Admission Qualifications

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree (awarded before the start of the program’s first semester). A GPA of 3.0 for all undergraduate coursework, including the last 60 units, is strongly recommended.

Applicants must also have professional work experience in the Judicial Branch, although a minimum number of years of experience is not required. It is strongly recommended that applicants be currently employed by a California state court or the Judicial Council of California at an analyst level or above to ensure they are prepared for the coursework in this program.

Application Process

Please complete and submit the following items electronically via the Judicial Administration Online Application Form link. Applications are open from Friday, Aug. 14, until Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.

• A one-page, single-spaced statement of purpose addressing why you are pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Judicial Administration. Use of AI for this is strictly prohibited.
• A one-page, single-spaced response to the following prompt: What do you think the biggest challenge facing the California Judicial Branch today is, why, and how should it be responded to? Use of AI for this is strictly prohibited.
• Two letters of recommendation (one from a supervisor or manager, and one from an individual in a professional or academic position familiar with the applicant’s work). A completed recommendation form must accompany each letter.
• Curriculum vitae or résumé demonstrating relevant professional work experience
• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State

Note about Recommendation Forms: Once you have saved an electronic recommendation, an email request will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to check their inbox and spam or junk mail folder, as emails occasionally get filtered out.

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State, will be required upon acceptance to the program and must be mailed to: