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Majors 11 Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Whether you choose to focus on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, script writing, or writing for children and young adults, as a creative writing major at Lesley you’ll gain the tools, support, and experience to bring your vision to the world.

Guide children’s playfulness and creativity as you discover cutting-edge approaches to teaching children in pre-kindergarten through second grade. Encourage their earliest stages of learning and development and help set a solid foundation for success in school.

Cultivate the creativity, knowledge, and real-world experience needed to lead Grade 1–6 classrooms. Discover cutting-edge teaching approaches that make learning engaging for every student.

Explore the most significant writers and works from American, European, and world literature. Tackle big questions about the human experience. Hone writing and communication skills that translate to success in a wide range of careers.

Trace the rise and fall of civilizations and draw on the lessons for today’s world. Translate your knowledge into careers in education, museums, journalism, and beyond.

Earn your Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) in liberal studies with a completely customizable area of study. This is a perfect opportunity to design a program of coursework that is specific to your background or individual goals.

Capture the imagination and attention of students in grades 5-8. Become an expert on the adolescent mind. And gain the skills and experience to engage this challenging age group with confidence and creativity.

Inspire high school and middle school students to discover their strengths and passions. Guide them in building a foundation for successful learning and future careers. And gain confidence in your knowledge and skills as a teacher.

Discover how to make education accessible and engaging for PreK–8 students who have diverse learning styles and needs. Gain the skills you need to become a confident, inclusive, and empathetic teacher.

Bachelor of Science

Prepare for a career working with young children or enhance your current teaching with our bachelor’s degree completion program. Specialize in infants and toddlers, children with special needs, preschool, or integrated teaching through the arts.

Take courses at the Bunker Hill Community College campus or the Urban College of Boston campus and complete your bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Studies through Lesley University. To be eligible, you must have completed an associate degree.

Minors 10 Programs

Minor

Masters 28 Programs

Master of Education

Bring your artistic skills to the classroom. Teach PreK-8 or 5-12 students how to think and learn through the creative process. Continue to develop your own work while discovering the latest in classroom practices, research, and art education.

Transform your love of the arts into a career in a nonprofit, hospital, museum, school, or other institution. In this dynamic program, you gain the tools to effect change in the community through art—and become a better artist at the same time.

In this master's program, learn skills that will engage students in computer science skills and concepts.

Prepare to nurture the social, emotional, and intellectual development of PreK-2 children. Explore teaching methods that will help you inspire in your students a lifelong love of learning. Gain rich experience and prepare for a rewarding career.

This one-year residency in a Somerville school prepares you to teach in early childhood classrooms with diverse language learners. Courses are offered at the school site and on Lesley's Cambridge campus.

Play a vital role in helping grade 1–6 students become critical thinkers who will thrive in an era of change. Explore ways to support children with varied abilities, and emerge from your studies with the skills you need to succeed as a teacher.

Explore current educational practices, curriculum theory and development, and equity in education. Get a firm foundation in curriculum and instruction; content areas such as arts, science, mathematics, technology; and ELL, math, and literacy.

Help students in grades 1–6 become critical thinkers who will thrive in an era of change. Learn how to teach children who do not speak English as a first language. Emerge from your studies with the skills you need to succeed as a teacher.

Expand your content knowledge while gaining strategies for engaging students and preparing them for college and careers. Choose from English, history, math, biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, or social sciences, and become a highly effective licensed educator.

Be a teacher who can effectively teach students with moderate learning disabilities in both special education and inclusive classrooms. Study instruction, current issues and laws, and how to provide all students with full access to learning.

Become a teacher who can educate students with moderate learning disabilities. Prepare to teach in special education and inclusive classrooms. Study instruction, current issues and laws, and how to provide all students with full access to learning.

Fulfill your goal of being a dedicated special education teacher. This dual-license master’s program prepares you to work with PreK–8 students with a range of moderate and severe disabilities in school, clinical, and other settings.

This dual-license master’s program prepares you to work with students with both moderate and severe disabilities in school, clinical, and other settings. Fulfill your goal of being a dedicated special education teacher.

Fulfill your goal of being an effective special education teacher. This dual-license master’s program prepares you to work with PreK through high school students in school, clinical, and other settings.

Prepare to educate and encourage students with severe disabilities. Make a meaningful difference for those with complex learning needs by providing access to curriculum, behavior support, skills development, and quality of life options.

Design an advanced degree based on your professional and personal goals. Pursue a specialization or choose a variety of courses from across the university, and take a combination of face-to-face and online courses.

Develop skills in PreK-2 environments, materials, provocations, documentation, family engagement, citizenship, and the vision of the capable, curious young child through the example of the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Create arts-infused curriculum to strengthen student learning. Gain a foundation in the newest research on arts-informed teaching approaches. And prepare to use the arts to engage students with diverse learning styles and needs.

Deepen your understanding of literacy, and learn innovative ways to incorporate reading and writing to help all students communicate effectively. Coursework includes topics like content literacy, literature, assessment, struggling learners, and more.

Combine in-depth study of grades 1-8 mathematics content with classroom strategies to help you develop effective teaching methods. Topics include statistics, geometry, algebra, calculus, assessment, meeting diverse student needs, and more.

Learn the vital skills needed to teach middle school students English, general science, history, humanities, math/science, math, or social sciences.

Make a real difference in students’ lives by turning your passion for literacy into career as a school or district reading specialist. In this highly-regarded program, you’ll gain expertise you can apply to a variety of settings and roles.

