colleges/institutions of higher education and how the Ed.D. would support the applicant's professional goals.
A personal interview with the admissions committee.
Meeting the minimum requirements qualifies an individual for consideration, but does not guarantee admission to the program. Admission will be granted on a competitive basis. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership does not include a second-language requirement.
A grade point average of 3.0 (grade of B) or better must be maintained in all courses taken to satisfy the requirements for the degree, and courses in which no letter grade is assigned will not be used in computing the grade point average.
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 59 PTE.
Students must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.