How to Apply

Apply for our PhD program in Educational Studies: Educational Leadership.

If you are an international student, you'll have additional application requirements. Get the International Student application guide for this program here.

 

Application Deadlines

Application Deadlines

Fall Start

Priority Deadline: February 15
Standard Deadline: April 1

For priority scholarship consideration, please submit your application by the priority deadline.

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

Check the program of study for prerequisites.

Our graduate programs require that you have an undergraduate degree. And some programs have other prerequisite requirements such as specific coursework, a certification or license, or a master's degree in a specific field.

Check the program of study for the academic program you are interested in to see if there are any prerequisites. You can find the link to the program of study on the lesley.edu web page for the program.

You can also ask us at luadmissions@lesley.edu. We're happy to help!

Application Form

Application Form

Apply online for your graduate education program.

Applications for 2024 have closed. Check back here for the 2025 application link.

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.

If your degree is from outside of the United States, you will be required to submit a Foreign Academic Credentials Evaluation to demonstrate U.S. bachelor's degree equivalency. A bachelor's degree or U.S. equivalency to a bachelor's degree is required for all graduate programs.  

Evaluation Agencies

Contact one of these agencies to get your credentials evaluated:

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

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. Please note that graduate programs will only accept three-year bachelor’s degrees from member institutions within the Bologna Process. However, certain licensure-track graduate programs may still require a four-year bachelor’s degree, even from a member within the Bologna process, so please check with your admissions counselor before applying.

 

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

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.

  • If you’re in school or are a recent graduate, one recommendation should come from a professor.

  • Your third 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.

Standardized Test Scores

Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) test scores is optional.


If you choose to send your GRE or MAT scores to us, we'll accept scores from tests you've taken within the past 5 years.

For the GRE

Lesley University's CEEB (College Entrance Exam Board) number is 3483.

For the MAT

Lesley University's MAT number is 1214.

Written Personal Statement

The written personal statement is a vital component of your doctoral application. In your personal statement, clearly and fully articulate your purpose for pursuing a degree program at Lesley University. Incorporate how your education, readings, and personal and professional experiences have informed your thinking.

The doctoral admissions committee reviews these statements for excellence regarding clarity, overall coherence, writing style, and focus and depth of content. The suggested length of the written personal statement is approximately 10 pages.

Write a 10-page personal statement.

Address these 3 areas in your narrative.

  1. Describe an issue related to educational leadership in which you have a deep interest. State how this issue is relevant to educational leadership.

  2. Explain the professional, personal, or academic experiences that have drawn you to this interest and the questions this interest raises for you.

  3. Tell us about your familiarity with existing scholarship. Refer to theoretical or research-based literature that is relevant to your areas of interests.

Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae

Show evidence of 3 years of professional experience on your résumé or CV.

Contact Admissions

Contact Admissions