Seaver College offers bachelor of arts and science degrees. Students pursuing a communications degree take classes in Malibu and can also study abroad in locations like Florence, Italy; Heidelberg, Germany; London, England; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Most students live on campus and Communication students take many of their classes in Pepperdine's Center for Communication and Business, which has teaching and computer labs that are refreshed annually to ensure students apply their knowledge to the most technologically advanced equipment.
Pepperdine offers nine undergraduate communication majors, three minors and one certificate in conflict management. Majors include advertising, integrated marketing communication, intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, journalism, media production, organizational communication, public relations, and rhetoric and leadership. Each major requires completion of core, specialized and non-communication classes as well as an internship with a local business. For example, students must complete 12 units of core communications classes in communications theory and practical application as well as 18 units in the communication specialization they've chosen and 12 to 16 upper-division units in non-communication classes.
Graduate students may earn master of arts or science degrees in communication from Pepperdine. They must complete four core graduate communication theory and research courses, three additional communication courses of their choosing (six for master of science candidates) and a six-unit graduate thesis that they must defend before their thesis committee to obtain a degree. Students must have either an undergraduate degree in communications or experience as a communications professional to enter the program. Earning a master's degree requires successful completion of at least 31 and up to 41 units at Pepperdine.
In all its communication courses, Pepperdine places an emphasis on what it calls "experiential learning." This provides students with the opportunity to practice what they learn so their education extends beyond reading, writing and understanding communication theory to practical applications that will prepare them for successful and effective business careers. Students can start a TV or radio show or write for the campus paper as part of Pepperdine's experiential learning program.