Welcome to Pepperdine University

History of Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University, located in the Santa Monica Mountains along the Pacific was named by the Princeton Review as the most beautiful university campus. The University is located in Malibu, approximately 30 minutes northwest of the City of Los Angeles, the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. The total student population is approximately 7500 students. There are five Colleges and Schools of the University.

Colleges and Schools of the University

Seaver College , is the University's residential college of letters, arts and sciences, enrolling approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students who are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic excellence and personal conduct. An interdisciplinary curriculum requires each student to develop as a broadly educated person. The bachelor's degree is offered in 38 fields of study, and the master's degree is offered in seven areas.

The Graziadio School of Business and Management, is the nation's fifth largest graduate business school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) and enrolls approximately 1,950 students in its full- and part-time programs. Founded in 1969, the school is named for its benefactor, the co-founder and former CEO of Imperial Bancorp, George L. Graziadio. Its mission is to develop values-centered leaders for contemporary business practice. Degrees granted by the Graziadio School include the master of business administration (MBA) for full-time students, working professionals, and high-level executives; the international master of business administration (IMBA); the master of science in organization development (MSOD); and the undergraduate bachelor of science in management (BSM). Special programs include a joint BSM and MBA program, joint degrees with Pepperdine University's School of Law (JD/MBA) and School of Public Policy (MBA/MPP), and non-degree executive education programs that can be customized to meet an organization's specific learning needs. Degree programs are offered at the Graziadio School's headquarters located in West Los Angeles; the Drescher Graduate Campus in Malibu; and additional campuses located throughout Southern California including Encino, Irvine, Long Beach, Pasadena and Westlake Village. The Executive MBA program also is available in Northern California.

The Graduate School of Education and Psychology enrolls approximately 1,700 students. With its main headquarters located at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus, the Graduate School also offers select programs at graduate campuses in Malibu, Irvine, Encino and Westlake Village, as well as online. The Graduate School of Education and Psychology offers a total of 10 master's and doctoral programs in education and psychology, all of which are founded on the theoretical understanding of service through leadership. The education programs prepare teachers to serve as leaders in technological innovation and collaborative learning environments, as well as train administrators to create vision and manage change in business, health and other social service professions. Students in the psychology programs are educated in the current and emerging human service fields, including clinical psychology and marriage and family therapy. Emphasis is placed on the practitioner-scholar model of learning, highlighted by discovery, scholarship, research and clinical application. In conjunction with an excellent professional education, students are provided with personal attention in a Christian, values-centered context.   The Graduate School is also home to the Boone Center for the Family and four Community Counseling Clinics, including the Mental Health Clinic at the Union Rescue Mission for the homeless.

The School of Law, provides an excellent legal education within a values-centered context. One of the most rapidly developing law schools in the country, it is fully approved by the American Bar Association and holds membership in the Association of American Law Schools. It has a limited enrollment of about 670 full-time students who come from across the nation and around the world to study law in a unique, supportive environment. Among its newest degree offerings are the LL.M. in dispute resolution, administered by the School of Law's internationally acclaimed Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and the juris doctor/master of divinity, in conjunction with Seaver College. Other joint degree programs include the JD/MBA, JD/MPP and JD/MDR. The school offers a fall semester and summer session in London, where students may study international law in one of Europe's most exciting cities. The School of Law is also home to the newly created Institute on Law, Religion and Ethics, and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Law.

The School of Public Policy (SPP) offers a master of public policy (MPP) degree built on a distinctive philosophy of nurturing leaders to use the tools of analysis and policy design to effect successful implementation and real change. This requires critical insights balanced with personal moral certainties that only a broad exposure to great ideas, courageous thinkers and extraordinary leaders can encourage. It prepares graduates for careers as leaders and seeks also to strengthen the institutions which lie between the federal government and the individual, including the family, religious organizations, volunteer associations, local and regional government, and nonprofit organizations. Joint degree programs include the MPP/JD degree and the MPP/MDR degree in conjunction with the School of Law, and the MPP/MBA degree in conjunction with the George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management. The Davenport Institute, the research and special program division of SPP, is dedicated to addressing current issues through major conferences, seminars and published research.

History of Pepperdine University

George Pepperdine, the founder of Western Auto Supply Company, established Pepperdine University in 1937. He envisioned a college with the highest academic standards guided by the spiritual and ethical ideals of Christian faith. For thirty years, Pepperdine College was a small undergraduate school located in south-central Los Angeles. It gained university status in 1971 when a school of law was added and the business and education departments became separate schools. In 1972, through the generosity of Mrs. Frank Roger Seaver, Pepperdine opened a new 830-acre campus in Malibu. In 1975, the undergraduate program was named Seaver College in honor of the Seavers.

