Doctoral Programs

SDSU Doctoral Programs

SDSU's 27 active doctoral programs are listed below. Click on the links to find out more information about each program. For any questions about a specific program please reach out to the doctoral director.

Advancement to Candidacy, the Dissertation, and Qualifying Examinations

Although the procedural details of each doctoral program vary somewhat across the different programs, the general requirements are:

1. A student may be advanced to candidacy if they hold classified status and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (for JDPs, the minimum grade point average must be a combined 3.0 from SDSU and the partner campus).
2. Every candidate is required to appoint a faculty thesis committee. Thesis committees are required for the qualifying examination and dissertation stages of doctoral programs. Programs vary as to the requirements for the constitution of these committees. Please consult with the doctoral program director(s) and program handbook for guidance for a specific program. Committee membership information is submitted by the doctoral program director to SDSU’s graduate dean and, for JDPs, the cooperating institution’s graduate dean for approval. Completed committee forms must be on file no later than two weeks prior to the date scheduled for the qualifying examination or doctoral defense.
3. For the qualifying examination, the student is examined by a committee representing the faculty of SDSU, and for JDPs, the cooperating institutions for knowledge of the field of study. In many programs, this qualifying examination may consist of written and/or oral parts, though see the doctoral program handbook for details for a specific doctoral program. The examination is open to the public and should be publicly advertised in advance. The purpose of this examination is to satisfy the faculty in the program that the student is adequately prepared in the discipline to warrant continuation in the program.

Advancing to candidacy means the student has completed all coursework and any other program requirements and is ready to research and write a dissertation (this stage is sometimes referred to as “all but dissertation” or ABD). Requirements and standards for advancement vary by program. Students must consult with the program’s doctoral program director or co-directors and the doctoral program handbook for their specific requirements.

Doctoral Graduation Requirements

During your final semester, all doctoral students must:

1. Apply for graduation through my.sdsu.edu. The application deadline is the SDSU add/drop date of the term you are applying.  (Both spring and summer graduation are the same spring add/drop date.)  Please see the SDSU Academic Calendar for specific dates. Match your SDSU graduation semester with the partner campus semester schedule, and verify with your doctoral director.  If in a joint doctoral program, both universities must approve a “Spring”, “Summer” or “Fall” degree, and the partner campus takes precedence. 
   • If you need to change your application to a future term, please use the Graduation Cancellation Request eform.
2. Register in 899 Dissertation at SDSU in the semester that you complete your doctoral project or submit the dissertation to the partner campus and/or at SDSU (some Au.D. students register for Au.D. 299). The minimum number of units required vary among programs, so consult with your doctoral director.
3. Complete a culminating experience.
   • Au.D. and DPT students complete a doctoral project. Consult with your doctoral director for more information.
   • Dr.PH and Ed.D. students submit and publish their dissertation at SDSU only. Please see the Dr.PH and Ed.D. Dissertation Publication Steps below for more information.
   • Ph.D.  students submit and publish their dissertation at the partner campus and SDSU. Please see the Ph.D. Dissertation Publication Steps below for more information.

After the end of the SDSU semester your degree will be conferred by the College of Graduate Studies (CGS) after a final evaluation to ensure that all final grades are in place, course requirements are met, and your culminating experience was successfully completed. This can take up to eight weeks after the last day of the term.

 You will be mailed one diploma:

• DPT, Dr.PH, and Ed.D. diplomas will be mailed by SDSU to your address on record at SDSU 8-10 weeks after the end of term. The diploma vendor will email your official SDSU email as listed in my.SDSU. You must verify that the “mailing” address and your email address for the diploma is correct in your my.SDSU account.
• Au.D. and Ph.D. diplomas will be mailed by the partner campus to your address on record at the partner campus.

You can download unofficial SDSU transcripts through my.sdsu.edu and request official SDSU transcripts at the Registrar’s page. For joint doctoral programs (JDPs), you can request official partner campus transcripts through their Registrar’s offices.

SDSU commencement takes place each May for students who graduated in the fall or will graduate in spring or summer following the commencement. For more information about commencement please see the Commencement page. JDP students can participate in either or both commencement ceremonies.

Congratulations on earning your Ph.D.! For further information please see the CGS Graduation Information page. If you have any questions, please contact your doctoral director listed above.

Doctoral Directors and Coordinators

You can check students’ academic record at my.sdsu > Graduate Advisor Center > Roster or at SD_SR_FCLTY_ENR_ROSTER in Query Viewer.

Note that the Academic Term is described in this image (and you can always use the magnifying glass to look it up).