How to Apply to the Nursing (BSN) Program at Pepperdine University: A Four-Year Direct-Entry Pathway and a Two-Year Transfer Pathway in the School of Nursing, Regular Decision Only (15 January) With No TEAS, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Pepperdine University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is offered by the School of Nursing in the College of Health Science, an in-person program at a Christian university. The nursing page says graduates of both pathways are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN, become registered nurses, and qualify for the California Public Health Nurse certificate. This article covers the undergraduate BSN only; the Entry-Level Master’s in Nursing (ELM-CNL) is outside its scope. The application page states that students who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for the BSN program. The companion life-sciences article covers Pepperdine’s other health-related majors; here the nursing program gets its own detail. Below, details for fall 2027 entry are split into U.S. domestic, international, Chinese and transfer applicants.

1. Degree and program

• Four-year direct-entry pathway: for applicants who have not graduated from high school at the time of application; the page adds that you may also apply to this pathway if you hold or are taking college units (including dual enrollment) but have not graduated high school. The first two years are general education and core natural and social science courses at the Malibu campus; the last two are nursing didactic and laboratory classes and clinical preceptorships at the Calabasas campus. The quick facts give the length as “8 or 4 full-time semesters”, matching the four-year and two-year pathways.
• Two-year transfer pathway: for applicants who have graduated from high school and completed the prerequisites at another college or university; students enroll at Calabasas for a curriculum of mainly nursing courses and experiential learning (the quick facts’ 4 full-time semesters).
• Quick facts on the nursing page: in person; start terms fall and spring; 69 nursing units and 64–70 core curriculum units; “750+ clinical supervised hours”; a 30,000 sq. ft. Calabasas campus with simulation and nursing skills labs, plus what the page calls a fully functional operating and emergency room. Named clinical partner hospitals: the pages read do not list any (the page only says placements are arranged near you); not published, ask the nursing admissions office.
• STEM status, honors or research programs: not stated on the nursing pages we read.
• RN-to-BSN and second-degree accelerated BSN: not on the pages we read.
• NCLEX-RN pass rate: not published on the pages we read; the FAQ calls fall 2025 the inaugural cohort.

2. How you get into nursing, and the bar

• The four-year pathway is direct entry: the page calls it “direct entry”: you apply to nursing when you apply, through the Common App. The pages we read do not describe a separate progression gate between the Malibu years and the Calabasas nursing years, a GPA threshold for moving up, or a guarantee of progression; not published, so get this in writing from the nursing admissions office.
• Applications and offers (inaugural cohort): for fall 2025, the four-year pathway received 594 applications and admitted 181; the two-year transfer pathway received 70 applications and admitted 16.
• Admit averages (inaugural cohort, as printed): four-year pathway: 3.54 average high school GPA, 1,211 average SAT superscore, 26 average ACT superscore. Two-year pathway: 2.99 average GPA, 1,290 average SAT superscore, 16 average ACT superscore. (The FAQ prints these figures; the two-year ACT average looks inconsistent with the SAT average and the page does not explain it. Confirm with admissions.)
• What reviewers look at: the FAQ says the committee looks at academic record, GPA, standardized test scores (if submitted), service and leadership background, and character as shown in references and short answers or personal statements.
• Entrance exam: the FAQ answers “Do I need to submit my TEAS score?” with “No, our program is test free.” HESI: not mentioned.
• Interview: the first-year application page says fall first-year applicants may sign up for an optional admission interview.
• Clinical or volunteer experience, background checks, health exams and immunizations, insurance: not stated in the nursing application pages we read; ask the nursing admissions office. A separate page on the essential functional abilities for nursing practice says they describe the demands of nursing education and practice, are not admission criteria, and that reasonable accommodations are available; the FAQ answers “yes” to whether you can apply with a disability or health condition.
• Residency: four-year pathway students have a two-year residency requirement like Seaver students; the two-year pathway has none.
• Moving in from another major at Pepperdine: not stated on the pages we read.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school courses: the FAQ says there are none required, but science and math courses are reviewed and four years of each are encouraged.
• Curriculum structure (the curriculum page): core curriculum 39–41 units (including Foundations of Reasoning, Thinking Classically, English Composition, Speech and Rhetoric, three religion courses, Elementary Spanish II, Medical Spanish for the Healthcare Professions, and global, arts, historical and life-skills requirements); required preparatory nursing courses 25 units (Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Microbiology for the Healthcare Professions, Chemistry for the Healthcare Professions, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Introductory Statistics for the Healthcare Professions); nursing theory courses 46 units; nursing clinical practice courses 23 units. Nursing courses include fundamentals, health assessment, community and population health, pathopharmacology, adult health, gerontological, psychiatric-mental health, maternity, pediatric, evidence-based practice, an NCLEX-preparation course and a final Professionalism Clinical Practicum (NURS 480P).
• Clinical hours: 750 or more, per the nursing page.
• AP and IB credit: the nursing pages we read do not say whether AP or IB can satisfy nursing prerequisites. The international page says IB results are used to consider advanced standing credit; how that applies to nursing prerequisites is not published, ask admissions.

