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Q: When is my application due?
A: The early decision deadline for the 2009/2010 Academic Year is
Monday, September 29. However, we
continue to accept applications all year and accept students
as spaces become available. The early decision deadline for Summer 2009 applications
is also September 29. However, we continue to accept applications on a
rolling basis as space is available.
Exceptions to this are listed below:
Q: What is required as part of the application?
A: Applicants must complete the on-line application form which
includes an essay.
Q: Should I apply for one semester or a year?
A: We recommend that you plan to stay for a full academic year in
the programs with language requirements. We
believe that by staying a year, your experience will be enhanced
academically and culturally by a
longer stay in the country. Although we
understand that some students may only be able to participate for one
semester, we encourage all students to give serious consideration to
a full academic year stay. Students who have only attended one
semester tell us time and time again that they wished they had stayed
the full academic year.
Q: Can I apply for more than one program?
A: You can participate in as many international programs as you
wish, but you can only apply for one program per term.
Q: What is the second choice option on the application used
for?
A: The second choice option is used for recruiting purposes only.
This is not an application for your second choice program.
Q: If I apply for an Academic Year, can I switch my application
to one semester later?
A: No. You must re-apply for the program that you are
interested in.
Q: If I sign a contract, can I change my contract from an
Academic Year to a semester only contract or from semester only to
Academic Year or from one semester to the other semester?
A: No. You will receive a contract that specifies the
location and term/s of the program for which
you applied. If you wish to change, you will be considered
withdrawing from the program for which you signed a contract and
financial penalties, as outlined on the contract and in the
Seaver College Student Handbook, will apply. In order
to process your request, you will need to contact the International
Programs Office to request a withdrawal form. Once you
sign the withdrawal from, you can then request to change your
application. In the event a space becomes available, you will
be considered along with other students on the waitlist at that time.
Q: I have already submitted an application and would like to
apply for another program in another term. Do I have to complete an entire
application again?
A: Yes, you must apply for each program separately. You may use
the same essay if it is applicable, but you MUST paste this
information into the new application.
Q: How does International Programs make acceptance decisions?
A: If you are applying the first semester of your freshman year,
SAT/ACT scores are evaluated as well as high school GPA, application essay, campus
citizenship, disciplinary status and your interview with the visiting
faculty member of the program to which you applied.
If you have completed a
semester of college coursework, you will be evaluated on SAT/ACT
scores, college GPA,
application essay, disciplinary status, campus citizenship and an interview with the visiting faculty member of
the program to which you applied.
Q: When do I interview?
A: After the International Programs Student Office receives your
on-line application, the International Programs Office will begin processing your application.
Shortly thereafter, you will receive notification in your campus
mailbox regarding your interview arrangements.
Q: When will I know whether or not I am accepted?
A: 1) First, you must complete an interview with the visiting
faculty. After you have submitted your on-line application, you will receive a letter in your mailbox with information
about how to schedule this meeting. Please note, it is your
responsibility to schedule and complete the interview.
2) Once you have completed your interview, your application is
complete and will be reviewed at the next selection committee
meeting.
3) You will receive notification in your campus mailbox after the
selection meeting.
4) If you applied for an academic year program by the early
decision deadline, you will receive notification in early November
2008.
Q: I'm on a waitlist. What are my chances and when will I know if I get to go?
A: It is impossible to predict how quickly space(s) may become
available in the program. In most cases, a number of the students who
were initially confirmed into a program drop out for various reasons
throughout the year and all students' applications on the waitlist
will be reviewed again if a space becomes available. However, we
cannot guarantee that any confirmed students will drop. If a position
becomes available, only the student(s) on the waiting list who have
been accepted will be notified. It is thus important that the
International Programs Office has your current contact information at
all times. If the information from your application changes (most
importantly, your address, phone number or language 151 status), please
contact the International Programs Office with the new information.
If your plans change, let the International Programs Office know you
are no longer interested so any place that
opens can be offered to a fellow student.
Q: What other options do I have if I've been placed on a
waitlist?
A: If you are on the waitlist and want to go abroad, you can also
apply for a summer program. Summer programs are generally less
competitive than the academic year programs. You may also
contact the International Programs Office to find out which programs
have availability for the Academic Year.
Selection Process
Q: Do students who apply for the academic year receive
preference?
