Admission

International Applicants

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy welcomes applications from International Students, because of the unique study of Public Policy and emphasis in International Relations, currently this year’s class is comprised of 15% international students.

In addition to the following application requirements:

• Application Form
• Application for Admission Fee
• Two Essays
• Resume
• Official GRE score
• Recommendations (2)

International students should see guidelines and additional required documents below:

• Transcripts
• TOEFL or IELTS
• Personal Data Form and Financial Statement

International Student Guidelines

Transcripts

Official copies must bear the official university seal and signature of the registrar. The copies must be returned directly to the School of Public Policy Office of Admission in the official sealed envelope. All applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. If you attended a non-English language institution, you must submit certified translated copies of your university transcripts to the School of Public Policy. If the transcripts or marksheets are from a university outside of the United States, they are to be signed by the registrar, controller of examinations, or president of the university issuing the document. Official records are to be in the language of instruction, accompanied by official translations in English, if necessary. Translations sent directly from the institution attended or from a recognized translator are considered official.

Note to Foreign Applicants

The academic records which we refer to as transcripts should provide a listing, year by year, of all courses taken and the grade or marks received for each one. It is helpful to have the grading scale of the institution and the student’s rank in class included when such information is available. Do not submit secondary school records. Transcripts must bear an official signature in ink of the appropriate official of your institution(s), such as the registrar or recorder of records, and must bear the institutional seal. If your college or university will not provide original official academic documents, exact copies that have been verified as “Certified True Copies” by the appropriate institutional official of each institution attended should be sent. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable. To be considered, all documents not in English must be accompanied by official English translations. These translations must bear an original ink signature and seal. Translations alone will not be accepted.

TOEFL or IELTS

International students whose first language is not English and who are not graduates of a college or university in the United States are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System. Please use the Pepperdine University institution code 4630 and have your score sent directly to the School of Public Policy. A TOEFL score of at least 600 on the paper and pencil test, 250 on the computer based test, or 90 on the internet based test is the minimum required. Applications are not considered complete without the test scores.

Personal Data Form and Financial Statement

International students are required to return this form with the Application for Admission. This information is required in accordance with United States (U.S.) federal regulations and is necessary for the issuance of the Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status,” the document you will need in order to apply for F-1 (student) visa status. If you are a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., you do not need to submit this form.

Click here for the International Student Data Form.