How to Choose a Pepperdine Study Abroad Program
Pasta or pretzels? Presidents or Patagonia? Pandas or Parliament? With so many amazing locations to choose from, selecting which study abroad program you're interested in is no easy task. To help make your decision a little easier, here is some advice on how to get started.
1. Your Four-Year-Plan is Your Friend!
It might sound obvious, but studying abroad does actually involve studying. Therefore it's a good idea to choose a program offering classes that will help you on your road to graduation. Look at each program's academics page to find out which classes are being offered where, and make sure you can take the minimum number of units (12 units per semester for academic year, fall, or spring programs, and 4–8 units for summer programs). You can use Navigate to map out your four-year plan and then send it to your academic advisor for approval. Check out this handy guide to using Navigate to get started. Our blog post on selecting courses to take before studying abroad also has some useful tips to help you plan things out. Your academic advisor will review your plan so that at the end of your time abroad, you'll be speeding towards graduation like a bullet train on its way to Paris!
2. Visualize, Prioritize, Compare
Take a second to close your eyes and imagine yourself abroad. Take note of the environment and people around you. Are you in a big city or the countryside? What do you see, hear, smell? Now open your eyes and make a mental list of your goals for your study abroad experience. Which of these goals is most important to you?
Lausanne, Switzerland
Below are some key facts about our seven global campus locations that may impact your decision.
| Location | Population | Housing | Foreign Language Taught | Faculty-in-Residence 2022–2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2.9 million | Homestay with Argentine family | Spanish | Dr. Robin Perrin and Dr. Cindy Miller Perrin |
| Florence, Italy | 383,084 | Villa, approx. 2–4 students / room | Italian | Dr. John Peterson (Fall 2022, AY 2022 Last names A-L) and Dr. Chris Soper (Spring 2023, AY 2022 Last Names M-Z) |
| Heidelberg, Germany | 160,355 | Moore Haus, approx. 2–6 students / room | German | Dr. Tim Willis |
| Lausanne, Switzerland | 139,111 | Maison du Lac, 2 students / room | French | Dr. Cindy Colburn (Fall 2022, AY 2022 Last Names A-L) and Dr. Gretchen Batcheller (Spring 2023, AY 2022 Last Names M-Z) |
| London, United Kingdom | 8.9 million | 56 Princes Gate, approx. 2–6 students / room | Arabic | Dr. Amanda Rizkallah |
| Washington, D.C., USA | 705,749 | The DC House, 2 students / room | N/A | Dr. Chris Soper |
We also offer faculty-led programs each summer in several locations. Check them out.
3. Thou Shalt Have a Second (and Third, and Fourth) Choice
Remember that only two out of three applicants are placed in their first-choice program due to space constraints. So while it's a good idea to think carefully about your first-choice program, your ultimate goal should be to go abroad. Because going abroad is awesome, and all of our programs are awesome (we're not biased or anything).
Friends don't let friends miss out on going abroad!
4. Ask an Expert but... Keep an Open Mind
Guess what? There are literally hundreds of people at Seaver who have made this exact same decision. Ask them what factors influenced their decision, and if they went abroad, what their experience was like. Wondering who to ask? We have IP Ambassadors that represent each of the seven IP locations who would be happy to meet with you. Finally, your RAs and SLA are great resources.
Remember that you are the master of your own destiny! Though lots of people may give you well-intentioned advice, only you will really know what's right. Based on our experience, here are some not-so-good reasons to choose a program:
- "All my friends are going to _____!"
You will make new friends in your program. Just ask any of our alumni! And your amazing suitemates/greek brothers and sisters/crush will still be around when you get back.
- "Someone at Pepperdine said that _____ is the obvious choice."
Receiving advice is super important, but follow your interests and academic needs.
- "I heard that everyone in ____ is _____."
Stereotypes are misleading. Don't let generalized and (probably) inaccurate descriptions of a culture/language/location get the You got this!
IP Virtual Info Session #1: Explore the World with IP
Click here to watch the recording!
IP Virtual Info Session #2: Apply to Study Abroad
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Washington, D.C. and DC+ Academic Year 2021-22 Information Session
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London Academic Year 2021-22 Information Session
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Buenos Aires Academic Year 2021-22 Information Session
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Heidelberg Academic Year 2021-22 Information Session
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Lausanne Academic Year 2021-22 Information Session
Click here to watch the recording!