A: Yes, we believe that by staying a year, your experience will be
enhanced by a longer stay in the country, academically and
culturally. Although we understand that some students may only be
able to participate for one semester, we encourage all students to
give serious consideration to a full academic year stay if offered in
the program location.
Q: How are the student selections made?
A: The Selection Committee makes all acceptance decisions. The
Committee considers many factors along with the application including
academic performance, disciplinary status, campus citizenship, and an interview.
Q: When are the acceptance decisions made?
A: Students who apply by the early decision deadline will receive
their notification letters:
2009/2010 Academic Year, Fall 2009 and Spring 2010: Friday,
October 31
Summer 2008: October 31
Students who apply after the early decision deadline should receive their
notification letters a week or two after their interview.
Q: What happens after I am accepted?
A: After acceptances are made, students must complete and turn in
their acceptance paperwork to confirm their space in the program. The
acceptance paperwork includes a contract, and
flight form (and a homestay application for BA and some summer programs). Mandatory orientations are held
in Spring 2009 and are required in order to attend a program.
Academics
Q: Which courses are being offered?
A: See the specific Program's web pages for a full list of all
courses being offered at each location. You may also pick up a hard
copy of these listings in the International Programs office.
Q: Are there any language course pre-requisites?
A: Yes. Students attending Buenos Aires, Florence, Heidelberg or
Lausanne
during the Academic Year must have completed the relevant 151
language course by the Spring 2009. See the program sheets or the web
pages for your specific program to view Spring only course listings.
The courses offered in the Spring will determine your language
pre-requisites. Most of the time students will need to have
completed at least 152 by the end of the Fall 2009 semester.
Q: Do I have to take a language while overseas?
A: All students must take a language course in Florence,
Heidelberg, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Thailand, and Lausanne including students who have
completed their General Education requirement in a language. The language
courses must be taken for a letter grade (not on
a Credit/No Credit basis).
Q: Who teaches the courses in International Programs?
A: The Pepperdine Program Director is a fully qualified faculty
member who teaches in the program. In addition, a Visiting Faculty
member is sent from Malibu to each program location each
semester. The University employs selected, qualified local faculty to
teach other courses. Many of these local faculty have worked for the
University for a number of years.
Q: Are computers available overseas?
A: Yes. Each academic year program has computers available
for students to use. Computers in the residential houses all have ethernet
connection and those students with laptops need to have a wireless
card with their laptop to access the internet in the houses.
Oftentimes, students will not be able to access the internet in
homestays. Alternative locations are available, however.
Most students do bring their own laptops. Computers are also available in many residential summer programs.
Q: Can I do directed studies?
A: We are not able to offer directed studies overseas. Students
are only able to enroll in classes listed on our website.
Q: Do Pepperdine's international programs have five-day
classes?
A: The program in Buenos Aires, Shanghai, and Thailand have
classes 5 days per week. All other programs have classes 4 days per
week.
Q: I am hearing different things about Humanities 111 and the
“intensive humanities” sequence. Are you still offering it?
A: For the 08/09 school year we will NOT be offering the intensive
humanities courses. We also will not be offering HUM 111 in any of
our overseas locations.
Accommodations
Q: Can my friends and parents stay with me at the Pepperdine
residence?
A: No. Outside visitors are not allowed to stay in the
Pepperdine houses overnight. Program directors can help you
find affordable hotels nearby. Pepperdine students in other
International Programs can stay overnight on weekends on an exchange
basis only with a reservation made in advance.
Q: Can my friends and parents stay with me in the homestays?
A: Homestay families are not required to provide housing to
visitors. Program directors can help you find affordable hotels
nearby.
Q: Do many Pepperdine students go on an overseas program?
A: YES! More than 60% of graduates will have studied abroad at
least once during their undergraduate career at Pepperdine.
Two-thirds of all those students who enter Pepperdine as a first-time
college freshman attend one or more of our International Programs.
Language
Q: Do you need to know a foreign language in order to
participate in one of the International Programs?
A: Prior to studying abroad in one of the academic year programs,
students must complete or pass out of the 151 language course for the
host country’s language by Spring 2009. (There is not a language requirement in
Thailand, London or Shanghai.) All other factors being equal, students who have already
begun their study of the language will be given priority in the
selection process. Prior knowledge of the language is also required
for some summer specialty programs. Please see the specific program
course listings for more information on summer program
pre-requisites.
Cost
Q: How much does the program cost?
