Pepperdine people seem genuinely satisfied with their instructors and their courses. Class sizes matter more than an incoming student might expect, and Pepperdine offers some of the smallest, most intimate classes in California. Students unanimously praise the one-on-one interaction that Pepperdine teachers tend to promote, just as they lament the two or three lecture-oriented general education courses they may have endured over their four years in Malibu. Whether one appreciates the religious tilt of many Pepperdine courses will most likely depend on one’s own beliefs. However, most consider the Christian emphasis to be, at its worst, only mildly tedious or distracting.
Pepperdine emphasizes the importance of teaching over research, so professors are invariably available, approachable, smart, and happy to help their students with just about anything. A result of this warm and fuzzy student-professor relationship is that a lot of classes seem, well, not particularly demanding; one wonders whether more expectations and harder assignments might provoke, in turn, more learning. Most students don’t complain too much about all of that, though. Also, the administration aims its funding predominantly toward its business and natural science programs, at times leaving its other departments out in the cold—despite Pepperdine’s self-description as a liberal arts school. Incoming students should definitely consider the four-semester Great Books program, which not only introduces students to the history of Western thought, it also satisfies a lot of GE requirements (even math!). Also, the excellent international programs are an opportunity not to be missed. Those who can manage the expense of spending a semester, or a year, in Florence or Buenos Aires or any of the other popular Pepperdine destinations, should do just that.
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Academics at Pepperdine University
JAPOTTS
International Business '13
4.6
A
GOOD ACADEMICS
PROFESSORS REALLY HELP YOU DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. ALL PROFESSORS I ENCOUNTERED ARE VERY ENGAGED WITH STUDENTS AND WILLING TO HELP THEM OUT AND LISTEN TO THEM. WORKLOAD VARIES FROM CLASS TO CLASS, AND CAN BE REALLY INTENSE AT SOME TIMES BUT NOTHING UNBEARABLE. OVERALL, ACADEMICS ARE OF A VERY HIGH STANDARDS. THE ONLY NEGATIVE ASPECTS IS THAT SOMETIMES, THE UNIVERSITY'S CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW PERSPIRES INTO THE LECTURE HALLS CREATING A BIASED OPINION ON CERTAIN ACADEMIC SUBJECTS.
Feb 16, 2012
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Academics at Pepperdine University
B+
Switching Majors
I was a Liberal Arts Major until about 3 days ago when I switched to Art History. My advisors were lovely and wonderful, but overall my course load (with a teaching credential and a theater emphasis) was too heavy. I also realized that I wasn't actually pursuing what I truly wanted. The LibArts/Education program is INCREDIBLE though. I loved the class I did take (Educ 351 with Dr. Wall, the sweetest person on the planet, and very knowledgable) and hope to someday go into education in the future. My change came about very smoothly. The Fine Arts Department has already welcomed me with open arms, and laid out everything very clearly. I can't wait to take classes for my new major!
Feb 15, 2012
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Academics at Pepperdine University
A
Lot's of Services Available
There are many student services available on campus. We have an office called One Stop which can help you literally with anything from how to register for a class to finding a cheap nail salon near by. There is also a good career center which can help find you scholarships and prepare you for interviews and internships and edit your resumes. The classes are pretty difficult but manageable. The only downside is too many GE's
Feb 08, 2012
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User rating for Pepperdine University - Academics is
4.6 out of 5
based on 32 user reviews.
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