About The HUTE Division

Creative Writing - The creative writing major is primarily designed to prepare students for inspiring careers as professional writers of screen and television, the novel, poetry, and the short story. Through intensive practice in our three-tiered creative writing sequence, students hone not only their skills but their understanding of the expectations and challenges of writing and publishing. Courses in this major cover topics such as poetry, fiction/novel writing, screenwriting, and writing for children and young adults. All instructors are experienced, published writers. The major also prepares students for advanced graduate degrees in creative writing, literature, and other fields, as well as a variety of professional careers.

English - There are three major concentrations within the English major: 1) Literature, 2) Writing, and 3) Education. Students regularly work with primary source materials in Special Collections, including medieval manuscripts and first editions of rare books. English majors regularly participate in undergraduate research and have presented their work at professional conferences and published their projects in academic journals. Alumni work for notable agencies like the FBI and reputable publishing companies like SAGE. Students also move on to graduate school to study education (Stanford, USC, and Vanderbilt), Comparative Literature (UCLA), and law (University of Chicago, UCLA). Many have been awarded the prestigious Fulbright scholarship to teach abroad in places like Greece.

Pepperdine University shelters the Eta Psi chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society. Membership for students and faculty is a recognition of excellence in scholarship and creativity. The Pepperdine chapter sponsors activities related to the creative interests, scholarly and professional concerns, and service commitments of students of English. Students have the opportunity to submit creative writing and essays to the national society's two journals.

Film - In the Seaver College film program, students will study the history of this art form and the ways in which it touches the various aspects of our individual and communal lives—aesthetic, spiritual, political, national, racial, and economic. The film program enjoys a unique relationship with the Hollywood film community and with industry professionals in the Malibu area. Qualified majors have the opportunity to intern at one of the many television or film production companies in the greater Los Angeles area. This major offers 3 tracks:

1. Critical Studies 2. Production 3. Writing for Screen and Television

History - The history major is designed to help students develop an understanding of the complex factors that have produced the civilization of the present century. Such an understanding is necessary for becoming responsible citizens in our society. A history major also offers a valuable background for many careers including government service, law, education, library work, business, and journalism. Most international programs offer 1-2 upper-division history electives. Students complete their senior thesis over the course of their final year.

History majors will find a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international honorary society in history, in the Humanities and Teacher Education Division. Membership for faculty and students alike is a recognition of excellence in scholarship. The activities include participation in various professional gatherings and other events designed for the serious student of history. Members receive the society's journal, The Historian.

Liberal Studies for Education - The liberal studies for education major provides a cross-disciplinary major for students desiring a broad academic experience, and it provides a robust academic background for students interested in pursuing a multiple subject (elementary) teaching credential. The liberal studies for education major may be completed alone, or majors may choose to earn a teaching credential along with the major by completing the 34-unit teacher preparation program. Students can complete their bachelor's degree and their teaching credential in 4 to 4 ½ years. Students who earn the liberal studies for education major develop a deep understanding of the range of knowledge that is important for multiple-subject teaching. The major addresses the following academic areas: language, fine arts, mathematics, human development, science, and history/social science.

A signature feature of our teacher education program is that students complete 750 hours of clinical practice in local K-12 schools. Alumni go on to teach both domestically and internationally, and many have been honored with the "Teacher of the Year" Award at their schools.

The Humanities and Teacher Education Division includes a chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international professional honor society in education. Members are offered opportunities for professional and scholarly development, networking, and service.