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UC/CSU JOINT PROGRAMS

The Academic Initiative Department's academic planning and intersegmental responsibilities come together in the development of joint doctoral programs with the California State University (CSU). The 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education in California defines the functions of the various segments of higher education and states that:

The University [of California] shall have the sole authority in public higher education to award the doctor's degree in all fields of learning except that it may agree with the state [university] to award joint doctoral degrees in selected fields.

Joint doctoral programs are partnerships between UC and CSU that benefit both educational systems, the students, and the state. They build on the strengths of the participating campuses to generate programs that could not otherwise be realized, combining the complementary assets of the faculty and facilities of both segments.

Program development involves a complex series of reviews by faculty and administrators on the campuses, by UC's Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA), the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC), and by the Joint Graduate Board. The Joint Graduate Board is composed of faculty and administrators from both segments and is charged with development and approval of joint graduate academic programs. The Board meets biannually and is co-chaired by a CSU President and a UC Chancellor.

As of June 2001, there were fourteen CSU/UC joint doctoral programs in operation. Four are in education, including programs in Special Education, Math and Science Education, and Educational Leadership; the remaining nine cover a variety of disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Clinical Psychology, Geography, and Public Health. The newest program, a joint degree in Public History, was established in 1999. During the decade from 1990 to 2000, the UC/CSU joint programs graduated 281 doctoral students. Other joint doctoral degree programs are in developments. A successful joint master's degree program in Physical Therapy will be expanded into a doctoral program. Four new programs in education are being developed, as are joint doctoral programs in Evolutionary Biology and Criminal Justice Sciences.

In addition to the joint doctoral programs, articulated Master's/Doctoral programs facilitate the movement of students from a CSU Master's program into a UC doctoral program.

CSU/UC Joint Ed.D. programs. In November 2001, CSU and UC reached agreement on a expanding CSU/UC joint Doctorates in Education (Ed.D.s) "to meet California's need for skilled leaders in K-12 schools and community colleges." This included the creation of a new Joint Ed.D. Board "to solicit, develop, fund, and expedite proposals for joint Ed.D. programs that build on the mutual strengths of CSU and UC campuses."

More information:

• Summary of Activities of the Joint Ed.D. Board (posted 11/21/2002)
• CSU/UC Collaborations In Doctoral Training
• Joint Graduate Board Membership [pdf]
• CSU/UC Joint Ed.D. program agreement [pdf]
• Senate Concurrent Resolution 93 (Alpert, 2002) expressing legislative support for the "Joint Education Doctorate Initiative of the CSU and UC." [pdf]
• Joint Ed.D. Board Membership
• CSU/UC Joint Ed.D. Initiative Request for Proposals (Feb 2003) [pdf]
• Handbook for the Creation of CSU/UC Joint Doctoral Programs [html, pdf, word]
• Announcement of UCSB/Cal Poly SLO Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership: Cal Poly SLO news release, UCSB news release
• The CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, CSU LA, Cal Poly Pomona, and UC Irvine Joint Ed.D. in Educational Administration & Leadership began July 2003.
• The Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at CSU Hayward, San Francisco State, San Jose State, and UC Berkeley was approved and began Summer 2003. This program prepares reform-oriented leaders committed to improving the quality of schools in metropolitan areas and rural districts.
• The Joint Ed.D. in Collaborative Educational Leadership at San Jose State, CSU Monterey Bay, and UC Santa Cruz is in the approval process and intends to begin with its first cohort of students in Summer 2005.
• Nearing final approval is the Doctorate in Educational Leadership: Capital Region Alliance (DEL:CRA), an Ed. D. program to be offered jointly by the UC Davis, Sonoma State University and CSU Sacramento. The program is now accepting applications and plans to begin ins summer 2005.