Pacific Oaks College

Pacific Oaks College www.pacificoaks.edu | We prepare passionate teachers & counselors to empower others, reduce bias and change attitudes.

Twitter | Instagram Pacific Oaks' campus is in Pasadena, Calif., and classes are also offered through our online campus. Founded more than 65 years ago by a small group of Quaker families, Pacific Oaks College is dedicated to the fundamental Quaker principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. The institution is known and recognized for its pioneering efforts to reduce bias within our nation's education system, and for equipping graduates with the skills they need to help people from diverse backgrounds, learning styles, and strengths uncover and realize their unique individual potentials. Pacific Oaks is known for its progressive approach to learning—valuing real-world experiences as well as academic achievements. This philosophy is embodied through opportunities such as the Credit for Life Experience option, which allows students to gain academic credit for real-world experience acquired in the workplace. Students may earn up to 24 credits in this manner—credits which can be applied toward a bachelor's degree and count toward application for an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy or Human Development. Three basic concepts underlie the educational philosophy at Pacific Oaks:
•that every individual has a fundamental worth;
•that growth is a dynamic and life-long process;
•and that every individual has a unique identity and human potential. Pacific Oaks is accredited by the WASC Senior Colleges and Universities Commission (WSCUC), and has been since 1959.

Students seek us out for the individualized education they will receive, an education tailored to their dreams, history,...
12/11/2025

Students seek us out for the individualized education they will receive, an education tailored to their dreams, history, and unique potential.🌳

Here, you’ll join a community rooted in inclusion, respect, and social justice. Whether you study online or on campus, we’re committed to making your experience transformative — academically, professionally, and personally. 💚

If you’re considering transferring, explore our Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG) partners, articulation agreements, Credit for Learning from Experience, and financial aid options in our Transfer Guide.

Applications for Spring I (starting Jan. 6) are now open.

🔗 Read our transfer guide here: https://www.pacificoaks.edu/admissions/pacific-oaks-guide-for-transfer-students/

At Pacific Oaks College, we believe in the power of partnering with families. 🌱Research shows that children thrive when ...
12/10/2025

At Pacific Oaks College, we believe in the power of partnering with families. 🌱

Research shows that children thrive when parents and educators work together, demonstrating higher academic achievement, stronger cognitive development, better social skills, and greater long-term success.

We prepare future teachers to build these partnerships through degree programs in Early Childhood Education and credentialing pathways in elementary education and special education. Coursework emphasizes family engagement, communication, and culturally responsive collaboration.

🔗 Read more: Parents Are Partners: Teacher-Parent Collaboration in Early Childhood Education

A career in early childhood education begins with the right foundation. 🌿At Pacific Oaks College, our Early Childhood Ed...
12/10/2025

A career in early childhood education begins with the right foundation. 🌿

At Pacific Oaks College, our Early Childhood Education programs teach future educators how to integrate STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts, and math — into hands-on, developmentally appropriate learning.

Using natural materials, emergent curriculum design, and child-centered exploration, our approach nurtures curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving from the very beginning.

Whether you’re entering the field or expanding your skills, our ECE degrees and STEAM Certificate prepare you to guide young learners with confidence and heart. 💚

Learn more and apply at pacificoaks.edu

The power of community means a full-time mom can earn her degree. 🎓Pacific Oaks alumna Chaz Dennis (M.A. Marriage and Fa...
12/05/2025

The power of community means a full-time mom can earn her degree. 🎓

Pacific Oaks alumna Chaz Dennis (M.A. Marriage and Family Therapy) knew graduate school would be challenging, but she didn’t expect to become pregnant during her program. Long days became longer, sleep grew scarce, and she wondered whether the degree she dreamed of was still within reach.

That’s when the Pacific Oaks community stepped up. Professors and classmates supported her without hesitation, offering notes, flexibility, and encouragement whenever she needed it. They saw motherhood as a gift, not a barrier.

With their support — and her determination — Chaz graduated on time and is now an agent of change in her community, helping families heal.

💚 This story is part of The Power of Community, our series highlighting how members of the Pacific Oaks family create lasting impact where it’s needed most.

12/04/2025

Your next chapter starts here, and we’re ready to help you write it.

Applications are now open for Spring I classes beginning Jan. 6, available online and at our Pasadena campus. With supportive faculty, flexible learning formats, and opportunities for hands-on experience, our programs meet you where you are. At Pacific Oaks, you’ll build the skills and confidence to create a meaningful career rooted in advocacy, justice, and community.

Whether you’re continuing your education or returning to it, now is the time to invest in yourself.

