Program Highlights | Curriculum | Eligibility | How to Apply

Is Educational Leadership In Your Future?

Would you like to serve as a public school administrator? Chico State's School of Education offers a postbaccalaureate fully-online Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (PASC) for education professionals seeking a career as a public school administrator.

The PASC Program provides the foundations of educational leadership necessary to qualify for a Clear California Administrative Services Credential granted through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). With the preliminary administrative credential you can serve as an assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, supervisor, coordinator, or other equivalent level administrator in California public schools.

This credential authorizes the holder to provide administrative services for grades K-12, including:

• The development and assessment of instructional programs
• The management of school site, district, or county fiscal services; hiring, assigning, supervising, and evaluating certificated and classified personnel
• Providing discipline to students and employees
• Development of student support services

About the Chico State PASC Program

• The one-year program begins in the summer '25 and ends in summer '26.
• Four, 6-unit courses are fully-online, with live-online class meetings and self-paced work.
• Classes meet online, Tuesdays & Thursdays, in July, and Saturdays during the fall and spring terms.
• Learning as a cohort builds community, fosters creativity, enhances leadership skills, and encourages greater progress.
• Earn a total of 24 units, 12 of which can be applied to an MA in Education.
• Per-unit fee is $425* for those starting the program in Summer '25.

Download the PASC Program Overview Document

Curriculum

The program's courses have been designed to form a developmental sequence of learning. They are offered only in the order indicated below. In each course, candidates engage with each of the six California Educational Leadership Domains that lead to the California Administrator Performance Expectations (CAPE). The PASC Program Coordinator is responsible for the courses, however, K-12 administrators and university faculty work together to teach class sessions.

Course dates and the days & times of live-online class meetings are listed on the Schedule & Registration page. 

Course 1: EDAD 631 Educational Leadership: The Literature (Summer)

This course focuses on the theory and foundations of transformational educational leadership and administration. Role expectations of the school administrator as a change agent are explored including promotion of democratic education, development of professional relationships, instructional leadership, and assessment of student learning for continuous improvement. 

Course 2: EDAD 632 Educational Leadership: Current Conditions (Fall)

In this second course in Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program candidates learn and apply analytical processes across the six California Educational Leadership domains to identify current school conditions and needed changes. On-site administrative field experiences are incorporated.

Course 3: EDAD 633 Educational Leadership: What Schools Can Be (Spring)

Continuous improvement requires school leaders to be agents of change. Candidates in the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program learn to design, analyze, prioritize, and support school change for the improvement of student learning across the six California Educational Leadership domains. On-site administrative field experiences are incorporated.

Course 4: EDAD 634 Educational Leadership: The First 100 Days (Summer)

Effective school leaders integrate knowledge, interpersonal, and technical skills. This course focuses on planning the processes and steps for the first 100 days of educational leadership to maximize long-term positive impact, especially on improved student learning.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must hold one of the following, valid credentials:

• A clear or life California teaching credential that requires a baccalaureate degree and a program of professional preparation, including student teaching or the equivalent, and holds an English learner authorization; or 
• A clear or life California designated subjects teaching credential in adult education, career technical education, vocational education or special subjects, provided the applicant also possesses a baccalaureate degree, and holds an English learner authorization; or
• A clear or life California services credential in pupil personnel services, health services for school nurse, teacher librarian services, or speech-language pathology or clinical or rehabilitative services requiring a baccalaureate degree and a program of professional preparation, including field work or the equivalent

Applications Open This Fall

Applications for our 2024-2025 cohort are now closed. We will begin accepting applications for the 2025-2026 cohort in the fall.

Apply to the Graduate School for Fall 2025

1. Go to the Cal State Apply Graduate Application page
2. Select the Fall 2025 term.
3. Create or log into your Cal State Apply account.
4. From the programs list, under Chico Extension, select Preliminary Admin Services Credential by clicking the + to the left of the name.
5. In the Supporting Info section, click "I'm not adding any experiences." You will provide this information elsewhere in the application.
6. Be prepared to submit an unofficial transcript(s) with your application. There is a $70 application fee.

For additional instruction on completing the application, visit the Chico State Graduate Studies website and review the Grad Application Quick Run-Through video.

If you are interested in participating as an Administrative Intern, please email mgulbransen@csuchico.edu for information.