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How to Apply

Apply for our PhD program in Counseling and Psychology: Transformative Leadership, Education, and Applied Research as an international student.

Application Deadlines

Application Deadlines

Fall Start

Standard Deadline: March 1

If you wish to apply and be considered after the deadline, please contact Graduate Admissions at 617.349.8300 or email luadmissions@lesley.edu to discuss a late application.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Our Counseling Psychology PhD program requires the following:

  • A master’s degree in counseling and equivalent professional license as mental health counselor, school counselor, or equivalent profession
  • Demonstration of good communication skills in the English language, both written and oral, at a level appropriate to doctoral study
  • 3 to 5 years of professional experience as a licensed mental health counselor or equivalent profession

Application Form

Application Form

Apply online for a PhD program.

Create an account and password before you start your application. You can stop and save your application, and return to complete it later.

Once you’ve created an account and started your application, you’ll be able to begin submitting the necessary documents for your application file as you obtain them.

Apply online for Summer 2025

Submit Documents

Submit Documents

You'll need to submit the following supporting materials.

You can send the documents separately, but we won't be able to make an admissions decision until we've received everything.

Official Transcripts

Have each institution where you earned an undergraduate or graduate degree send us your official transcript.

If your transcript is not in English, provide a notarized translation of it.

If you’re enrolled in a degree program when you apply, submit your transcript of the courses you’ve taken to date. Submit your final official transcript once you’ve completed the degree program.

Your transcripts need to be:

  • Conferred by regionally accredited colleges or universities
  • Original documents bearing the official institutional stamp
  • Received by Graduate Admissions Services in envelopes sealed by the sending institution, or sent electronically directly from the institution

Send transcripts to:

appstatus@lesley.edu or

Lesley University
Graduate Admissions Services
29 Everett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Foreign Academic Credentials Evaluation

A credential evaluation helps us understand the courses you’ve taken, the grades you’ve earned, or the degree you’ve received from an institution outside the United States.

Get an independent credential evaluation of your transcripts to determine U.S. equivalency.

Graduate Students

You’ll need a document-by-document evaluation. Exception: Expressive Therapies master's degree programs require a course-by-course evaluation instead.

Evaluation Agencies

Contact one of these agencies to get your credentials evaluated.


If you’re submitting a foreign academic credential evaluation, unofficial transcripts are acceptable for your transcript requirement if official transcripts were provided to the evaluation agency.

3 Letters of Recommendation

Doctoral program recommendations should address your readiness for doctoral-level study, your commitment to the field, and an assessment of success in your current role.

Submit 3 recent recommendations from those you’ve worked with closely in an academic or professional setting. You can submit your letters with your online application.

  • At least one of your recommendations should come from a present or former supervisor.

  • One recommendation needs to be from a person who holds a doctoral degree who can attest to your ability to complete doctoral-level study successfully.

  • We don’t accept recommendations written by friends or family, or that were written more than 2 years before your application date.

Within your online application form, include the names and emails of the people writing your letters of recommendation. They'll receive an email from you with an electronic recommendation form and they can upload a letter.

English Language Proficiency

We want you to be successful in your program. If your native language is not English, we require that you provide proof of your English proficiency.

You can show your proficiency in one of these ways:

Option 1

Duolingo English Test

  • We require a minimum score of 105 on this test.

Option 2

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

  • Minimum score of 80 on the Internet test.
  • Submit your score. Use Lesley University’s CEEB code: 3483.

Option 3

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

  • A score of 6.5 or higher
  • Contact the center where you took the test. Request that they send your official Test Report Form to Lesley University.

Option 4

Official Cambridge English Exam

  • C1 Advanced (Certificate in Advanced English)
  • C2 Proficiency (Certificate of Proficiency in English)

Option 5

English as a Second Language (ESL) Program Partnerships

We have partnered with several language schools to help you meet the English requirement. Complete the curriculum at one of the schools, at the specified level.

Then, get a letter from the program coordinator or teacher. The letter should explain that your English is proficient for college-level study.

Here are our partner schools and levels we require:

Option 6

English Language Requirement Waiver

If English is not your native language, but you’ve graduated from a school or program that was taught in English, you may qualify to have the language requirement waived.

If it’s not noted on your transcript, request a letter from your high school, college, or university stating your language of instruction was English.

Written Personal Statement

The written personal statement is a vital component of your doctoral application. The admissions committee reviews these statements for excellence in thinking and writing, focus and depth, communication style, coherence in thought, and clarity of your doctoral study goals.

Write a 1000–1500 word personal statement, double-spaced.

Address these questions as part of your personal narrative.

  1. Tell us about your professional history and how it has influenced your decision to apply to the Lesley University PhD program in Counseling and Psychology: Transformative Leadership, Education, and Applied Research.

  2. Discuss the theories and experiences that have informed your philosophy of practice.

  3. Share your career goals and elaborate on how your professional history and theoretical lenses influence your career goals.

  4. How will this PhD in Counseling and Psychology help you achieve your career goals?

Writing Sample

In addition to your written personal statement, the Counseling and Psychology PhD program requires a separate scholarly writing sample. The writing sample should be a previously written, research-based paper, manuscript, thesis, or published work. It should show your ability to think critically, synthesize research literature, and write at an academic level. The length may vary and is less important than what the content reflects. 

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae.

Submit a current résumé or curriculum vitae.

Interview

Interview

Interviews are no longer required, however, Lesley University reserves the right to interview applicants when more information is needed.

Contact Admissions

Contact Admissions

Mailing Address
  • Lesley University
    Graduate Admissions Services
    29 Everett Street
    Cambridge, MA 02138
On-Campus & Off-Campus Graduate Programs
Online Graduate Programs
29 Everett St, Cambridge, MA 02138
617.868.9600