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growing demand, the college moved in 1954 to
its present campus near Lake Merced, which
now encompasses more than 140 acres. To
bring intellectual cohesion to its evolving
curriculum, San Francisco State developed the
General Education program — a nationally
known model requiring all students to take a
unified core set of courses. In 1961, the college
joined what would become the 23-campus
California State University system and in 1974
was renamed San Francisco State University.
Today the university has a diverse student body
of more than 25,000. The University offers
numerous degrees and certifications: bachelor’s
degrees in 83 academic areas with an additional
41 areas of concentration, master’s degrees
in 72 academic areas with an additional 35
areas of concentration, a Doctor of Education
(Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership, a Ph.D.
in Education with a concentration in special
education, a clinical doctorate of physical
therapy (D.P.T.) jointly with University of
California, San Francisco, 19 credential
programs and 45 certificate programs. While
justifiably renowned as a teaching university,
SF State is also associated with outstanding
research and scholarly activity in the arts,
sciences, business, health, humanities and
many other disciplines. The University attracts
world-class faculty as well as extensive grants
and contracts for cutting-edge research.
SF State's reach extends far beyond its Lake
Merced campus, as well. In Marin County,
the University’s Estuary & Ocean Science
Center trains the next generation of marine
scientists while monitoring the health of the
Bay and its tidal marshes, eelgrass meadows and
beaches. Located in the forests near the North
Yuba River, the Sierra Nevada Field Campus
gives students an immersive opportunity for
learning about biological diversity, geosciences,
hydrology, astronomy and more. And SF State’s
College of Professional & Global Education,
based at the Downtown Campus on Spear
Street, offers a variety of continuing education
courses, academic credit certificates and
professional development certificates designed
to advance careers and expand opportunities.
The University also reaches out through its
long-standing commitment to community
service. Hands-on learning and engaged
citizenship have been hallmarks of an SF State
education since its first president, Frederic
Burk, chose Experientia Docet — Experience
Teaches — as the school’s motto. Acting on
the principle that learning cannot be isolated
from the world in which it is applied, the
University partners with the community
through many of its classes and a wide range
of centers and institutes, including the Health
Equity Institute, the Marian Wright Edelman
Institute, the Veteran Documentary Corps and
the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability.
SF State’s Institute for Civic and Community
Engagement was launched to connect
students, staff and faculty members with
service opportunities that strengthen both
their skills and the surrounding communities.
As a result of these efforts, SF State’s leadership
as a values-driven institution is widely
recognized, and Money Magazine named it
one of the most transformative universities in
the nation. SF State’s proudest achievement,
however, remains the thousands of graduates
who are putting the skills, insights and
ideals nurtured at the University to work.
Recent graduates have joined these legions of
accomplished alumni who are putting their
passion into action around the world — and
making the world a better place in the process.