💚 Areas of Study:
🚌 Early Childhood Education
📚 Education
👩‍🏫 Teacher Credentialing
🤝 Human Development
💼 Business & Management
💍 Marriage & Family Therapy
🧠 Community Psychology
🎙️ Social Work

Learn more and apply today at pacificoaks.edu

At Pacific Oaks College, gratitude grows in community. 🍂This Thanksgiving, we honor the people who make our learning com...
11/27/2025

At Pacific Oaks College, gratitude grows in community. 🍂

This Thanksgiving, we honor the people who make our learning community so special—our students, alumni, faculty, and staff whose compassion, resilience, and commitment to equity inspire us every day.

May your day be filled with connection, reflection, and gratitude for the communities that lift you up. From all of us at Pacific Oaks College, thank you for being part of ours. 💚

The power of community means learning how to advocate for change. 🌿For Pacific Oaks alumna Denise Smith (M.A. Human Deve...
11/26/2025

The power of community means learning how to advocate for change. 🌿

For Pacific Oaks alumna Denise Smith (M.A. Human Development), that meant answering the call to help the children of Flint, Michigan.

Drawing from the values and training she gained at Pacific Oaks, Denise joined civic leaders to open two high-quality early childhood centers in just two years—bringing care, stability, and hope to hundreds of families affected by the water crisis.

In her time with Educare Flint, she continued to ensure every child had the opportunity to thrive.

💚 This story is part of our series, The Power of Community, highlighting how members of our Pacific Oaks family are creating lasting impact where it’s needed most.

Ready to make a difference in the lives of children and families? 🌿Pacific Oaks College offers accredited Bachelor and M...
11/25/2025

Ready to make a difference in the lives of children and families? 🌿

Pacific Oaks College offers accredited Bachelor and Master of Social Work programs designed for passionate changemakers ready to turn purpose into profession.

With world-class faculty, flexible learning formats, and hands-on internships, our programs help you build the skills and confidence to serve diverse communities — and create a meaningful career rooted in advocacy and justice.

Your journey to becoming a social worker starts here. 💚
🔗 Learn more about applying today.

Some of the most powerful movements for change begin in the smallest of classrooms. 🌿We believe that early childhood edu...
11/21/2025

Some of the most powerful movements for change begin in the smallest of classrooms. 🌿

We believe that early childhood education is where empathy, identity, and curiosity take root, and where educators have the power to shape more equitable communities for generations to come.

Through our inclusive teaching practices, antibias frameworks, and social justice–centered curriculum, we prepare educators to see every child as a catalyst for change.

Because when we nurture the youngest minds with care, understanding, and respect, we’re not just teaching—we’re transforming the world. 💚

🔗 Read more: https://www.pacificoaks.edu/voices/from-the-magazine/why-early-childhood-education-is-ground-zero-for-social-change/

At Pacific Oaks College, education is more than a degree, it’s a movement toward a more just and compassionate world. 🌿G...
11/19/2025

At Pacific Oaks College, education is more than a degree, it’s a movement toward a more just and compassionate world. 🌿

Grounded in our social justice heritage, we prepare students to become culturally intelligent agents of change, ready to serve diverse communities across education, human development, and the helping professions.

Guided by our four core values—respect, diversity, social justice, and inclusion—we honor the Quaker principles that shaped our beginning and continue to guide our purpose.

Here, every perspective matters. Every story has value. And every student leaves empowered to create the change they wish to see. 💚

Helping children means meeting them where they are, and preparing the next generation of social workers to do the same. ...
11/18/2025

Helping children means meeting them where they are, and preparing the next generation of social workers to do the same. 💚

Our Bachelor and Master of Social Work programs combine real-world experience with cultural competency training to prepare graduates to support children and families with empathy, evidence, and care.

Through two supervised internships, interdisciplinary collaboration, and trauma-informed practice, our students learn to turn compassion into action, guided by the belief that every child deserves stability, dignity, and the chance to thrive.

🔗 https://www.pacificoaks.edu/voices/from-the-magazine/6-ways-pacific-oaks-college-prepares-social-workers-to-support-children-in-the-real-world/

This Children’s Day, we celebrate the light that started it all. 🌿In 1945, six Pasadena families came together to open P...
11/14/2025

This Children’s Day, we celebrate the light that started it all. 🌿

In 1945, six Pasadena families came together to open Pacific Oaks Children’s School, guided by the belief that every child’s light deserves to be nurtured. What began as a small, progressive school grew into a college that has empowered generations of educators, therapists, and advocates to make an impact in their communities.

From helping launch one of the nation’s first Head Start training programs to pioneering the Anti-Bias Curriculum that reshaped early childhood education, Pacific Oaks has spent nearly 80 years championing education as a force for healing and transformation.

Today, and every day, we honor the children, families, and educators who inspire our work and remind us why community, compassion, and advocacy matter. 💚

Address

45 Eureka Street
Pasadena, CA
91103

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