Songwriting Minor

This page is for all first-year applicants applying to the songwriting minor. Current Pepperdine students who wish to apply for the minor should contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office.

For more information, please contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at 310.506.4111, or via email at fineartsrecruit@pepperdine.edu.

Application Requirements for Songwriting

All students applying for the Songwriting Minor must complete the following:

1. The application for Seaver College 
2. The Fine Arts supplemental application 

Upon submission of your Fine Arts supplemental application, you may be asked to participate in a virtual callback with a member of the music faculty. If a callback is requested, you must also complete the Music Fundamentals and Skills Assessment, or MFSA, as part of your application to the minor. The MFSA is not required for those who do not receive a callback notification.

Transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to review Pepperdine’s transfer policies and to contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@pepperdine.edu with further questions.

Supplemental Application Requirements for Songwriting

You will receive access to your Application Portal after submitting your CommonApp. Those interested in pursuing a music minor will need to reach out  to the Fine Arts Recruitment Office to have the Fine Arts Application Form added to their Application Portal. Once you have submitted the Fine Arts Application Form, you will be able to submit your supplementary materials, including your recorded video auditions.

All students applying for the songwriting minor must submit the following as part of their supplemental Fine Arts application:

1. Music Resume
2. Composition Portfolio
   
   • Three audio and/or video recordings of song compositions
   • Three original compositions in a written format
3. One Fine Arts Letter of Recommendation

Should you like to request a substitution to any portion of the required repertoire for your primary instrument, please contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at fineartsrecruit@pepperdine.edu.

Application Deadlines

All required materials must be submitted by the listed deadline. Any application not completed by the listed deadline may be removed from consideration. For all current application deadlines, please visit this page.

Applicants experiencing hardship or extenuating circumstances due to natural disaster or public health concerns in their local area that may affect their ability to satisfy application requirements may contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at fineartsrecruitment@pepperdine.edu to explore possible accommodations. Though we cannot guarantee that accommodations/exceptions will be possible, applicants are encouraged to contact the Recruitment Office as soon as possible to allow the maximum amount of time to consider alternative options.

Recorded Material Guidelines

By the application deadline, all applicants pursuing a songwriting minor must upload their recorded audition materials through the Pepperdine Application Portal. Please read the following instructions carefully in preparation for your recorded materials. 

The following guidelines should be observed for all submitted materials.

• Please submit each piece of your audition as an individual file.
• Recordings must have been made within the past 12 months and must meet the repertoire requirements set by each department.
• Be sure to review your entire recording for quality and completion before submitting! Applications that are incomplete will not be processed.

For further guidance on how to best record your audition, please consult the Virtual Audition Guidelines.