Pepperdine University is excited to announce the introduction of an artificial intelligence program for undergraduate students, set to launch in the fall of 2026. This new opportunity will allow students from all majors and minors to enroll in an innovative AI skills class as part of the University’s Core curriculum.
“The aim of this course is to encourage our students to think critically about AI,” stated Ben Postlethwaite (’96), a professor specializing in organizational behavior and management at Seaver College and the course leader. “We want to empower undergraduates to refine their skills as AI practitioners and help them comprehend the broader societal impacts of this transformative technology.”
According to Postlethwaite, the AI skills course was designed to equip students for career success in an era increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence. In various sectors, the ability to effectively harness different forms of this evolving technology is becoming essential for aspiring professionals. Consequently, the course aims to enhance students’ capabilities within a context of ethical approaches that serve humanity.
The new Core offering from Pepperdine will not solely focus on large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, or Claude. Instead, students will interact with a diverse range of AI tools throughout the curriculum. By learning about the technology’s capabilities across various platforms, students will develop adaptability and the ability to distinguish high-quality results from less reliable outputs.
Postlethwaite envisions that the AI skills course will enable students to understand when and how to utilize AI responsibly and effectively. By incorporating this subject into academic settings, he believes that Seaver College is empowering students to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields.
“There is an ongoing conversation regarding the types of entry-level jobs that AI may replace,” Postlethwaite noted. “Many positions that will endure are expected to require candidates to actively engage with AI. At Seaver College, we’re preparing our students—across all disciplines—with an AI toolkit for their future careers.”
Seaver College’s Core curriculum is crafted to include important and emerging topics like AI. This adaptable curriculum fosters a relevant and dynamic learning environment to support students in their quest for purpose.
“In developing the Seaver Core curriculum, we identified a gap between traditional academic disciplines and the skills students will need after graduation—such as financial literacy, career readiness, and relationship building,” said Paul Begin, Seaver College’s interim senior associate dean and a key architect of the new Core curriculum. “With this insight, we specifically designed the Skills portion to cultivate classes that are truly impactful: a space for experimentation, timely response, and addressing emerging needs.”
