PhD in Global Leadership and Change FAQs

Yes, all applicants must have a master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. We do not require that applicants have a master's degree in a specific field; we take a holistic approach to application review. If you are currently pursuing your master's degree, you can still apply for the program as long as your degree is posted before the doctoral program begins.

We ask that candidates to our PhD in Leadership and Change program have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA from both their master's and baccalaureate programs; however, we review all applications holistically for individuals who show potential for success in our program. If you are concerned about your GPA, you are welcome to include a brief "GPA Statement of Explanation" with your application.

All applicants are required to submit scores from the GRE or GMAT exams. This includes the general test; verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, including standardized test scores. We do not adhere to a strict minimum score for any exam. Admission decisions are based on an applicant's potential for success in our program.

Applicants may submit a GRE Waiver Request which will be reviewed by the PhD admission committee.

Our institutional code for the GRE is 4326.

The PhD in Global Leadership and Change program begins with a Community-Building Workshop and Orientation in August. Classes start mid-September, which will be face-to-face at our West Los Angeles Graduate Campus.

Pepperdine GSEP and the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business have partnered together for the Bridge to Business Post-Doctoral Program. This 5-month program is an online hybrid with one weekend per month at Hough Graduate School of Business in Gainesville, FL.

The Bridge to Business Post-Doctoral Program prepares and qualifies graduates for teaching and research centers in AACSB accredited schools in the world and can attain Scholarly Academics (SA) status.

Pepperdine GSEP is offering a $6K scholarship for students and alumni who enroll. Please contact your enrollment officer for details and conditions.

We begin reviewing applications once the full completed application is received. It typically takes 4-5 weeks to receive an admissions decision.

If an application is received after the deadline, it will be reviewed on a space-available basis. If the program is full, the applicant will be considered for the following year.

Yes. Qualified applicants with completed applications will be invited to participate in an interview with the program director or designee.

A writing sample and/or critical thinking assessment may be assigned to a candidate before the potential admission at the discretion of the program director.

The first three years of this doctoral program are dedicated to completing coursework. Following coursework, all students are required to complete their comprehensive exam and dissertation in order to graduate.

For our doctoral programs, students generally complete the programs in 3.5- 4 years, but students have up to 8 years to complete their entire program.

Applicants who attended schools outside the United States are required to submit certified transcripts in English. Submitted transcripts must include a cumulative grade point average (GPA on a 4.0 scale, A = 4.0) that has been evaluated by a NACES member credential service (www.naces.org) such as the World Education Services, Inc. (www.wes.org) or the International Education Research Foundation (www.ierf.org)

If you have not completed your bachelor's and master's degree at the time of application, submit a current transcript. Upon degree completion, you are required to provide official transcripts in a sealed envelope prior to enrollment.

Mailing Address:
Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology Admissions
6100 Center Drive 5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA

International applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a minimum passing score of 550 on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL). The computer-based TOEFL test requires a minimum passing score of 80. Information concerning the availability of this test in foreign countries can be obtained by contacting TOEFL, Educational Testing Services, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA or online at www.toefl.org. As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may submit a score of at least 6.5 on the IELTS exam. You can find out more at www.ielts.org

Please visit our Financial Aid page for current information on program costs, financial aid, scholarships, and grants.

Our financial aid award packages can consist of Colleagues grants, federal direct loans, and departmental scholarship. To be eligible for the most amount of aid, we encourage all applicants to submit their FAFSA applications.

The international policy experience and national policy trips are course requirements. The international policy trip takes place during the first summer of the program. Students will have the opportunity to explore an international location.

The national policy trip takes place in the second summer of the program in Washington D.C. Actual dates vary by year.

The PhD in Leadership and Change program is primarily online with required meetings at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus.

This program is online with face-to-face meetings two weekends per term at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus.

The PhD is research-focused while the EdD is oriented toward educational practice and the application of theory and research. Both degrees require dissertations.

Graduates of the program are likely to hold senior-level positions in NGOs, think tanks, higher education, health care, military leadership, federal and state government, and other organizations.

You are welcome to attend one of our formal in-person or online information sessions. To see the upcoming schedule and to RSVP for a meeting, please visit our page on information sessions.

If you are unable to attend an information session, you are welcome to connect with the Admissions and Recruitment Team at gsep-recruitment@pepperdine.edu to schedule a personal consultation.