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Pepperdine | Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Admission Requirements

 In an effort to process your application quickly, we only accept electronic application materials.

To apply for this program, please submit:

1. Your application for admission with a nonrefundable processing fee.

2. For domestic students, transcripts from the regionally accredited colleges or universities that awarded your baccalaureate degree may be sent through one of the methods noted below. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial admissions review; however official transcripts must be received to complete your student file.

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

Note: State Law prohibits Pepperdine University from accepting a BA Degree in Education for applicants who wish to pursue a Single Subject Credential. Applicants with a BA Degree in Education will only be able to pursue a Multiple Subject Credential.

3. Two professional recommendations attesting to the applicant’s competencies, character, and potential and/or ability as an educator. The online Professional Recommendation form should be emailed to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

4. A 1-2 page Statement of Educational Purpose to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu if not included in your online application.

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

6. Completion of the Basic Skills Requirement (CBEST) is required by the end of the first term*. Coursework submitted to satisfy the CBEST will be verified by the Credentialing Department upon acceptance and submission of tuition deposit. Documents must be emailed to gsep-admissions@pepperdine.edu.

7. 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.

8. 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.

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

*Graduate students will be admitted and allowed to enroll in the MA in Teaching program without the completion of the CBEST/CSET, with an understanding that if they do not successfully complete the CBEST/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 CBEST/CSET.

International Student Requirements:

10. All applicants who received or will receive their degree from a university outside of the US (unless the degree is from a university which 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, such as the International Education Research Foundation at ierf.org or the World Education Services, Inc., at wes.org.

A detailed foreign transcript evaluation report will contain the following:

  • Foreign transcripts translated into English.
  • Grade point average calculated on a 4.0 scale.
  • A determination of US degree equivalency (regional accreditation equivalency is required)

11. If you have not completed your bachelor'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 directly from the institution who awarded your degree prior to enrollment.

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

Note: If your first language is not English, you must submit a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL). If taking the Internet-based TOEFL test, you will need a minimum score of 80. 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 at www.toefl.org. Our TOEFL code is 4630. 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.orgIELTS scores can be sent electronically by choosing "Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology" from the dropdown menu.