How to Apply to Psychology at Pepperdine University: The Seaver College BA in Psychological Science, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

Pepperdine University is in Malibu, California, and its undergraduate college is Seaver College. Psychology is offered as the Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Science in the Social Science Division. Pepperdine is a Christian university, and its application includes a required essay about faith conversations on campus. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Pepperdine’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. The Psychological Science major

• Structure: at least 11 PSYC courses, 40 to 44 units:
  • three required courses: PSYC 210 Foundations of Psychology, PSYC 250 Introduction to Statistics and PSYC 310 Research Methods in Psychology;
  • at least one course in each of five pillars: developmental, social/personality, cognitive, mental/physical health and biological psychology;
  • three more PSYC electives to reach eleven courses.
• Honors Research Program: students apply in fall of junior year and are selected on GPA, career goals and completion of PSYC 200 or 210, 250 and 310; they take PSYC 493 and PSYC 442 (Intermediate Statistics) in spring of junior year and PSYC 494 in fall of senior year, completing an original study and oral presentation, and graduates are recommended for “Honors in Psychological Science” on their transcripts and diplomas.
• Fieldwork: the department says students routinely work at a nearby juvenile detention facility or the local state hospital, and there is an industrial/organizational psychology minor.
• Declaring: we could not find a stated deadline for declaring a major on the admission pages or in the catalog; ask your academic advisor.

2. Deadlines and decisions

The admission office’s deadlines page lists:

• Early Action: 1 November, decisions 21 December, reply by 1 May.
• Early Decision I: 1 November, decisions 21 December, reply by 1 February; Pepperdine says students admitted Early Decision are guaranteed at least $25,000 in merit aid.
• Early Decision II: 15 January, decisions 1 February, reply by 1 March.
• Regular Decision: 15 January, decisions 19 March, reply by 1 May.
• Spring entry: priority 1 October, final 1 November.

The international students office’s first-year page instead lists Early Action on 1 November with decisions on 10 January, Regular Decision on 15 January with decisions on 1 April, and spring on 1 October. The decision dates differ, so confirm with international admission.

• Apply through the Common App with a $70 fee, the personal essay, the Pepperdine questions and a 300–500-word essay about faith on campus, one academic recommendation from a core-subject teacher or counselor, and a transcript through grade 11.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Academic records: for the Chinese national curriculum, current students submit all subjects and grades for Gao 1 and Gao 2; graduates submit Gao 1 to Gao 3 and the high school graduation certificate. Records must be in the original language with English translations and sent directly by each school. Pepperdine says the most competitive applicants have CHESICC send the graduation certificate directly.
• Email: if your Common App email uses a Chinese domain such as @163.com, @126.com or @yeah.net, send an alternate non-Chinese address to international admission so you receive all messages.
• Pepperdine publishes no Gaokao policy.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• British Columbia: current students submit all grade 10 and 11 results; graduates submit grades 10 to 12 and the Dogwood Diploma, sent directly by the BC Ministry of Education or the school.
• Pepperdine publishes no grade cut-offs for Canadian curricula. Four years at an English-medium high school can satisfy the English requirement, subject to verification.

5. Testing and English

• Test optional: the SAT, ACT and CLT are optional, and Pepperdine says applicants receive the same consideration either way. Scores are required to be considered for the Regents Scholars Program. Pepperdine superscores.
• English: international first-year applicants must show proficiency with one of:
  • TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) 85, no MyBest scores;
  • IELTS (including IELTS Indicator) 6.5; Duolingo 120; Cambridge C1 or C2 186;
  • IB English 5 or better, a C or better in UK AS or A-Level English, or four years at an English-medium high school.
• Interviews (optional): InitialView or Vericant interviews can be submitted as extra evidence of English communication.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 on-campus costs for new students (US$): flat-rate tuition for 12–18 units per semester 74,370, housing and food 20,490, wellness and campus life fees 832, plus books, transportation and personal costs, for a total of about 99,258; health insurance of about $1,362 per semester applies if you are not otherwise covered.
• George Pepperdine Achievement Award: $16,000 to $35,000 a year for first-years, renewable for four years; admitted students with an unweighted, recalculated GPA of 3.60 or higher receive at least $16,000 a year. All applicants are considered automatically.
• Regents Scholars Program: $40,000 to $45,000 a year for the top 8–10% of admitted first-years; test scores are required, and it cannot be combined with the Achievement Award.
• International scholarships:
  • all admitted students are considered automatically for the Blanche E. Seaver International Scholars’ Awards, offered to a limited number;
  • the Charles Lam Scholarship for citizens of mainland China, $8,000 to $10,000 a year, offered to two or three incoming first-year or transfer students;
  • an American co-signer loan option.
  Pepperdine does not say whether international students can receive need-based aid.

7. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: any high school graduate with college units; there are no course requirements or minimum credits.
• Deadlines: transfers apply Regular Decision only, by 15 January for fall, with decisions on 19 March and a reply date of 1 May; international spring transfers apply by 1 October.
• Credit (catalog): up to 64 semester units transfer, with grades of C or better only; at least 64 units, including the last 28 and at least 24 upper-division units in the major, must be completed at Seaver College. Transferred grades do not count in your GPA. International coursework is evaluated internally by the Office of International Student Services, not by outside vendors.
• Recommendation: one letter from a college professor or advisor; with fewer than 30 college units, a high school core-subject teacher may write it instead.
• Scholarships: transfers with 30 or more units can receive the Achievement Award of $5,000 to $20,000 a year, based on college GPA.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply on the Common App by 1 November (EA/ED I) or 15 January (ED II/RD), including the faith essay
• TOEFL 85, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120; Gao 1 and Gao 2 records with English translations, sent by your school
• For the Regents Scholars Program, submit the SAT, ACT or CLT; mainland Chinese citizens can look into the Charles Lam Scholarship

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; grade 10 and 11 records sent by the BC Ministry of Education or your school
• Four years at an English-medium high school can meet the English requirement

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 15 January, Regular Decision only
• Up to 64 units of C-or-better work transfer; at least 64 units at Pepperdine

Sources: Pepperdine University, Application deadlines; First-year applicants; International first-year applicants; China transcript requirements (PDF); British Columbia transcript requirements (PDF); 2026-27 cost of attendance; Scholarships; International cost of attendance and scholarships; Transfer applicants; International transfer applicants; Psychological Science major; Seaver College Catalog 2026-27 (PDF). Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check Pepperdine for the latest details.