Classes 101

The Basics

Classes are offered in 4-hour blocks throughout the day. Typically, first-year students will have classes from 8am to 12pm and/or 1pm to 5pm. There are evening classes that start at 6pm. However, most core first-year courses are either in the morning or afternoon. May professors will take a break at the midpoint 2-hours into class. Some will do shorter breaks every hour.

One of the best features of Graziadio are the small class sizes. Typically classes will have about 20 to 25 students in them. This allows you great opportunities to get to know your professors and classmates right away. So take advantage of this!

Locations

Full-time students have 95-99% of their classes on the Malibu campus. Occasionally, electives will be offered at one of the other Pepperdine campuses (Irvine, Encino, West LA, Westlake Village). I highly encourage full-time students to take classes in these other locations. It is a great way to meet students who are currently working in some really reputable firms. When registering for classes, make sure to speak with your academic advisor about enrolling in classes at other locations. Priority is given to fully-employed students for these classes. But we have priority for classes in Malibu.

7-week Session Format

Buckle up, life is about to move at warp speed. The 7-week session format is both a blessing and a course. As a result of the format, you get exposed to a lot of great classes. The downside, however, is that things move extremely quickly. Before you know it, midterms arrive (usually in week 4). Therefore, do not expect to be able to attend classes at random. If you miss one class, you miss 1/7 of your course. Most faculty will allow you to miss one class with advanced notice. However, this may affect the participation portion of your grade. Some professors will drop you from the course if you miss two sessions.

Another impact of the short sessions is that you have to stay on top of your course readings and assignments. All classes will have readings (and possibly assignments) due the first day of class. While this day is more relaxed than other days, I cannot emphasize enough how quickly work piles up as the weeks go by. So make sure to stay up on your readings. And where possible, knock out assignments early.

Group Projects

Many of your classes will require you to do group projects. Depending on your personality and work style, this can be a good thing or a not so pleasant experience. Some professors will assign teams, others will allow you to choose your own teams. Make sure to read the syllabus prior to class. They are usually available weeks before the session begins. The syllabus usually outlines how groups are made. Given the large percentage of international students at Graziadio, many professors require an even number of international students represented across teams. So keep that in mind when planning your team in advance.

As for who to pick to be on your team, I recommend thinking of group work as an extension of what you would do in the real world. It is not a popularity contest. Try to find team members who have complementary skills and are responsible. It takes only a few weeks for reputations to develop. So keep that in mind.

PowerPoint Presentations

By the time you graduate, if you had a fear of public speaking that will no longer be the case. I would say about 90% of the classes you will take will require you to do a presentation either individually or as part of a group. All incoming students will participate in a communications workshop. Where necessary seek out guidance from faculty and other students about how to improve your presentation skills. Everyone is nervous the first few weeks of school, so don't be too hard on yourself with overly high expectations. That said, a good PowerPoint and preparation go a long way.