Welcome to Pepperdine University

Diversity at gsep

Mission

With the increasingly multicultural landscape of the United States, cultural competency in the fields of education and psychology is no longer considered an added value, but a requirement. Fortunately, the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) is an innovative learning community where faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures and perspectives work collaboratively to foster academic excellence, social purpose, and personal fulfillment.

The Graduate School of Education and Psychology embraces human diversity—which we believe to be the natural expression of God's creation—in our work to advance learning and service. GSEP advances, sustains, and advocates for multicultural proficiency.

Vision

GSEP values and respects the perspectives and diversity of our students in regard to ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, age, and ability status. Thus, it is critical that discussions include respectful dialogue about any issue that impacts the lives of our students, and the individuals, families, and communities that our students serve.

Our spirit, energy, and actions will be an inspiration to education and psychology communities.

The strategies for accomplishing this mission are:

• Promoting discourse that values each member's background, experiences, and perspective;
• Recruiting, retaining, and advancing diverse students, staff, and faculty;
• Developing curricular models for practice in educational and psychological environments; and
• Reaching out to broader communities to promote understanding and facilitate solutions to diversity challenges.

GSEP is committed to building a learning environment that reflects the richness and diversity of the global community. This includes program and scholarships designed to attract underserved students; immersive training programs such as the Urban Fellows; student-led global change leadership projects working in conjunction with non-profits and non-governmental organizations.