Admission

Administrative Services Application Requirements

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Official transcripts (one set). Regionally accredited Bachelor's Degree (or international equivalent) and credential coursework transcripts for base teaching or service credential are required. Official International transcript evaluation required if applicable.
Two (2) letters of recommendations from professional supervisors or colleagues who can address your leadership experience and potential. (Instructions are in our application.)
Statement of Intent —two (2) full, double-spaced pages — that answers the question/prompt in our application.
Resume. A chronological history of your employment in educational settings.
Verification of Experience. You must have 4.5 or more years of credentialed teaching or service experience. Form available in application.
Verification of California “Clear” base teaching or “Clear” service credential.

A delay in submitting the above materials will delay our review of your application.

Deadlines and Start Dates

Application Deadline: December 1. For those enrolling via the Diversity in Leadership Institute‘s Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship partnership program, deadlines occur earlier in the fall.
Start Date: Spring semester

The California Administrative Services credential program requires a minimum of five years of experience working under a valid California base credential. In order to meet this requirement, it is essential that eligible applicants have held their credential for at least four years at the time of application to the credential program.
- - Types of an applicable 'Valid California base credential' required to apply to the Administrative Services Credential include:
    - “Clear” (not preliminary) or life teaching credential (with a preparation program that included English Language Authorization and/or holds an English Language Authorization). The credential needs to be cleared prior to enrolling in the program (with at least 4 years credentialed experience under your preliminary and/or clear credential at the start of the program), and/or;
    - a clear or life California designated subjects teaching credential (whose preparation program included English Language Authorization), (with at least 4 years credentialed experience by start of program and/or,
    - a clear or life California services (e.g. PPS, Health, librarian, etc.)) credential (with at least 4 years credentialed experience by start of program).
- - Applicants are required to verify five years of experience under their base clear teaching or service credential by the completion of the Administrative Services Credential program. Candidates are required to reside in California for the duration of the program.
There is no requirement to work as a school administrator before or after the program. All our administration and leadership programs are designed for those who aspire to be school administrators, teacher leaders, or simply interested in learning more about leadership in educational settings. For those who enroll in and complete the Administrative Services Credential Program, the California Certificate of Eligibility for the California Administrative Services Credential is issued upon successful completion of the program and it does not expire. This allows candidates to delay working as an TK-12 administrator until the appropriate TK-12 career leadership opportunity.
You will complete one of each of three required California Administrator Performance Assessments (CalAPA) Leadership Cycles during our three-semester credential program. These cycles are offered on the following schedule and must be taken in sequential order:
- Semester 1 (spring): Analyzing Data to Inform School Improvement and Promote Equity
- Semester 2 (summer): Forming Communities of Practice
- Semester 3 (fall): Supporting Teacher Growth
If you work at a K-12 school site, you will continue working there in the position you currently hold (e.g. teacher, instructional coach, etc.). If you’re not working at a K-12 school site (e.g. you work in a district office), you will need to identify a school site to complete these requirements. You do not need to be at your school site daily, but would need occasional access to complete this fieldwork. Requirements are not measured in hours; rather, the competencies and knowledge are embedded in each of your leadership cyclesnstead, you'll obtain the the competencies that fulfill them are embedded in each of the three CalAPA Leadership Cycles.

At LMU, each of these three leadership cycles is offered as a zero-unit course with a fee instead of tuition. You'll meet with an experienced school administrator and LMU instructor online three times per semester, typically on Saturday mornings, to foster your growth and development. Our instructor will also monitor your progress on competency requirements.

You'll also be assigned a fieldwork instructor who serves as a mentor throughout the program. Mentorship includes weekly contact, support with CalAPA progress, leadership and administrator skill support, and coaching.
Online classes are generally offered synchronously in executive style Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon virtual classes. Candidates enrolled through the Diversity in Leadership Institute Fellowship members do attend credential classes on select Saturdays throughout a semester in the applicable region (Los Angeles LMU campus or in Northern California at K-12 school site).

It is required that candidates reside in California for the duration of the program as program field experiences are on-site at California K-12 schools.