MA in Teaching Admission Requirements

The application form is quick and easy, taking less than 15 minutes to complete. 

Note: A candidate with a degree in education, early childhood education, education studies, or any other degree in education will only be allowed to earn a multiple-subject teaching credential per AB 170. All bachelor’s degrees must be earned at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and the institution’s regional accreditation status must have been in place at the time the degree was earned.

The amendment of AB 170 allowing candidates for multiple subject teaching credentials to hold a bachelor’s degree in education does not extend to single subject credential candidates who must still hold a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than education.

Official transcript sent electronically via one of the approved companies listed below from the institution that awarded the baccalaureate degree to the applicant. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial admissions review; however, official transcripts must be received to complete an applicant’s file and enroll in the subsequent term.

• Electronic Transcript(s) emailed to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.
• Official transcript(s) may be sent from one of the following approved companies:
  • National Student Clearinghouse
  • Parchment
  • eSCRIP-SAFE

Hard-copy Transcript(s), in a sealed and stamped envelope, must be mailed to:

Pepperdine University-GSEP
5th Floor- Enrollment Processing
6100 Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA

Two recommendations must be submitted directly from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic or professional competencies, character, and potential to complete rigorous graduate studies. Academic recommendations from professors, instructors, or academic advisors; or professional recommendations from supervisors for employment, volunteer work, internship, or related activity satisfy this requirement. If you are a recent college graduate, you should have at least one academic recommendation. If you graduated from college more than three years ago, you should use professional recommendations. The online Recommendation Form should be emailed by your recommender to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

A two-to-three-page statement of purpose addressing the following areas:

• Discuss your motivations for applying to the Master of Arts in Teaching program and how the program aligns with your future aspirations
• Highlight important elements of your personal, cultural, academic, or professional background that provide insight into your potential to succeed in an intensive graduate program and how
  engagement with cultural diversity and social justice or plans for growth in these areas support your plans as a future teacher
• Explain how your values align with the mission and vision of the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

Email to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu if not included in your online application.

A signed Statement of Responsibility Form emailed to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

The recent passage of SB 153 allows candidates to use their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as a demonstration of subject matter. Candidates in most credential programs will no longer need to provide additional evidence of competence in basic skills if they hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Completion of the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) or verify subject matter competence by the end of the first term*. CSET test scores are valid for 10 years and must be current in order for a candidate to be eligible for student teaching. Applicants who have successfully completed a Commission-approved Subject Matter Equivalency program must obtain a Subject Matter Equivalency letter from the college or university. The original Subject Matter Equivalency letter will be accepted in lieu of the CSET. Coursework submitted to satisfy the CSET will be verified by the Credentialing Department upon acceptance and submission of tuition deposit. Please note that at this time, Pepperdine University is only authorized by the CTC to formally evaluate coursework for the English CSET and can only provide estimates for other subject areas.

*Graduate students will be admitted and allowed to enroll in the MA in Teaching program without the completion of the CSET, with an understanding that if they do not successfully complete the CSET by the end of their first term, they will no longer be allowed to continue in the MA in Teaching program until which time they have successfully completed the CSET.

Your California Certificate of Character Clearance (COC) must be completed prior to admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Note: State Law prohibits Pepperdine University from accepting a BA Degree in Education if a candidate pursues a Single Subject Teaching Credential in the MA in Teaching Program.

Current TB test results are required.

A personal interview may be required.

If your baccalaureate or master's degree GPA is lower than 3.0, please fill out this Exception Request Form and email it to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

The application form is quick and easy, taking less than 15 minutes to complete. 

Note: A candidate with a degree in education, early childhood education, education studies, or any other degree in education will only be allowed to earn a multiple-subject teaching credential per AB 170. All bachelor’s degrees must be earned at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and the institution’s regional accreditation status must have been in place at the time the degree was earned.

The amendment of AB 170 allowing candidates for multiple subject teaching credentials to hold a bachelor’s degree in education does not extend to single subject credential candidates who must still hold a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than education.

