Many new school leaders will be needed in the coming years, and the demands placed upon them are increasingly complex. Research has shown that leaders need a strong sense of self-efficacy in order to succeed. This study examined the relationship between the leadership readiness beliefs of prospective school leaders and the efficacy-building experiences in which they participated during university preparation programs. A survey was developed and given to 176 prospective school leaders during the final months of their preliminary administrative credential programs. Five research questions were evaluated using statistical procedures including Pearson "r," ANOVAs, and "t" tests. A moderate positive correlation was found between the number of efficacy-building experiences in which university preliminary administrative credential students take part and the leadership readiness which they report. This study did not find significant differences in leadership readiness between groups from varied universities or cohorts within universities, but the groups under study were highly similar. Specific types of efficacy-building experiences (performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, or affective state) were not determined to be more important than others in developing leadership readiness. None of the individual domains of leadership readiness (focus, magnitude, or purposeful community) was affected to a greater degree than others when efficacy was developed. This research suggests that a wide range of efficacy-building activities should be incorporated into university preparation programs, because no single group of activities was found to be more important than the others. Individuals who participate in these experiences should expect that they will assist the development of a generalized leadership readiness, as the development of specific types of leadership readiness was not evident. Credential candidates wanting to prepare for futures in educational leadership would benefit from maximizing their participation in efficacy-building experiences. Specific recommendations are given for university programs that desire to best prepare their students through efficacy-based training. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]