Frequently Asked Questions

Please email seaveracademicadvising@pepperdine.edu or your listed academic advisor with your CWID and a statement of what program changes you would like to make. 

Note: Athletes will need additional approval from their athletic academic advisor before any changes can be made.

Your “Degree Audit Report” (or DAR) tracks your academic progress at Pepperdine, listing all remaining requirements needed for degree completion. It can be found in WaveNet by navigating to the “Academics Tab” on the left side of the homepage and selecting the “Degree Audit Report” link near the upper-right corner of the following page. For a brief tutorial regarding your DAR, please refer to the following video. 

You will always have two advisors–an academic advisor located in the Office of the Registrar, as well as a major advisor specific to your course of study. Your academic advisor is there to assist with GE course planning, graduation progress, and general academic support; whereas your Major Advisor can assist with major course planning or career information related to your course of study. If you have more than one major, you will be assigned a major advisor for each academic program.

All of your advisors are listed at the top of your Degree Audit Report, as well as under your “Student Success Team” in Navigate. 

To create your academic plan, use your DAR and the Academic Catalog from the year in which you enrolled. Please be sure to read through requirements and prerequisites carefully. Do not worry–it does not have to be perfect!

After you have attempted an initial plan, book an appointment with your advisor to review your plan and make any necessary edits.

You can sign up for an advising appointment via the Navigate App. Inability to see available time slots indicates an advisor is booked. If you are experiencing trouble booking an appointment through Navigate, please email your academic advisor directly.

Advising holds are placed a few weeks prior to registration, and are reserved for first and second-year students. Since advising holds prevent registration, it is imperative you reach out to either your major or academic advisor to discuss your academic plan and intended next semester courses. Registration can get very busy, so plan ahead and get the hold cleared as soon as possible!

 For all chapel-related questions, please contact the chapel team at chapel@pepperdine.edu or refer to their main webpage for further information. Please note, failure to complete chapel requirements will impact your graduation eligibility.

Please make sure to reach out to your Academic Advisor or the IP Office to ensure that you have appropriate classes to take in an abroad program, as well as map out your first 2 years to help stay on track.

Also, be on the lookout for information from the International Programs Office about deadlines, enrollment, and other important updates. You can find all relevant International Programs academic information, including classes offered at each location, on the IP Academics website.

Note: Students going to Buenos Aires, Florence, Heidelberg, Kyoto, or Switzerland are required to complete the first-semester of the relevant foreign language before the program begins. It is also recommended that you complete REL 100 and ENG 101 within your first year. 

You must have a cumulative Pepperdine GPA of 2.5 or higher to apply. If this is your first semester at Pepperdine, this is the GPA that was on your application to Pepperdine (high school GPA or transfer GPA). You must maintain a minimum 2.000 term and cumulative GPA in every term prior to and/or during your study abroad program. 

Yes, you are able to take a placement test, in one of 4 offered languages to assess proficiency. Your test result can place you into a higher level language course or out of the language requirement entirely.

If you speak a language other than those listed on the placement test website, please reach out to erica.reisser@pepperdine.edu. Alternative options, such as proctored exams, can be provided to evaluate language course placement.

To start, please review all corresponding withdrawal deadlines as found in the Academic Catalog or on the Academic Calendar. Note, there are deadlines in which a withdrawal results in a “W” versus deadlines in which your current course grade can dictate a passing or failing withdrawal (WP/WF). A WF will impact your GPA. If you wish to withdraw from a class, please email onestop@pepperdine.edu. Also, please be sure to check with Financial Aid to ensure your aid or merit-based scholarships will not be impacted by a withdrawal. Additionally, contact Housing and Residential Life Office for any updates concerning your housing contract at housing@pepperdine.edu.

For International Students, contact oiss@pepperdine.edu before withdrawing from any courses to clarify that course changes do not impact visa status. 

If you are eligible to graduate based on units completed, you will receive an email notifying you that graduation applications are open via Wavenet. Applications are live in your Wavenet Portal for set time periods, so be aware of online application deadlines. If you miss the online application window, do not panic! You can still apply to graduate after the online deadline has passed by sending this form to your Academic Advisor. 

After you have submitted your application–either online or via the form–our office will review your graduation eligibility and notify you of your current status. Should you receive a denial, it is important that you review your DAR, contact your academic advisor or major advisor, and address the issues preventing graduation approval. Refer to the Graduating Seniors webpage for further information.