Pacific Oaks College

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United States
Pasadena, CA
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.

04/17/2026

Ready to transform your passion into purpose?

We're expanding opportunities within our B.A. in Human Development program with two brand-new concentrations:

🌱 Child Development (NEW) – Shape the future, one child at a time
🌱 Lifespan Development (NEW) – Support growth across all life stages
🌱 Social Change – Continue making the impact you're meant for

At Pacific Oaks, your education goes beyond the classroom—it's about creating real change in the lives you touch. Whether you're called to work with young learners, support people across all life stages, or drive meaningful change in your community, there's a path for you here.

🔗 Explore your options: https://www.pacificoaks.edu/learn/online/?src=b.search&utm_campus=301&_vsrefdom=poc_google&msclkid=e511b14165d416ca7e92d8357121a67f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=POC%20%7C%20California%20%7C%20Brand%20%7C%20Acquisition&utm_term=pacificoaks&utm_content=POC%20Brand

04/16/2026

Are you ready to become a valuable resource to your community by pursuing an education that truly makes a difference?💚

Join Dr. Courtney Boston, program director, for an exclusive Information Session about our M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy: African American Family Studies Specialization. We’re proud to be one of the first institutions in the U.S. to offer a specialization focused on African American Family Studies.

Discover how our core program prepares you to confidently treat and support individuals, couples, and families, helping them manage and overcome mental or emotional disorders based on their unique lived experiences.

Delivered in a fully online, asynchronous format, this program is designed for working professionals who are passionate about healing and advocacy. Join us at one of our upcoming information sessions to explore more!

📅 Information Sessions:
Wednesday, April 22, 6 p.m. PT
Wednesday, May 6, 5 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 23, 11a.m. PT
🔗Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mft-african-american-family-studies-specialization-information-sessions-tickets-1986948090225?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

04/15/2026

Meet Pacific Oaks College alumnus Jason Betts MA/LMFT, a Youth & Adult Counselor/Empowerment/Mental Health Services provider with 35 years of experience supporting youth in Pasadena.💚🌿

Long before he became a licensed clinician, Jason was already doing the work coaching, mentoring, and meeting athletes where they are. He understood something that textbooks don't always teach—that healing happens when you see the whole person. Their dreams, struggles, trauma, and full potential.

After earning his license, Jason relaunched his nonprofit, Life Builders, bringing personal empowerment and healing sessions to detention centers, schools, and afterschool programs throughout Pasadena.

Pacific Oaks didn't just give Jason a degree, it gave him the tools to expand the impact he'd already been making for decades.

Coach Jason is proof that Pacific Oaks graduates don't wait for permission to create change. They've already been doing the work. We just give them the tools to go further. 🌿

04/10/2026

The Power of Community: Cheryl Greer-Jarman Ed.D.💚🌿

For 45 years, Cheryl Greer-Jarman was Pacific Oaks. Raised in Pasadena, she was a hometown hero, a beloved teacher, a fierce advocate for social justice, and the longest-serving faculty member in Pacific Oaks history.

Cheryl worked as an educator, administrator, and long-time president of the faculty senate. She co-authored groundbreaking anti-bias curriculum that changed how classrooms address race, gender, and sexuality.

Cheryl embodied what community truly means. She cared for her aging parents and her brother while her colleagues covered her classes. She mentored generations of students. She was the person you went to when something happened in Pasadena, because she knew the story—and she knew the people.

Cheryl didn't just teach at Pacific Oaks. She built it. And her legacy lives on in every student she mentored, every colleague she inspired, and every life she touched.

Rest in power, Dr. Cheryl Greer-Jarman. You showed us what it means to dedicate your life to education, justice, and community. 💚

04/08/2026

Meet Pacific Oaks alumna Gia Gambaro Blount. She’s a parent educator, bestselling author, and proof that a Pacific Oaks education takes you places you never expected. 💚🌿

After earning her master's degree and teaching credential, Gia thought she'd follow a traditional career path. But motherhood shifted everything. Raising two very different children taught her there's no single "right way" to parent—and that insight became the foundation of her work.