A: Tuition costs are the same as those at the Malibu campus for
the same number of units. There is also an International Programs
charge which covers room, board, airfare, educational fieldtrips,
transfers, and other costs. The costs for the current year are
shown in the
Seaver
College Academic Catalog
Q: What is included in the International Programs charge?
A: The price includes room, board, transportation, educational
field trips, museum entrance fees and other group activities.
Q: Are there any external costs associated with the program
that are not included in the International Programs charge?
A: There is a fee associated with obtaining a study
visa. This cost varies from country to country, year to year.
Some programs may require local health insurance coverage upon
arrival in the country. You will also want to research your own
personal health insurance coverage to confirm whether or not you are
covered overseas and whether or not you need to purchase additional
coverage. There is a fee for obtaining or renewing your
passport. You will need to research these fees which are
payable directly to the service provider. Additionally, there
is an extra fee for taking a PE course.
Q: Does financial aid apply to the cost of an International
Program?
A: Grants and scholarships only apply to tuition, unless otherwise
stated by your financial aid advisor. For scholarship
information
click here. For the most accurate financial
aid information, go to the
Financial Aid website and also talk to
your financial aid advisor. For summer program applicants, there is a
summer estimator available on this site to help you calculate your
financial aid.
Q: How much spending money should I take with me?
A: How much money you will need depends entirely on personal
spending preferences. Some of the factors to take into consideration
are how much you think you'll be traveling, how much you normally
spend while traveling for meals, lodging, etc., and how many
souvenirs you think you want to buy. Former students say on average
they spend anywhere from $1,500 - $3,000 per semester.
Q: Is there an extra fee for taking a PE course?
A: Yes. Fees range between $140-$425, depending on the course.
Q: How do I get money when I'm overseas?
A: ATMs accepting Visa and Master Card are easily accessible in
most cities. It is important to check with your bank to make sure
you have an international pin number.
Passports and Visas
Q: How do I get a passport?
A: You should begin applying for a passport as soon as you apply
for a program. A
list of the addresses, phone numbers, passport requirements and
business hours of locations in the area that process passports is
available at the International Programs Center. You may also
visit the US Department of State's Passport Services website for more
information such as passport offices nationwide, passport
applications, and passport renewals at
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.
If you do not have a current passport, apply now. This will
require a certified copy of the birth certificate. Depending upon the
region, these can take a few weeks to receive. Start now.
If you have a passport that was obtained before you turned 16, you
will need a renewal since passports issued before 16 expire in 5 years
(as opposed to 10). As students apply a year in advance, the passport
must also be valid the year of study abroad as well as 6-12 months
after the return to the States, depending upon the airline used
and/or the consulate requirements for your student visa.
Renew now.
Q: Do I need a visa to participate in my program?
A: Probably. With the exception of Germany, all host countries of Pepperdine International Programs
require participants to travel with student visas during the academic
year. Semester only and Summer requirements vary.
Q: Where do I get a visa?
A: Visas are issued through the embassy or consulate of the
appropriate host country.
Q: When do I get my visa?
A: Visas are issued for a certain length of time. To avoid early
expiration, the consulate will issue your visa no more than 90 days
prior to your program’s departure.
Q: Will it take a long time to get a visa?
A: The visa process is extensive and can take up to eight weeks
(or more) before you receive your visa.
Q: How do I get a visa?
A: To assist you, the International Programs Center will contact
you regarding a mandatory Visa Workshop. Our staff will walk you
through the process and give general guidelines regarding documents
for your program’s host country. Ultimately, it is your
responsibility to contact the appropriate consulate, provide all
necessary documents, comply with any additional requirements given to
you by the consulate and apply for your student visa.. YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT TO
SUBMIT TO THE CONSULATE WHILE YOUR VISA IS BEING PROCESSED.
Q: What can I do now?
A: 1) If you do not have a current passport, apply now. This will
require a certified copy of the birth certificate. Depending upon the
region, these can take a few weeks to receive. Start now.
2) If you have a passport that was obtained before you turned 16,
you will need a renewal since passports issued before 16 expire in 5
years (as opposed to 10). As students apply a year in advance, the
passport must also be valid the year of study abroad as well as
6-12 months after the return to the States, depending upon the
airline used and/or the consulate requirements for your student visa. Renew now.
3) Verify coverage for your current health insurance policy. Ask
for a list of all international locations. Specific requirements will
differ according to the program you apply for and are accepted to;
however, as all students are required to have current health
insurance coverage, you can determine the scope now and evaluate
whether or not you will want or need to purchase different coverage
for the time that you will be abroad. Pepperdine does offer two
different health insurance plans, specific for study abroad and
overseas travel, through the Student Health Insurance Office.