This interactive program allows those responsible for elementary or middle school science to expand their knowledge of content, assessment, and classroom strategies. Take courses in STEM, earth and space science, mechanics, chemistry, and more.

Design a master’s program in special education tailored to your unique professional goals. Centered on a chosen concentration area, this non-licensure program is for those who already have or do not need a special education license.

Prepare to effectively teach English to speakers of other languages. Gain an Initial Massachusetts license in English as a Second Language (ESL), and prepare for a rewarding career.

Master of Arts

Train to excel as a counselor in diverse primary and secondary school environments. Learn to work with children and collaborate with a wide range of individuals, including parents, teachers, administrators, and community members.

Work in school settings with children and adolescents, as well as their families, to help them reach academic and personal goals. In this 48-credit program, become eligible for licensure as a Massachusetts school counselor for grades PreK-8 or 5–12.

Master of Fine Arts

Our MFA in Creative Writing nurtures and challenges your creative potential in one of six genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Graphic Novels and Comics, Writing for Stage and Screen, or Writing for Young People.

License Only 12 Programs

License Only

If you have an advanced art degree and need only a Massachusetts teaching license, this program will enable you to help PreK-8 or 5-12 students think and learn through the creative process. Develop your own work while discovering the latest in classroom practices, educational equity, assessment, and art education.

In this license-only program, learn skills that will engage grade 5-12 students in computer science skills and concepts.

Play a key role in helping students become critical 21st century thinkers. Designed for career changers and others who do not need a master’s degree, this license-only program is a perfect way to prepare for teaching without taking a full program.

Gain valuable skills and credentials for teaching English language learners (ELLs). This license-only program gives you new career opportunities and the ability to help students make significant strides.

A program for career changers and others who would like a high school teaching license but do not require a Master's degree. Teach English, history, math, biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, or social sciences. Expand your content knowledge while gaining strategies for engaging students and preparing them for college and careers.

Learn to teach students with moderate learning disabilities in both special education and inclusive classrooms. If you have an appropriate classroom license and don’t need a master’s degree, this license-only program may be right for you.

Prepare to teach and inspire students with moderate learning disabilities in PreK–8 special education and inclusive classrooms. If you have an appropriate classroom license and don’t need a master’s degree, this license-only program is for you.

Make a difference in the lives of students with complex learning needs by providing behavior support, skill development, and access to education. If you have an appropriate initial license and don’t need a master’s degree, this program is for you.

Prepare to provide informed educational technology coaching and mentoring to your school community.

Turn your area of expertise into a rewarding career teaching middle school students English, general science, history, humanities, math/science, math, or social sciences. Learn about adolescent development, designing appropriate curriculum and learning environments, and classroom management strategies.

Positively impact students’ lives as a school or district reading specialist. If you have a master’s degree and an appropriate teaching license, you can get your reading specialist license and move your initial license to the professional level.

PhDs 3 Programs

PhD

Become a leader who can develop forward-thinking approaches for the improvement of K-12 student learning. Designed for working professionals, this PhD program is for both traditional school leaders and other educators who want to facilitate change.

In this low-residency PhD program, you'll develop a deep understanding of social, psychological, and biological conditions that affect the development of humans over the lifespan, and prepare you to better serve individuals of all ages in a variety of academic, social, and governmental contexts.

Design a doctoral program tailored to your professional goals. You’ll have a great deal of flexibility as you structure interdisciplinary study that fits your career objectives and allows you to contribute significantly to your field of interest.

Certificates 11 Programs

Graduate Certificate Programs

Get advanced training in infusing the curriculum with the arts. Explore music, drama, poetry, visual arts, and more to create strategies for teaching and learning.

Develop skills in K-8 reading, writing, word study/phonics, and more. Learn responsive and differentiated teaching approaches to create a supportive learning environment. Take courses that include guided reading, texts, and reading and writing workshops.

In this 12-credit program, you'll learn how to develop Reggio Emilia-inspired communities of engaged PreK-2 learners in a wide range of settings.

This graduate certificate program is designed for literacy coaches, teacher leaders, or administrators who want to gain expertise in literacy coaching, shared leadership, and developing a culture of professional learning within a school or across a district.

Expand skills in K-8 content literacy, teaching writing, literature, linguistics, and applying learning across diverse populations. Learn to use technology to support writers, and take an elective in either TESOL or culturally responsive teaching.

Learn to deliver complex mathematics content, and gain strategies to engage your students as they develop math skills. Study number theory, algebra, geometry, data analysis, calculus, and more, and choose an elective that further boosts your skills.

This hands-on program focuses on how to deliver grades 1-8 science content for effective learning. Coursework includes physical science and STEM, along with electives in relevant areas such as mechanics, life science, robotics, engineering, and more.

For licensed teachers, this certificate will expand your skills in teaching English language learners. Learn practical strategies, theory, linguistic development, and culturally responsive teaching. Program aligns with national standards.

Graduate Certificate or Endorsement Programs

Develop deep understanding of the unique languages, cultures, and identities of linguistically diverse student populations. Learn best practices for teaching emergent bilingual learners in this 15-credit program leading to endorsement in Massachusetts.

Certificate

Learn about common intervention strategies for children and families in transition. You’ll also get first-hand experience with internships in local social service agencies.

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study Programs

Grow your literacy skills and qualify for a reading specialist license. Designed for PreK–12 educators with a master’s degree and teaching license, this program prepares you for higher-level positions in curriculum, staff training, or supervision.