4. Rounds and deadlines (fall 2027 entry)

• Four-year pathway: the School of Nursing admission page (printed Fall 2027) says applications open 1 August and close 15 January, with decisions sent 1 April; FAFSA deadline 15 February. The undergraduate deadlines page says nursing applicants must apply for Regular Decision (no Early Action or Early Decision), and gives 19 March as the Regular Decision notification date, which differs from the nursing page’s 1 April. Both are listed; follow the nursing office’s notice.
• Platforms: first-year (four-year pathway) applicants use the Common App; transfer (two-year pathway) applicants use NursingCAS.
• Application fee: the nursing four-year application page says $65; the Seaver first-year page and the international first-year page say $70; the two-year transfer pathway says $75. The first-year figure is inconsistent across pages; go by what the Common App shows when you submit.
• Materials: Common App essay; the Pepperdine question (as a Christian university, why you want to attend and how you would contribute to conversations of faith, 300–500 words); two nursing supplemental questions (how your experiences, values or beliefs shaped your view of nursing as a calling; what it means to lead with compassion in today’s healthcare environment; 200 words each); official high school transcripts including a sixth-semester transcript through grade 11; one academic recommendation from a core-subject teacher or counselor (math, science, English, history, foreign language, religion).
• Testing: SAT or ACT is optional and Pepperdine says you get the same consideration either way, but scores are required for Regents Scholars consideration. For nursing, the optional ACT science section is recommended. The test-date advice (October for the 1 November deadline, December for 15 January) is a general Seaver note repeated on the nursing application page; the Early Action date it mentions does not apply to nursing.
• Home-schooled applicants: the FAQ asks for any traditional high school transcript; if there is no transcript, official GED or CHSPE documentation plus curriculum and grade documentation; and strong SAT or ACT scores to show academic proficiency.
• Spring entry: the four-year pathway lists only a fall deadline. Spring entry appears only for the two-year transfer pathway (section 8).

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Pepperdine is private; the cost page gives one tuition figure with no in-state or out-of-state difference. The nursing pages we read do not mention any home-state preference.
• 2026-27 BSN cost for new on-campus students: flat-rate tuition (12–18 units per semester) $74,370; housing and food $20,490; wellness fee $580; campus life fee $252; loan fees $68; books and supplies $1,000; transportation $1,000; personal expenses $1,500. The first table’s “TOTAL” is printed as $95,692, which equals the direct costs only (tuition, housing and food, wellness and campus life fees); the page’s full cost of attendance is $99,260. Both numbers appear on the page. Units 1–11 are $2,335 per unit per semester; 12–18 units are a flat $37,185 per semester. About $1,362 per semester in health insurance may apply if you are not already covered.
• Nursing-specific fees, clinical-related costs: the cost page does not list any; not published, ask the College of Health Science financial aid office (CHSfinaid@pepperdine.edu).
• Scholarships and aid: the School of Nursing aid page says admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships (amounts vary by GPA, test scores and work experience) with no separate application, and are told at admission; file the FAFSA (school code 001264) for need-based grants and federal loans; external funding is encouraged.

6. International applicants

• Scope of what we read: the nursing four-year application page only says that applicants who attended high school outside the U.S. should visit the international admission website. International requirements below therefore come from Seaver’s international first-year page, which does not mention nursing.
• Who counts as international: anyone without U.S. citizenship or a permanent resident visa.
• English proficiency (any one): SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 600+; ACT Reading 24+; TOEFL iBT 85+ (MyBest Scores not accepted); Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 186+; Duolingo 120+; LanguageCert Academic 70+; IELTS 6.5+; a B or better in a transferable U.S. college English Composition course; a C or better in AS/A-Level English; IB English 5 or better; four years in an English-medium high school (verified by a counselor); and others. Scores must be within two years of application. Whether nursing requires a higher English score: not published.
• Testing: SAT, ACT or CLT is optional for international applicants too.
• Transcripts: each high school attended must send transcripts directly; grades transferred onto a later transcript are not accepted; non-English transcripts need English translations; external exam results must be certified.
• Visa and funds: the page says the I-20 is issued after you submit the Enrollment Form and tuition prepayment (deposit); ISD form deadline for fall is 15 July. The dollar amount to show as proof of funds: not on the page; not published.
• International scholarships: the Seaver international page lists the Regents Scholars Awards (top 8%–10% of the admitted class, SAT/ACT required) and the Blanche E. Seaver International Scholars’ Awards (all admitted students considered), among others. Whether these apply to the nursing BSN is not stated; the School of Nursing aid page only says admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships. That page’s 2025-26 international budget table is the Seaver undergraduate figure, not a nursing figure, so we do not quote it.
• Whether international students may do clinical placements, sit for licensure, or need a Social Security number: not stated on the nursing or international pages we read; ask the nursing admissions office and the Office of International Student Services (OISS) in writing.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the nursing and international first-year pages we read do not say whether the Gaokao is used; not published, ask the international admission office (OISS).
• Transcripts and documents (the “China transcript requirements” PDF, for the Chinese National Curriculum, 3 years): documents in the original language with an English translation. Still in secondary school: transcripts with all subjects and grades for years 10 and 11 (高一, 高二). Completed secondary school: transcripts for years 10, 11 and 12 (高一, 高二, 高三) plus an official copy of the Chinese secondary school diploma and graduation certificate (毕业证书（高中）). Each secondary school attended must send transcripts directly to Pepperdine. The PDF adds that applicants wanting the most competitive file should have the graduation certificate sent directly by CHESICC. Huikao (academic proficiency test) records and other items are not mentioned in that PDF; not published.
• Email: if your Common App primary email is on a Chinese domain such as @163.com, @126.com or @yeah.net, the page asks you to send a non-Chinese alternate address (Yahoo, Outlook, MSN) to the international admission office so you receive all communications.
• Interview supplements: applicants may submit an InitialView or Vericant interview as an optional English-communication indicator.
• Scholarship: the Seaver international page lists a Charles Lam Scholarship for citizens of Mainland China, $8,000–$10,000 per year, offered to two or three incoming first-year or transfer students. The page does not say whether it applies to the nursing BSN; not published.