Travel
Q: From where do the programs depart?
A: Group flights depart from and return to Los Angeles. Students
may petition to be exempt from the Group Flight if they live outside
of California, making it expensive and inconvenient to fly from
their residence to LAX. Student must supply evidence of their place
of residence.
Q: Is the cost of airfare included in the program charge?
A: Yes. The cost of the round-trip airfare on the group flight is
included in the International Programs Charge.
Students who attend both semesters during the academic year will
receive one airline ticket on the group flight that departs in the
Fall and returns at the end of the Spring semester. Students are
responsible for all travel over Christmas break. If you attend both
semesters, the second semester is discounted by $800 as a second
roundtrip flight is not being purchased for you.
Q: Can I arrange my own travel to the program?
A: Students are required to go on the group flight.
Students may petition to be exempt from the Group Flight if they
live outside of California, making it expensive and inconvenient to
fly from their residence to LAX. Student must supply evidence of
their place of residence. In order to do so, you must mark the
"petition to be exempt from the group flight" option on the flight
contract that you receive as part of the confirmation paperwork. If
your petition is granted, you are responsible for arranging your own
travel (including airport transportation upon arrival) to and from
the program. As an exemption, students will be charged $800
less the International Programs charge.
Q: What opportunities are there for travel?
A: Traveling to selected destinations will definitely be a part of
your educational experience. However, these are serious academic
programs and your studies must come first. Also, don't overlook
exploring and learning about the city and country in which your
program is located by visiting only distant places. There is an educational field trip
in both the fall and spring terms of each academic year program.
Class schedules vary for the summer programs.
Q: I'm going overseas for a year. What do I do over the
Christmas break?
A: Many students use the Christmas break to travel to
more distant locations that they can't visit during the semester.
Others purchase a ticket to return home for Christmas
with their family and friends. In other cases, the family from the
U.S. visits the student overseas and they travel together during the
holidays. In any case, the Pepperdine residences close when the
return group flight leaves in December and will not re-open until
shortly before the group flight arrives in January. Homestay
families are not expected to house students during this time.
Academic Year IPRAs
Q: Do RAs overseas have weekend duties like they do in Malibu?
A: No. There are no required weekend responsibilities for IPRAs.
Q: Is the RA position a full-year commitment?
A: Yes. Only students confirmed for the full academic year will
be considered for RA positions in Buenos Aires, Florence, Heidelberg,
Lausanne, Shanghai,
and London.
Q: Are there any semester-only RA positions?
A: No, we prefer the RA to hold the position for the entire
academic year.
Q: What does the selection process entail?
A: Applications are submitted on-line to International Programs.
Each student who completes the application process will interview
with International Programs. . The 2008-2009 IPRA selection timeline
is listed below:
Friday, January 26th On-line applications due by 12am (midnight)
Wednesday, January 30th On-line recommendations due by 12am
(midnight)
January 28th-February 1st Interview signups in the International
Programs Center (TCC 131)
February 4-20th Interviews (TCC 131)
Friday, February 29th Notification letters mailed to on-campus mailbox.
Wednesday, March 12th Mandatory breakfast meeting with all new IPRAs (TCC
107)
April 27th-30th Mandatory IPRA Training
Q: Does each program
have two RAs?
A: No. Some programs
do not have RA positions at all. However, those that do require RAs
will have two.
Q: Do I have any responsibilities once my program ends?
A: Yes, current IPRAs
are expected to participate in the training process of the following
year's IPRAs.
Summer
IPRAs
Q: Do RAs overseas have weekend duties like they do in Malibu?
A: No. There are no required weekend responsibilities for IPRAs.
Q: What does the selection process entail?
A: Applications are submitted on-line to International Programs. Each
student who completes the application process will interview with
International Programs. The summer 2008 IPRA selection timeline is
listed below:
Friday, January 25th On-line applications due by 12am (midnight)
Wednesday, January 30th On-line recommendations due by 12am
(midnight)
January 28th-February 1st Interview signups in the International
Programs Center (TCC 131)
February 4-20th Interviews (TCC 131)
Friday, February 29th Notification letters mailed to on-campus mailbox.
