Advising

Undergraduate Advising

Your advisor is here to point you toward academic choices that will put you on the path to your career goals. From first year through senior year, you’ll meet with your advisor to go over your degree requirements and discuss your course selections. Before you sit down with your advisor, you can search through our complete course catalog.

• Degree Requirements

  Bachelor of Arts (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)

  • 120 credits
  • 90 credits earned in courses designated as liberal arts
  • Specific majors may have additional or more specific requirements
  • Cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.0

   

  Bachelor of Arts (College of Art and Design)

  • 120 credits
  • 51 credits earned in studio and art history required courses
  • 69 credits earned in general education and electives
  • Cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.3

   

  Bachelor of Fine Arts

  • 123 credits
  • 81 credits earned in studio required courses and electives
  • 42 credits earned in general education, liberal arts and art history
  • 57 credits must be earned at Lesley University
  • Cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.3

   

  Bachelor of Science

  • 120 credits
  • 60 credits earned in the liberal arts
  • Specific majors may have additional or more specific requirements
  • Cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.0
• General Education Requirement

  All undergraduate students are required to complete a foundation of liberal arts courses. This exposes you to various disciplines and helps you develop general skills such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and writing.

• Declaring a Major

  College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

  You may arrive at Lesley with a chosen major, or declare a major after you’ve taken some coursework. You’re required to declare a major when you complete 60 credits. Education majors must choose a liberal arts major in addition to their Education major (for example, Elementary Education and History). Students choosing to major in Education, Art Therapy, or Counseling must declare their majors by October 15 of their sophomore year.

  College of Art and Design

  Most art and design students arrive with a major in mind. If you don’t, we’ll encourage you to try on a major in the first semester. You’ll probably be ready to declare a major by the end of the first semester, or at the latest, the end of the year. Choosing a major enables you to join a specific visual arts community, as the course of study becomes more focused each subsequent year.

• Field Experience

  Field experience—applying your knowledge outside the classroom—is one of the touchstones of a Lesley education. That’s why we require all students to complete at least one field experience in their major in order to graduate. This could involve classroom teaching, an internship, or research with a faculty member. These experiences give you the opportunity to explore fields of interest and gain valuable professional experience.

• Course Load

  College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

  The prescribed four-year course load is five to six courses per semester (15–18 credits). Some students will take only four courses per semester, especially during the first year. However, to meet the minimum academic requirements of 120 credits, a student must average 30 credits per year.

  College of Art and Design

  The prescribed four-year course load is five to six courses per semester (15–18 credits). Some students may take only four courses per semester, however, to meet the minimum academic requirements of 123 credits, a student must average 30 credits per year, with one year of 33 credits.

• Class Designation

  Class designation is determined by the number of credits you’ve successfully completed—not the amount of time you’ve spent at Lesley.

  First Year
  0 to 29.5 credits

  Sophomore
  30 to 59.5 credits

  Junior
  60 to 89.5 credits

  Senior
  90 plus credits