The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) is an innovative learning community where faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures and perspectives work collaboratively to foster academic excellence, social purpose, and personal fulfillment. GSEP values academic excellence, innovative leadership, and work that serves the greater good. It embraces human diversity which GSEP believes to be the natural expression of God’s creation—in its work to advance learning and service. GSEP advances, sustains, and advocates for multicultural proficiency.
GSEP students prepare to make a difference through practicums, internships, and state-of-theart on-campus clinics. It is experiential learning to a higher degree.
In keeping with its commitment to innovation, GSEP was first to offer a master’s degree in social entrepreneurship and change; a master’s degree in education with teaching credential; and first in California to offer an accredited degree program in learning technologies. Over the last year, GSEP introduced not one, but two new programs: The Doctor of Philosophy in Global Leadership and Change, and the Master of Science in Behavioral Psychology. These programs will aid GSEP in leading its students into the future.
Also critical to GSEP is fostering a learning environment that reflects the richness and diversity of the global community. The school’s Diversity Council was formed to promote discourse and foster multicultural proficiency. Comprising students, faculty, and staff, the council meets on a monthly basis at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus. Beginning in the fall of 2015, GSEP student, faculty and staff met monthly to index records for The Freedmen’s Bureau Project. The initial goal was to index 500 records; GSEP ended by indexing more than 2,213 records. Because of GSEP and many other groups, 100% of documents have been indexed for The Freedmen’s Bureau Project. Millions of people are now able to learn more about their family history through these records.
The Margaret J. Weber Distinguished Lecture series, one of GSEP’s signature events, regularly features people of color and women. Some recent speakers include author, activist, and educator Dr. Cornel West; author and entrepreneur Shelene Bryan; and author and educator Sharon Draper.
GSEP’s Foster Grandparent Program offers a multigenerational approach to community volunteerism. Foster Grandparents are mentors, tutors, and friends to children from infancy to age 21 who have exceptional needs or circumstances. GSEP partners with schools and community- based organizations in Carson, Compton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Torrance, and Watts.
Pepperdine Resource, Youth Diversion, and Education (PRYDE) is a prevention, intervention, and counseling program available for at-risk youth and their families. Led by Dr. Robert Hohenstein in collaboration with the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department, the program provides services and resources that help youth and their families make positive changes in their lives, as well as prevent first-time youth offenders from entering the juvenile justice system.
‘The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) is an innovative learning community where faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures and perspectives work collaboratively to foster academic excellence, social purpose, and personal fulfillment.’
GSEP’s West Los Angeles Community Counseling Clinic sees around 200 clients per year for individual, couple, child, and family therapy on a sliding scale fee. All of the therapists at the clinic are students in GSEP’s Doctor of Clinical Psychology program and supervised by licensed therapists who are members of the faculty.
The Career Services Center provides its constituents with a customized model of career education and counseling. GSEP is guided by career development theory and labor market research, and utilizes a multi-faceted approach to engage its industry partners. Career Services has also become one of the first university organizations to forge a partnership with The Future Workplace Network. This partnership allows Pepperdine to strengthen its pipeline between academia and industry. By engaging with thought leaders from companies like Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, GSEP will continue to stay current on talent acquisition and development trends.
Pepperdine GSEP is proud of its tradition of excellence, innovation, and diversity. In keeping with this tradition, it will continue to:
• Promote discourse that values the background, experiences, and perspective of each member of its community.
• Recruit, retain, and advance diverse students, staff, and faculty.
• Develop curricular models for practice in educational and psychological environments.
• Reach out to communities to promote understanding and facilitate solutions to diversity challenges.
GSEP’s spirit, energy, and actions will be an inspiration to education and psychology communities, and its students will continue to effect positive and lasting change in the world.
To learn more, visit GSEP.Pepperdine.edu.