Wednesday, March 12th Mandatory breakfast meeting with all new IPRAs (TCC
107)
April 27th-30th Mandatory IPRA Training
Q: If I miss the January 25th priority deadline to apply for
summer programs, can I still apply to be an IPRA?
A: Yes--Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Q: Will this hurt my chances of being selected as an IPRA?
A: Not necessarily. Please keep in mind that only three programs have
IPRA positions this summer. International Programs believes that the
summer timeline listed above can accommodate those students
interested in the available positions. Apply for both the program and
IPRA position on the same day so that you can be included in the
process right away and will not miss deadlines.
Q: What if I end up not being accepted into the summer program for
which I applied but I have applied for an IPRA position?
A: You will be notified that you are no longer eligible to continue
in the selection process.
Q: Which summer programs have an RA?
A: Buenos Aires, Florence Summer, Heidelberg Humanities, Lausanne and London
Internship.
Miscellaneous
IPRA Information
Q: Do the RAs get room and board overseas?
A: No. The RAs are paid a monthly stipend.
Q: Are there SLAs overseas?
A: No. Currently, the Spiritual Life Advisor (SLA) Program is unique
to the Malibu campus.
Q: When is IPRA Training?
A: Mandatory IPRA Training takes place the last week of April, during
the week of Lectureships.
Q: What if I cannot attend RA Training?
A: You cannot hold the position if you cannot attend Training.
Q: Can I work Lectureships?
A: Accepting an IPRA position will prevent you from also working for
Church Relations during Lectureships because Training happens the
same week.
Q: Are the RAs required to travel on the group flight?
A: Yes. The RAs are required to travel over to the program location
on the group flight. RAs have been specifically trained for emergency
procedures and will be the contacts in the event an emergency arises
in transit.
Q: I am on the waitlist for a program, can I still apply for the RA
position?
A: No. Unfortunately, International Programs can only interview and
consider those who have been accepted into a program and have also
confirmed their contract.
Q: Can I be an RA for more than one program?
A: If you are applying for an RA position during the academic year, no.
The RA position requires a year-long commitment. If you are
applying for the summer, possibly. International Programs prefers to
give as many students as possible the opportunity to participate in
the RA program. However, being hired for one RA position does not
necessarily eliminate you from other RA positions.
Q: If I am chosen as an IPRA, can I still be an RA on the Malibu
campus?
A: Yes, IPRAs can still apply for Malibu RA positions, for the
following year, after they return from overseas. This process
is handled independently through Community Living and all
students overseas will be notified, separately by CL, of the Malibu
RA selection process and timelines.
Q: Can I be a summer Malibu RA?
A: No. Mandatory training for summer RA positions through Community
Living conflicts with mandatory training for summer RA positions
through International Programs.
Q: Is there a job description available for the IPRA position?
A: Yes. You can view a copy of the general IPRA description by
clicking here. Program specific IPRA responsibilities will be
covered during training as well as during overseas orientation at the
program location.
Q: Where do I apply to be an RA?
A:
On-line through the International Programs website.
Q: When is the application available?
A:
The application will be available on January 7th, 2008.
Returning to Malibu
Q: Once I'm overseas, how do I take care of registration and
housing for the next semester?
A: From overseas, you can advance register for your next
semester's classes at exactly the same moment you could register for
them in Malibu. For students returning to Malibu, registration is
done via WaveNet. All registration is done
during the regular registration period. From overseas, you can apply
for housing and be considered exactly the same way as if you were on
the Malibu campus.
Miscellaneous
Q: Can friends or alumni visit the facilities abroad?
A: Arrangements to visit a facility abroad can be made by
calling the Program Director. Reservations must be made at
least 24 hours in advance. Visits are allowed only during office
hours. Visitors may not spend the night.
Q: How many students participate in each program?
A: The number of students varies greatly in each program. The
Academic Year Programs have anywhere between 40-60 students each
semester. The summer programs include between 10-60 students.
Q: Do I need any vaccinations?
A: During your orientation and/or in your orientation book, the Health Center will give information
about vaccines. Once you get that information it is your
responsibility to get the vaccinations that are specific to your
program. If you have any other questions call the Health Center at
extension 4316. You can also find helpful information at the
CDC
website.
Q: Do I need to complete a medical examination evaluation?
A: Yes, all students are required to complete a medical exam by a
certified physician and return a form to the International Programs
Office signed by the physician within 90 to 45 days prior to program
departure and is due 30 days prior to program departure.
04-21-08 |
