The Higher Education Leadership, MA offered by the Department of Educational Leadership  prepares higher education leaders through an equity-minded praxis approach to engage in transformative thinking and practice with the aim of disrupting how power, in the form of racism, classism, sexism, and related oppressions, have historically intersected to (re)produce and sustain disparate opportunities in higher education. Students are also required to participate in one day-long in person seminar per semester. 

Program Delivery 

Hybrid 

University Admissions Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements . Applicants must also respond to two short essay prompts. Upon review of the applications, all applicant finalists will participate in an interview by the admissions committee to finalize admission to the program. Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Admissions Test Requirements webpage. 

Admission to Graduate Standing - Classified

To be admitted to classified standing, applicants must have earned a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale). Two letters of recommendation are required, a third letter is optional.

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. 
Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Course Requirements 

Complete the following requirements:

1. Core courses: 
   EDLD 210
    , 
   EDLD 211
    , 
   EDLD 212
    , 
   EDLD 213
    , 
   EDLD 214
    , 
   EDLD 215
    , 
   EDLD 216
    , 
   EDLD 217A
    , 
   EDLD 217B
    , 
   EDLD 298
    . A student must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at all times, otherwise they will be placed on academic probation and required to raise the overall GPA above the 3.0 minimum during the subsequent semester (failing to do so will result in disqualification from the program).  
2. The program requires an individual two-semester, six-unit case-study sequence, as well as a culminating capstone project. For the required culminating experience (
   EDLD 298
    ), Higher Education Leadership MA students must complete a final master’s capstone project. A project is a significant undertaking that evidences originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale. Beginning Summer ‘24, the culminating capstone project will be a group assignment.
3. At SJSU, students must pass the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR). This requirement is satisfied by the passing of
   EDLD 212
    .

Culminating Experience

(Plan B) Project

Streamlined Pathway to the Educational Leadership Doctorate (EdD)

The Department of Educational Leadership  offers a streamlined pathway from the MA to the Ed.D. to students enrolled in the Department of Educational Leadership’s Master’s Programs. Eligible students must be in good academic standing with no probation and/or academic notices, and with intentions to pursue an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. 

Pre-requisites to this Pathway:

1. Currently enrolled in an Educational Leadership MA Program, including the Higher Education Leadership Master’s Program
2. In good academic standing (3.0 GPA or above)
3. Have advanced to candidacy in your MA program
4. Have applied for Summer graduation