After years in the making, SacramentoState officially launched its Doctor of Education degree program at the start of the fall semester.

Of 23 California State University campuses, Sac State is among seven that offer the program to students.

The three major curricular elements that make up the basis of the Sac State doctorate program consist of leadership, research methods and field-based study.

The program focuses on preparing students for educational reform in their own institutions and contributing to public policy, according to a press release derived from the office of the chancellor.

Fees for the program are the same as those paid by students in state-supported University of California doctoral programs. Each student has to pay more than $11,000 for the 2007-08 year with a 10 percent increase for the following year.

Tremendous efforts in California’s legislature made the pursuance of the doctorate program possible. A California law proposed by Sen. Jack Scott of Pasadena allows CSU campuses to offer independent educational doctorates without being affiliated with a UC campus.

“This will provide educational professionals access to affordable, high quality doctoral programs in California without requiring them to go out of state or to private institutions,” Sen. Scott said in a press release.

The program is designed to generate exemplary educational leaders for schools, community colleges and other areas with relation to the educational field.

“We are looking forward most to the offering of an advanced program of study in educational leadership that will have a major impact on the current practices of area public schools and community colleges through the development of engaged and proactive educational leaders,” said Ed Lee, educational leadership and policy studies chair at Sac State.

Applicants must meet certain academic requirements and possess personal and professional characteristics that evoke success in the program for admission. Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree with a grade point average of at least 3.0 in upper division and graduate study. Several other qualifications must be met for consideration into the program.

Along with Sac State, six other schools -Fresno State, Fullerton State, Long Beach State, San Bernardino State, San Diego State and San Francisco State – have offered the doctorate program. In 2008, four other schools will join this current list of schools offering the program.

Jose Martinez can be reached at [email protected].