Claremont Graduate University offers a joint doctoral program in Education with San Diego State University (SDSU) for residents of San Diego and Imperial Counties.  Nonresidents must be willing to relocate to one of these counties and provide evidence of their move. Initial review of applicants is conducted by SDSU and then by CGU.

In addition to the information below, please refer to the extended program description on the SDSU website.

University Policies

Policies detailed in the current Policies and General Information Bulletin apply.

Admissions Requirements

Admission requirements are detailed in the Admissions section of the current Policies and General Information Bulletin.

Program Features and Restrictions

Joint Program Guidelines.  Extensive policies and procedures are provided on the Registrar’s Office webpages. Admitted students are students of both CGU and SDSU and must follow all student policies of each campus. Enrollment is required at one of the campuses each semester. Changes of student status must be reported to and approved by each institution.

Degree Conferral.  Upon successful completion of the program, the student earns a doctoral degree jointly conferred by CGU and SDSU. Students must be registered at both campuses during the semester of degree completion* and must follow the policies, procedures, and deadlines of each campus for declaring their candidacy and for graduation. (*Students completing degrees in summer need only be registered at SDSU and not at CGU.)

Advising.  Students are jointly advised by two full-time faculty, one from each campus. Committee members are selected by the student.

Dissertation Committee.  Four committee members are selected by the student, including one co-chair from each campus and one faculty member from each campus.

Fellowships.  Joint doctoral students are not eligible for departmental tuition fellowships from CGU. However, they are eligible to apply for the CGU Trustee Scholar Award, which is conferred on a competitive basis. Selected recipients may receive up to $5,000 per year, renewable for up to three years. Award funds may only be applied toward CGU tuition and only in those semesters when enrolled in CGU coursework.

MA along the way. Please note, joint doctoral program (SDSU) students are not eligible for an MA along the way.

Degree Requirements

Coursework.  A minimum of 72 units are required for the doctoral degree in Education. Coursework should consist of the following.

• 24 doctoral units from CGU, including EDUC 520 – Introduction to the Field of Educational Research
• 24 doctoral units from SDSU
• 24 units transferred in from a previous master’s degree

Joint doctoral students may not enroll in independent study activities at CGU and are not required to enroll in a transdisciplinary course (TNDY) as part of their programs.

Academic Work and Research Tools.  Students must complete the equivalent of one academic year of work and one research tool at each campus. Students admitted Fall 2019 or later must also complete a third research tool, which can be taken at either campus.

Program Outline.  Guidelines regarding completion and submission of a program outline are detailed in the doctoral degree in Education section of the Bulletin. Joint doctoral students submit the outline to CGU upon completion of 12-20 units.

Qualifying Examinations.  For students admitted Fall 2020 or later, three qualifying exams are required. One must be supervised by a CGU faculty member, one by an SDSU faculty member, and the third by a faculty member from either campus (or by successful completion of EDUC 580B – Capstone for Doctoral Research, taken at CGU). For students admitted prior to Fall 2020, only two qualifying exams are required, typically one completed at SDSU, plus EDUC 580B at CGU.