USC Rossier School Leadership Academy Application

School Leadership Academy applicants from Torrance Unified School District only:

Applications are due November 3, 2025, at 4:00pm PST.
Final Payment will be due on December 1, 2025, at 4:00pm PST.

You will receive a payment link upon acceptance to the program.

Registrant Information

First Name

Last Name

Personal Email Address

Preferred Phone Number

Mailing Address

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Are you an employee of Torrance Unified School District?

Yes

No

Please download this Torrance Unified School District/USC Terms of Agreement and upload the signed document below.

Eligibility Requirements

To enroll in this program, you must meet the following requirements. Please indicate whether you meet these requirements below.

Hold a Clear Teaching or Pupil Personnel Services Credential
Satisfy the Basic Skills Requirement as required by the State of California (CL-667)
Have at least four years of full-time professional experience in a public, nonpublic, or private school (or equivalent) in California or another state, or a combination of both.
Confirm you can provide verification of five years of full-time experience to qualify for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential upon completing the program.
The candidate confirms that they understand that their coursework and fieldwork will be supported and guided by a School Site Supervisor (current assistant principal or principal) that holds a CA CLEAR administrative services credential. It is the responsibility of the candidate to secure this support and guidance. Verification will be required at the point of enrollment in the School Leadership Academy.

Yes, I meet the above requirements.

No, I do not meet the above requirements.

Thank you for your interest in our programs! Please click here to review USC Rossier's Professional Learning programs designed to meet a variety of needs.

Essays

Please respond to the three essay prompts below. Before constructing your responses, take time to review information about the School Leadership Academy and reflect on your own professional experience and goals. Each essay can be between 250-350 words maximum. Please refer to the link below for details, directions, and the rubric that will be used to assess your essays.

You can download the guide HERE. Essays must be uploaded as separate PDFs and include your last name in your file name, as in “Smith-Essay1.pdf” or “Smith-Essay2.pdf”

Essay #1:

Please describe your short-term (1-3 years) and long-term (3-5 years) professional goals, the life experiences that have influenced them, and how USC Rossier’s School Leadership Academy will help you achieve them. Essay should be 250-350 words, typed double spaced, with correct spelling and grammar.

Essay #2:

What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are essential for equity-centered leadership in diverse schools? How have you begun to demonstrate these attributes? Essay should be 250-350 words, typed double spaced, with correct spelling and grammar.

Optional Essay #3:

Is there anything else about your goals and aspirations that you haven't covered in Essays 1 or 2? Essay should be 250-350 words, typed double spaced, with correct spelling and grammar.

Resume

How many years of full-time employment in this field do you currently have? [Do not include substitute or part-time experience]

Please upload your current resume as a PDF.

Torrance Unified School District Letter of Recommendation

As a part of your application to the School Leadership Academy for Torrance Unified School District, you are required to supply one signed letter of recommendation on school/district letterhead from the CURRENT school administrator who evaluates you.

Please upload the letter as as a PDF below:

Letter of Recommendation

As a part of your application to the School Leadership Academy, you are required to supply one signed letter of recommendation on school/district letterhead from the CURRENT administrator who evaluates you.

After submitting your application, you will receive an email with instructions to log in to your portal.

In this portal, you will be able to list your current administrator who evaluates you. Then, an email will be sent to your administrator notifying them that a recommendation was requested. This email will include instructions on how to submit their recommendation.

Credentials

What type of credential do you hold?

Credential Type

Is your credential "clear"?

Yes

No

What is the estimated year it will be cleared?

Upload your current valid credential as a PDF.

Optional: If you currently hold additional credentials, upload here.

Employment Information

Which option best describes your current position?

Title/Position

What grade(s) do you teach?

Please tell us more about your context:

Work Email

School/Worksite

District

USC Library Questionnaire

Registered participants in Professional Development programs are granted access to the USC Library. Please answer the following questions to be granted that access.

Have you ever had a USC Issued Email address before?

Yes

No

Prior USC Email address

Have you ever been enrolled in or applied to a USC degree, certificate, or program before?

Yes

No

If you are currently or have previously enrolled at USC, what is your USC ID?

I grant the professional development team permission to forward my information to the USC Library for the purposes of setting up USC Library access.

Yes

No

How did you hear about this Professional Development program? (Check all that apply)

Payment Details

At the time of application, you will be charged a $25 application fee. You will be redirected to a payment page once you click 'Submit' below. Your application will not be reviewed until you have paid this fee.

Amount Due:

To hold your place, a non-refundable deposit of $500 is due upon admission to this program. The remaining tuition ($9,500) is due two weeks before the start of the program.