All applicants who received or will receive their degree from a university outside of the US (unless the degree is from a university that is already regionally accredited within the US) are required to submit a detailed foreign transcript evaluation report from any National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member.

Please note, the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing does not accept all NACES member evaluation services. For this reason, for the MA in Teaching program application we strongly recommend using only the following evaluation services:

• Educational Records Evaluation Service (ERES)
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
• International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
• World Education Services (WES)

A detailed foreign transcript evaluation report must contain the following:

• Official foreign transcripts translated into English.
• A detailed course-by-course report with the grade point average converted or calculated on a US 4.0 scale.
• A determination of US degree equivalency (regional accreditation equivalency is required)

If you are attending school outside of the US and have not completed your bachelor's degree at the time of application, we would need your current “in progress” NACES member international transcript evaluation (please see above for requirements). Upon degree completion, you are required to provide an official, updated NACES member evaluation reflecting your full and complete final courses, final cumulative GPA equivalency and US degree equivalency.

Please have the evaluation service, send your updated evaluation to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

Two recommendations must be submitted directly from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic or professional competencies, character, and potential to complete rigorous graduate studies. Academic recommendations from professors, instructors, or academic advisors; or professional recommendations from supervisors for employment, volunteer work, internship, or related activity satisfy this requirement. If you are a recent college graduate, you should have at least one academic recommendation. If you graduated from college more than three years ago, you should use professional recommendations. The online Recommendation Form should be emailed by your recommender to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

A two-to-three-page statement of purpose addressing the following areas:

• Discuss your motivations for applying to the Master of Arts in Teaching program and how the program aligns with your future aspirations
• Highlight important elements of your personal, cultural, academic, or professional background that provide insight into your potential to succeed in an intensive graduate program and how
  engagement with cultural diversity and social justice or plans for growth in these areas support your plans as a future teacher
• Explain how your values align with the mission and vision of the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

Email to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu if not included in your online application.

A signed Statement of Responsibility Form emailed to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

The recent passage of SB 153 allows candidates to use their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as a demonstration of subject matter. Candidates in most credential programs will no longer need to provide additional evidence of competence in basic skills if they hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Completion of the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) or verify subject matter competence by the end of the first term*. CSET test scores are valid for 10 years and must be current in order for a candidate to be eligible for student teaching. Applicants who have successfully completed a Commission-approved Subject Matter Equivalency program must obtain a Subject Matter Equivalency letter from the college or university. The original Subject Matter Equivalency letter will be accepted in lieu of the CSET. Coursework submitted to satisfy the CSET will be verified by the Credentialing Department upon acceptance and submission of tuition deposit. Please note that at this time, Pepperdine University is only authorized by the CTC to formally evaluate coursework for the English CSET and can only provide estimates for other subject areas.

*Graduate students will be admitted and allowed to enroll in the MA in Teaching program without the completion of the CSET, with an understanding that if they do not successfully complete the CSET by the end of their first term, they will no longer be allowed to continue in the MA in Teaching program until which time they have successfully completed the CSET.

Your California Certificate of Character Clearance (COC) must be completed prior to admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Note: State Law prohibits Pepperdine University from accepting a BA Degree in Education if a candidate pursues a Single Subject Teaching Credential in the MA in Teaching Program.

Current TB test results are required.

A personal interview may be required.

International applicants to GSEP whose native language is not English are required to provide evidence of English proficiency. You must submit a test score for the Internet-Based Test (IBT) of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination taken in the last two years with a minimum score of 85. Information concerning the availability of this test outside of the US can be obtained by contacting TOEFL, Educational Testing Services, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA or online. Our TOEFL code is 4630. As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may submit a score of at least 7 on the IELTS exam taken within the last two years. IELTS scores can be sent electronically by choosing "Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology" from the dropdown menu.

If your baccalaureate or master's degree GPA is lower than 3.0 or you're seeking an exception to our TOEFL/IELTS test requirement, please fill out this Exception Request Form and email it to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.