Pepperdine University Top Questions

Classes are small and the professors try their best to see that you succeed in their class. Even though Pepperdine acedemics are probabbly harder than most Universities, its easy to succeed because you get so much help. They also offer some pretty interesting classes. My freshman year I took a class on Harry Potter and learned more than i needed to know about the books.

People are competitive and hardworking - generally. People are intellectual outside of as well as inside of class, and getting to know our professors is easy with such small classes, and they are often seen around campus and even invite students to their home. The education is for learning as well as helpful towards getting a job. Pepperdine has a lot of resources available for students.

Classes are small and generally interactive. You get to know your professors very well, and they might invite you over for dinner. Academics at Pepperdine are nothing one shouldn't be able to handle, an adaquate amount of work.

The professors are amazing; even in a lecture class the professor got to know the names of all 250-ish students in that section and, so I was told, his others sections as well. Professors make an effort to know you on a personal level. They want you to succeed.

Class sizes are relatively small, except for Elkins Auditorium classes. I'd say that while there are hard classes, the load isn't usually overbearing (except science majors sometimes). Professors are usually nice and sometimes funny, like Professor Soper and Professor Sexton. Most of them are more than willing to help students outside of the class and/or have tutors. A lot of them have party's at their houses and you can eat with them at the Caf. I'd rate academics high, with criteria being amount learned, enjoyment level, available help, etc. If you aren't religious, convocation gets to be annoying. However, the grade for convo hardly affects your GPA and only counts for Pepperdine GPA, not for grad school or anything... so if you want an easy A, go for it, if not, dont worry about it.

I was looking at my classes for next year, and even in my GE there are only 30 people. While it's great for when you need a letter of rec, it's not so good when your looking and they only offer ten classes for your major, and three of them are for the same time, and four of them you've already taken. You always have to be flexable with classes, even when your a senior, you have to take whet they give you. That's how I ended up in a Latin America class even though my intrest is in Europe. The classes are a fair balance. Some Prof.'s think that they are the only class you are taking and provive you a book and a paper a week, and some really don't even seem to care if you show up. That's where asking people on campus comes in to play. And students will be very honest about who's good, and who you'll just be wasting your time with.

Professors always know your name at Pepperdine. It is not easy to get lost in the crowd. The standards are set high but you are definitely supported to reach those goals. Outside of class you will find debates within the cafeteria over issues such as politics, religion, etc. Intercultural Communication was the best class I have ever taken and gave me a different perspective of the world.

A lot of the professors live close or on campus so they are very personal. Some might invite you for dinner and study sessions at their houses. They want to see you succeed and will help you reach your goals.

Academics at Pepperdine are very challenging. But the good thing is that the professors are always there offering help. Most professors will know your name by the end of the semester, unless you are in a lecture class. My favorite class at Pepperdine so far was my freshman year seminar, human relations. I have taken other classes that I enjoyed as well, but that was by far my favorite. Students study a lot at Pepperdine, but somehow everyone manages to balance everything pretty well. Some students are very competitive, but it doesn't really affect you unless you are. Many professors will invite the class over for dinner at their house to just get outside the classroom which is really nice. Pepperdine has a lot of GE requirements, but most of them are pretty useful. It gives you a well rounded education. I think the education at Pepperdine is geared to build character as well as gain the education to find a great job out of college.

I'm really satisfied with Pepperdine academics. Like I said before, the professors are all really great and seem to genuinely care about the students, spending time with them even outside the class. Like any college, there are a number of students who skip a lot of classes, especially in large auditorium classes. Some professors try to curb this by giving a brief daily quiz at the beginning of each class. However, as you get through the GEs and into upper-division classes, students get a lot more interested and involved in discussions. Students do sometimes have intellectual discussions outside of classes, but it sort of depends on who you are friends with. Since Pepperdine has a large communications and business department, many of those classes are oriented toward success in jobs, but the Humanities and International Studies & Languages divisions are also emphasized, and these seem to focus on knowledge for its own sake and for widening individual horizons.