For 20 years, Gia has taught parenting classes, coached families, and advocated for an approach rooted in Pacific Oaks' core values: respect for the whole child, honoring individual development, and partnering with families instead of dictating to them.

Her unique potty training method led to a book deal, and Good to Go: A Fresh Take on Potty Training for Today's Intentional Parent is now helping parents everywhere navigate early childhood with confidence and patience.

"Pacific Oaks didn't just give me a degree—it gave me a lens through which I see children, families, and my role as an educator," Gia says.
That lens is still guiding her today. And we couldn't be prouder. 🌿

04/07/2026

You belong at Pacific Oaks. 💚

First-generation student navigating higher education for the first time? You belong here.

Working adult balancing a career, family, and your dreams? You belong here.

Career changer ready to make a bigger impact? You belong here.

Future educator, social worker, counselor, or leader looking to make positive change? You definitely belong here.

At Pacific Oaks, we don't just welcome students from all backgrounds—we're built for you. With flexible programs, supportive faculty, and a community that believes in lifting each other up, we make sure you have what you need to succeed.

You don't have to do this alone. Pacific Oaks is here for you. 🌿

🔗 Start your journey: https://www.pacificoaks.edu/

04/02/2026

April is World Autism Month. 💚♾️
Acceptance isn't just awareness. It's action.

It's creating classrooms where autistic students feel safe, supported, and celebrated. It's listening to autistic voices, honoring their experiences, and centering their needs in the spaces we build. It's recognizing that neurodiversity isn't something to overcome—it's a natural part of human variation that deserves respect, accommodation, and belonging.

At Pacific Oaks, we're committed to inclusive education that meets all learners where they are. That means designing environments that honor different ways of thinking, communicating, and experiencing the world.

Acceptance isn't a month. It's a practice. Let's commit to it every day. 💚

04/01/2026

Effective immediately, all Pacific Oaks students are required to wear capes to class.

Why? Because you're already out here changing lives, fighting for justice, advocating for communities, and making the world better—so you might as well look the part. 💚🌿

April Fools!

But real talk? The educators, social workers, counselors, and leaders coming out of Pacific Oaks are superheroes. No cape required.

Happy April Fools' Day from your favorite college. 💚

03/31/2026

We invite all prospective international students to join these upcoming virtual informational events.💚🌱

Learn more about:
🌱the application timeline
🌱what matters most to admissions
🌱common application mistakes to avoid

📅 April 3, 7 & 10, 2026
⏰ 10 a.m. CT
📍 Zoom

🔗 Link to register for 4/3: https://tcsedsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/QXM1OL8uTQO8VV5NNupj_w #/registration
🔗 Link to register for 4/7: https://tcsedsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/kJh5EstYTQGhevB-DRsv9Q
🔗 Link to register for 4/10: https://tcsedsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/6MxkDp9FQwmKXMwSUdRMrQ

03/30/2026

As we close out Women’s History Month, we asked the women that inspire us at Pacific Oaks College- “who inspired you?” 🌿💚

Marsha Swindler, Ph.D., shared a powerful story of how her grandmother balanced her role as mother of two daughters while contributing to the war effort building airplanes during World War II.

Watch the video to hear more of her family history and her words of encouragement for women in education. 💚

03/27/2026

The need is urgent. The opportunity is here. 💚🌿

Los Angeles County needs qualified early childhood educators and transitional kindergarten teachers—and Pacific Oaks is stepping up to help meet that demand.

We've launched a 3-year partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) to expand degree access, credential pathways, and wraparound support for educators across the region.

This $800,000 initiative is already making an impact—serving students since January, including first-generation learners, working adults, and current ECE educators seeking to complete their degrees or earn credentials.

At Pacific Oaks, we believe that expanding the early childhood workforce means opening doors for those who have historically faced barriers to higher education. This partnership is about creating pathways, providing mentorship, and equipping educators with the trauma-informed, culturally responsive training they need to thrive.
Because our youngest learners deserve educators who are supported, prepared, and empowered.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.pacificoaks.edu/voices/news/los-angeles-county-office-of-education-ece-partnership/

Address

45 Eureka Street
Pasadena, CA
91103

Website

https://www.pacificoaks.edu/admissions/contact-admissions/

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