Pepperdine university

[gboy52]

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Hi everybody,
I was considering applying to Pepperdine for the fall semester this year in their M.A. program and then hopefully completing the PsyD there as well and i was just wondering what is the reputation of the school? From what i've read on this forum, private schools are looked down up so I dont want to waste my time and money at this school if i wont be able to find a job afterwards.

 

[erg923]

Hi everybody,
I was considering applying to Pepperdine for the fall semester this year in their M.A. program and then hopefully completing the PsyD there as well and i was just wondering what is the reputation of the school? From what i've read on this forum, private schools are looked down up so I dont want to waste my time and money at this school if i wont be able to find a job afterwards.

I think you're confused. Private vs Public university makes no difference. Its free standing professional schools that get bad reps and can be looked down upon.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

A (very) quick-and-dirty way of ascertaining a program's quality and reputation, beyond examining the stats of its incoming students, is to look at its internship match rates. This won't tell you anywhere near everything about the program, and you'll need to speak with current/past students to get a real feel for the atmosphere, support, training experiences, etc. However, low match rates can be a big red flag considering they could hinder your ability to ever actually graduate.

For Pepperdine, it's 10-year (2000-2010) match rate is 71.6% (22.0% unmatched), and its most-recent 5-year (2005-2010) match rate is 73.6% (21.3% unmatched). Mind you, these numbers include all students who matched during the APPIC match process (although I don't believe Clearinghouse numbers are included), meaning that it reflects both APA-accred. and APPIC-accred. sites.

71.6% isn't horribly low, but I do believe it's below the national average (~75% last I checked).

 

[aequitasveritas]

Hi everybody,
I was considering applying to Pepperdine for the fall semester this year in their M.A. program and then hopefully completing the PsyD there as well and i was just wondering what is the reputation of the school? From what i've read on this forum, private schools are looked down up so I dont want to waste my time and money at this school if i wont be able to find a job afterwards.

You need to do a dynamic analysis; combine different factors that are generally important for any clinical applicant and also factors that are specific to your life.

Common factors include:
1. Cost (review threads on SDN for earning potential). Student loans have been modified for 2012 and on. All loans will now acrue interest while in school. This is a holy ^&%$ factor actually. Funded programs area shining star right now.
2. Training type: practical or strict research? Teaching and/or practice. if practice: hospital etc or group etc?
....These are largely unanswerable questions as you likely have no basis or experience for answering them yet. If it were me, cost would supersede #2.
3. Match rate as discussed above.

Think of more like this, weigh them, and decide.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

1...Student loans have been modified for 2012 and on. All loans will now acrue interest while in school. This is a holy ^&%$ factor actually.

I thought I heard that somewhere...yikes! Compound interest can get ridiculous, so it is really important to crunch the numbers without any repayment programs factored in (because they may not be available when you graduate), and then make an informed decision.

As for Pepperdine...I know there have been a number of threads over the years about the program. It is university-based and appears to have at least a decent reputation within the field. I have only met one person during my travels from Pepperdine, and they seemed like a solid clinician (they were presenting at an international conference where I was presenting).

 

[wigflip]

A (very) quick-and-dirty way of ascertaining a program's quality and reputation, beyond examining the stats of its incoming students, is to look at its internship match rates. This won't tell you anywhere near everything about the program, and you'll need to speak with current/past students to get a real feel for the atmosphere, support, training experiences, etc. However, low match rates can be a big red flag considering they could hinder your ability to ever actually graduate.

For Pepperdine, it's 10-year (2000-2010) match rate is 71.6% (22.0% unmatched), and its most-recent 5-year (2005-2010) match rate is 73.6% (21.3% unmatched). Mind you, these numbers include all students who matched during the APPIC match process (although I don't believe Clearinghouse numbers are included), meaning that it reflects both APA-accred. and APPIC-accred. sites.

71.6% isn't horribly low, but I do believe it's below the national average (~75% last I checked).

I don't know if the OP is considering Pepperdine in part because of location, but I just scrolled through the APPIC stats for all CA schools, and even if 71.6% is a bit below the national average (and includes APA and APPIC), Pepperdine is still pretty competitive within the state. I think within the state they're only bested by the 4 UCs (no surprise there: UCLA, Cal, SD, SB), PGSP, and Rosemead/Biola (which is religious and requires religious coursework, if I'm not mistaken).

Seems like at least some Pepperdine alums find their way into research and/or admin/teaching positions at universities, so that's probably a good sign.

Pepperdine's on my short list as well; I'd welcome a PM from any former or current masters or doctoral students willing to share experiences.