8. Transfers (two-year pathway)

• Who uses it: anyone who has graduated from high school and completed any college units applies as a transfer. The page requires at least 60 units of completed college credit (up to 64) before entering, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, a minimum grade of C in every prerequisite, and laboratory classes completed in person. The FAQ also says “64 units must be completed [with] the list of prerequisites”, which differs from “60 (up to 64)”; both are listed, ask admissions.
• Prerequisites: core curriculum: English Composition (ENG 101, 3), Speech and Rhetoric (COM 180, 4), Elementary Spanish II (SPAN 152, 4; can be met after admission with a placement exam), Global Perspectives (4), Creative Arts or Interpretation (3–4), Historical Thinking or US Experience (4), Life Skills (1). Core science and statistics: Human Anatomy with lab (BIOL 230, 4), Microbiology for the Healthcare Professions with lab (BIOL 280, 4), Human Physiology with lab (BIOL 270, 4), Chemistry for the Healthcare Professions with lab (CHEM 220, 4), Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 200, 3), Introduction to Sociology (SOC 200, 3), Introductory Statistics for the Healthcare Professions (STAT 250, 3). Depending on your current college’s offerings, the religion courses (REL 100, 200, 300) and Medical Spanish (LANG 241) may be completed after enrollment in a summer term. The page points to assist.org for course equivalencies, says articulation agreements are being updated to include nursing, and says applicants can request an unofficial transcript review from the Office of Advising.
• Deadlines and platform: apply through NursingCAS and pay the $75 Pepperdine application fee. For fall 2027, NursingCAS opens 6 August and the deadline is 15 January, decisions 1 April. For spring 2027, the application opens 1 August; the School of Nursing admission page gives a deadline of 1 October (decisions rolling), the transfer page’s date table says 1 November, and the transfer page’s testing sentence again says 1 October. These conflict; check NursingCAS.
• Materials: four written responses (educational path 250–650 words; the faith-conversation question 300–500 words; two nursing questions of 200 words each); high school transcripts showing the graduation date (GED or CHSPE proof if you did not graduate; international high school transcripts and certified external exam results); one academic recommendation from a college professor or advisor (the committee reads up to two); SAT, ACT or CLT optional.
• International transfers: whether international transfer students are admitted to nursing is not stated on the pages we read; not published.

9. Pre-health advising

The nursing pages we read do not describe a separate pre-health advising office; not published.

10. Things to remember

• Nursing is Regular Decision only, due 15 January; no Early Action or Early Decision. Decide whether you are a four-year (not yet graduated from high school) or two-year transfer (graduated) applicant.
• No minimum GPA or test score is published for the four-year pathway; the first cohort’s averages are in section 2. The FAQ says no TEAS is required.
• The application fee, the decision date, and the spring transfer deadline differ across Pepperdine pages; go by the Common App or NursingCAS when you submit.
• Background checks, health exams, immunizations, named clinical partners and international students’ clinical and licensure questions are not on the pages we read; write to the nursing admissions office.

Sources: Pepperdine University, Nursing (BSN); Four-year pathway application; Two-year transfer pathway; Curriculum; Nursing FAQ; School of Nursing admission and deadlines; School of Nursing financial aid; BSN cost of attendance; Essential functional abilities; Undergraduate deadlines; First-year applicants; International first-year students; International application FAQ; Seaver international cost and scholarships; China transcript requirements (PDF). Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures; where a page prints a date without a year, check that it is for fall 2027 entry). Check Pepperdine’s website for the latest.