This study focuses on the impact of the 2003 changes in the California Preliminary Administrative Services credential on programs of educational administration in institutions of higher education. Through five case studies of educational administration programs in institutions of higher education, several themes emerged: department chair K–12 background may predict early adoption; faculty are confused about the credential requirements; full- rather than part-time professors design programs; new competitors have already challenged enrollments; ambiguous policy creates compliance uncertainty; integration of technology in educational administration programs is limited; communication among stakeholders is weak; the culture of educational administration programs is different from other parts of the academy; the early adopter is more knowledgeable about the requirements, has purposeful collaboration, requisitions sufficient resources for change, uses many forms of communication, enthusiastically embraces new ideas, and reduces bureaucratic barriers to change. Early, middle and later models of program adoption emerged from the data. The final chapter of the research explores ways to minimize ambiguity and maximize program compliance. A new model of implementation of 2003 standards is presented, which uses early adopters as an example and existing professional organizations as disseminators of promising practices.