September 7, 2007
Fresno State initiates its doctorate
Terminal Ed.D. degree was long the domain of only UC, but now CSU can offer its own program.
By E.J. Schultz / Bee Capitol Bureau
SACRAMENTO -- Clovis school principal Tracy Smith has long eyed a doctoral degree in education. But most of her options required a long drive out of town.
No longer.
In a historic shift, Fresno State and six other California State University campuses this year are launching new doctorate of education programs, giving Smith and other local educators a chance to build their skills while staying at home.
"We have to be on top of all the cutting-edge ideas," said Smith, who started the program two weeks ago. "This is something that I've wanted to do for a long time."
The ground-breaking program represents the first time that CSU has been allowed to offer independent doctoral degrees. The law was changed in 2005 after a turf battle with the University of California system, which since 1960 has been the only public system in California entitled to issue doctoral degrees.
"After 56 years, this is an historic day," said California State University Chancellor Charles Reed.
He hailed the new program Thursday at a Capitol news conference alongside state Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, who authored the bill that made the change.
Joining Fresno State in offering the doctorate in education are California State University campuses at Fullerton, Long Beach, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego and San Francisco.
Reed said CSU might pursue doctoral programs in other growing fields, including in nursing and audiology. The system would probably have to launch a new legislative effort because Scott's bill only covers the education doctorate.
More than 350 students applied for the education program systemwide, and about 150 were admitted, including 24 at Fresno State.
The university has previously offered education doctorates in conjunction with the University of California at Davis. That program will continue for about three years until its 40 students graduate.
The new program lasts three years and links theory, research and practical exercises with the goal of helping educators improve local schools and community colleges. Degree recipients will be awarded an Ed.D., which has a more professional focus than the research-oriented Ph.D.
"Our mission is to prepare administrators for the [challenges] of the central San Joaquin Valley," said Fresno State spokeswoman Shirley Melikian Armbruster.
Valley schools operate in some of the poorest and most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the state. In Fresno Unified, for example, more than 70 languages are spoken and about one-third of the students are English-learners.
Fresno State's program is led by Sharon Brown-Welty, a veteran education professor and wife of university president John Welty.
The advisory board includes school district superintendents and community college presidents. Classes are taught by 18 faculty members who specialize in organizational change, psychology and other disciplines.
The price tag for the doctorate is on par with University of California fees, with two semesters costing $7,896, rising to $9,042 in 2010-11. A typical master's program at CSU costs $3,941 for two semesters.
Before the new program was launched, Smith, the principal at Woods Elementary School, had considered taking classes at University of LaVerne near Pomona. The UC Davis-Fresno State joint program can be completed without leaving Fresno. But Smith, a 48-year-old mother of three, said it was too inconvenient because it requires weekend classes.
The new program meets mostly on weeknights. Smith's first class meets Mondays from 4 to 10 p.m. She is already learning new ideas to help her on the job, she said.
All the doctoral students "have full-time jobs," she said. "Being so close to the campus is really important."