Start your master's degree in Mindfulness Studies as an undergraduate.

While a bachelor's degree can get you started in a number of rewarding careers, earning a master's degree can open up a wider range of positions in a variety of settings.

If you're a Lesley student working toward your bachelor's degree in Art Therapy or Holistic Psychology & Wellness, you can apply to start earning a master's degree in Mindfulness Studies at the same time. Complete both degrees in one streamlined program and graduate with the hands-on experience you need to make a difference in others' lives.

  • Holistic Psychology & Wellness Students: This program will suit your strengths and passions in holistic health, wellness, and Eastern traditions of healing.
  • Art Therapy Students: This program is perfect if you are seeking a non-clinical master's degree and you want to use mindful artistic creation in your work, but you are not pursuing a career that requires licensure as a mental health counselor.

What You'll Study

Build upon your foundation in Art Therapy or Holistic Psychology & Wellness. In our master's degree program in Mindfulness Studies, you'll:

  • Learn how to enrich your life, as well as the lives of others, through rigorous study and intensive meditation practice.
  • Study the Buddhist roots of contemplative practice, mindful communication, and leadership.
  • Immerse yourself in research that shows the impact of mindfulness on stress reduction, and links meditation practice to enhanced brain function, emotional regulation, and the human capacity for compassion.
  • Graduate with a foundation in the history of mindfulness as well as the expertise to apply mindfulness in your field.

Our convenient low-residency format and online courses make it possible for you to participate in classes from your home on your own schedule.

How It Works

Our MA in Mindfulness Studies is a 36-credit program. By completing some graduate credits as an undergraduate student, you'll save both time and money.

  • Take 9 graduate credits online in your senior year, included in your undergraduate tuition.
  • Finish the 27 remaining graduate credits after senior year, at the graduate tuition rate.
  • Complete your Mindfulness Residency in the Fall semester of your senior year.
  • Complete both degrees in about 5 years of full-time study. This is a semester faster than if you entered Lesley as a graduate student.
  • Save an additional $12,600 (12 free graduate credits) with the Lesley Dividend award for a total of 58% off your graduate tuition.
  • You'll receive your bachelor's degree once you have finished all undergraduate requirements, and you'll receive your MA in Mindfulness Studies once you have completed the requirements for the master's program.
  • View the course sequences for Holistic Psychology & Wellness + Mindfulness Studies
  • View the course sequences for Art Therapy + Mindfulness Studies

Eligibility & Applying

You'll need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 (B+) or higher to be eligible for this program. If you're interested in the program, you'll:

  1. Meet with your academic advisor in the Spring semester of your sophomore year to discuss this option. You'll need a recommendation from your undergraduate program chair to proceed.
  2. Attend a mandatory program information meeting with Lisa Lombardi, the Associate Director of Advising and Student Services in the Mindfulness Studies graduate program.
  3. Apply for the graduate program by June 1 of your junior year. Review the application requirements for the Mindfulness Studies program.
  4. If you are accepted into the program, you'll take your first graduate course in the Fall semester of your senior year. 
Katherine Barone, Chair and Assistant Professor, Psychology