Who Is Eligible?

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled at a California State University campus
• Be an upper-division undergraduate or master’s student during the required eligibility period
• Plan to pursue a research doctorate, such as a Ph.D. or equivalent degree
• Be interested in a career that includes university teaching and research
• Have a Sacramento State faculty mentor who can support their research training and doctoral preparation

Students previously selected as Sally Casanova Scholars are not eligible to reapply.

Professional programs such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and the MBA are not eligible for the traditional California Pre-Doctoral Program.

The Role of Your Faculty Mentor

Applicants must identify a Sacramento State faculty member to serve as their mentor. The mentor should understand the student’s academic interests and be available throughout the program period.

Your mentor will help you:

• Refine your research and doctoral-study interests
• Identify doctoral programs and professional-development opportunities
• Create a focused plan for preparing for doctoral study
• Develop a realistic $5,000 budget proposal
• Strengthen your essays, CV, and other application materials
• Prepare for a career involving university teaching, research, and service

The faculty mentor must also submit a letter of recommendation. After the student begins the application, the mentor will receive instructions for submitting the letter.

If you are interested in applying but have not identified a faculty mentor, contact the Sacramento State California Pre-Doctoral Program coordinator for guidance.

Application Requirements

A complete application includes the following:

1. Online Application

The online application collects personal, academic, and educational information. Applications are submitted through Smartsheet, which requires a free account.

2. Three Essays

Applicants submit three essays of approximately 300–600 words each, with a maximum of 4,000 characters per response.

The essays address:

1. Your proposed doctoral field, research interests, and preparation for doctoral study
2. Your interest in a university faculty career and serving a diverse student body
3. Your experience responding to challenges or setbacks and the skills you developed

Use specific examples from your education, research, employment, leadership, or community involvement. Write so that faculty members outside your academic discipline can understand your goals.

3. Unofficial Transcripts

Applicants must provide:

• Current CSU transcripts
• Undergraduate transcripts, if applying as a master’s student
• Community college transcripts, if applicable

4. Curriculum Vitae

Your curriculum vitae, or CV, should highlight your education, research, teaching, employment, leadership, service, presentations, awards, and other relevant experiences.

5. Proposed $5,000 Budget

Applicants must submit a budget totaling $5,000. Each proposed expense should contribute directly to the applicant’s preparation for doctoral study and a future faculty career.

6. Faculty Mentor Recommendation

Your Sacramento State faculty mentor must submit a recommendation supporting your preparation, doctoral goals, and professional-development plan.

Faculty recommendations are generally due one week after the student application deadline. Applicants should speak with their intended mentor well before beginning the application.

How to Apply: A Two-Step Process

Applying to the California Pre-Doctoral Program requires both a Sacramento State campus review and a final submission to the CSU Chancellor’s Office.

Step 1: Submit Your Materials to Sacramento State

Applicants must first submit their complete application materials to the Graduate Excellence & Engagement Program office by the campus’s internal deadline, which is typically in January.

The Sacramento State Diversity Awards Committee will review the materials and provide feedback to help applicants strengthen their applications before the CSU deadline.

Sacramento State internal deadline: January 2027
Campus submission instructions: Available Soon

Applicants should not wait until the Chancellor’s Office deadline to request campus review.

Step 2: Revise and Submit to the CSU Chancellor’s Office

After receiving feedback from the Sacramento State Diversity Awards Committee, applicants should:

1. Review the committee’s recommendations.
2. Make appropriate revisions to their application materials.
3. Submit the final application through the CSU Chancellor’s Office Smartsheet system.
4. Confirm that all required materials, including the faculty mentor recommendation, are submitted by the applicable deadlines.

Applicants are responsible for submitting their final materials through Smartsheet. Submitting materials to Sacramento State does not automatically submit the application to the Chancellor’s Office.

CSU Chancellor’s Office deadline: February 2027
Final application portal: Available Soon

How Applications Are Evaluated

Applications are reviewed holistically by CSU faculty. Reviewers consider the applicant’s:

• Research interests and plans for doctoral study
• Academic and professional preparation
• Interest in a university teaching and research career
• Experience and potential for serving diverse student communities
• Ability to respond to challenges and work toward long-term goals
• Potential to succeed in a research doctoral program
• Quality and feasibility of the proposed $5,000 budget
• Alignment with the goals of the California Pre-Doctoral Program

Reviewers consider the entire application, including the essays, transcripts, CV, budget proposal, and faculty mentor recommendation.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Begin preparing well before the deadline.
• Contact the Sacramento State program coordinator for guidance.
• Identify a faculty mentor early.
• Meet regularly with your mentor while developing your application.
• Explain your research interests clearly and specifically.
• Use concrete examples in your essays.
• Connect every proposed expense to your doctoral-preparation goals.
• Ask your mentor, program coordinator, and the University Reading and Writing Center to review your materials.
• Give your faculty mentor sufficient time to prepare a detailed recommendation.

Ready to Apply

Applications Open December 2026

Begin early so that your application can be reviewed before the Chancellor’s Office deadline.

Your Next Steps

1. Review the current eligibility and application requirements.
2. Contact the Sacramento State program coordinator with questions.
3. Identify and meet with a Sacramento State faculty mentor.
4. Prepare your essays, CV, transcripts, budget proposal, and other required materials.
5. Submit your materials to Sacramento State by the internal deadline.
6. Review the Diversity Awards Committee’s feedback and revise your materials.
7. Submit your final application through the Chancellor’s Office Smartsheet system by the CSU deadline.

Sacramento State internal deadline: January 2027
CSU Chancellor’s Office deadline: February 2027
Program contact: geep@csus.edu

Review the Official Application Requirements

Submit Materials for Campus Review: Available Soon