Pepperdine University is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, of which George Pepperdine was a lifelong member. It is nonsectarian and independent of ecclesiastical controls. Faculty, administrators, and members of the University's governing Board of Regents represent many religious backgrounds, and students of all faiths are welcome.

The most distinctive feature of Pepperdine University is its commitment to academic excellence in the context of Christian values. Mr. Pepperdine's original statement of purpose in 1937 continues to resonate with the mission of the University today:

"Therefore, as my contribution to the well-being and happiness of this generation and those that follow, I am endowing this institution to help young men and women prepare themselves for a life of usefulness in this competitive world and to help them build a foundation of Christian character and faith which will survive the storms of life."

This dual commitment to academic excellence and Christian values is more fully articulated in the Affirmation Statement in the University's catalogues and publications.

As a Christian University, Pepperdine Affirms:
That God is
That God is revealed uniquely in Christ
That the educational process may not, with impunity, be divorced from the divine process
That the student, as a person of infinite dignity, is the heart of the educational enterprise
That the quality of student life is a valid concern of the University
That truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, should be pursued relentlessly in every discipline
That spiritual commitment, tolerating no excuse for mediocrity, demands the highest standards of academic excellence
That freedom, whether spiritual, intellectual, or economic, is indivisible
That knowledge calls, ultimately, for a life of service

Mission of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Pepperdine's Graduate School of Education and Psychology is an innovative learning community where faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures and perspectives work collaboratively to foster academic excellence, social purpose, meaningful service, and personal fulfillment.

As a graduate school within a Christian university, Pepperdine's Graduate School of Education and Psychology endeavors to educate and motivate students to assume leadership roles in professions that improve and enrich the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

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.

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.

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

The goals of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology include:

A History of Academic Excellence

• The Graduate School of Education and Psychology offers rigorous academic programs that prepare our students to serve as leaders in their communities, organizations, and businesses.

A Heritage of Faith

• We celebrate our University's heritage of faith by drawing from our roots, which value the individual and place emphasis on the spiritual growth of each person.

Enriching the Student Experience

• Our focus is on providing an experience that inspires our students to serve, change, and improve our communities.

Committed to Diversity

• With an open mind and heart we embrace the human spirit of multiple backgrounds and perspectives.

Partnering with our Community

• We collaborate with our communities to enrich the quality of life of those served by our graduates.

The Expressed Values of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology:

• Student-centered learning
• Scholar-practitioners
• Communities of practice that foster lifelong learning
• Academic freedom and shared governance
• Quality educational programs that anticipate and proactively react to the marketplace
• Innovation as a continuous part of the educational process
• Balance between personal and professional lives
• Integration of faith and learning
• Social responsibility and justice
• Integrity and ethical standards of conduct
• A diverse culture that is compassionate, caring, and respectful for the dignity of all in the community

History of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology

From the University's beginning, the discipline of education has played a prominent role in the academic program of the institution. With the growing emphasis on improving educational techniques in the public and private school systems statewide, Pepperdine University met increasing demands for leadership and transformed the existing Department of Education into a professional School of Education. The school was formally established on January 1, 1971.

In 1951, a master's degree in psychology was offered for the first time, becoming the genesis of what eventually evolved into the Division of Psychology in the School of Professional Studies. In January 1981, after the decision to phase out the School of Professional Studies was made, the Division of Psychology became part of the Graduate School of Education. In March 1982, the Graduate School of Education officially changed its name to the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

The Boone Center for the Family

The Boone Center for the Family was established in 1996 through the inspiration and foundation of M. Norvel and Helen Young and endowed by Pat and Shirley Boone in 2006. The Center has become an active, vital extension of Pepperdine's Christian mission. Created to provide a supportive force to help strengthen families, it provides practical seminars for marriage enrichment and parenting, as well as trainings for churches, professionals, and lay leaders who reach wider audiences in their communities. The Center is headquartered in Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

The Mission of The Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine promotes healthy relationships and strong families.

Helen Young, (Founding Benefactor) states:
"There is no greater need in our Country or in our churches than strong families and as we strengthen the family, the church will be strengthened, the University will be strengthened, our Country will be strengthened and so the future looks very bright."

Pepperdine University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University places a high priority on sustaining a diverse faculty and encourages applications from candidates who will enrich and contribute to this diversity.