How to Apply - Education

To be eligible to apply for the M.Ed. in Art Education, you must hold an undergraduate degree in the visual arts or in a related arts field, including 18 completed credits of undergraduate studio art and six credits of art history.

To be considered for this program, you’ll need to have: 

• Earned a college degree in the content area in which you would like to earn your high school initial teacher license.  

OR 

• Passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) in the high school content area you’re seeking to teach.

No Prerequisites required for this program.

You need to hold a Master’s degree or a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) from a regionally accredited institution to apply for either of our Educational Studies PhD programs.

Transcripts are an essential part of your application. Follow these guidelines to ensure that official transcripts reach us before your application deadline: 

• Have each institution where you earned an undergraduate or graduate degree send us your official transcript.
• If you’re enrolled in a degree program when you apply, submit a transcript of courses you’ve taken to date. Submit your final official transcript once you’ve completed the degree program.
• If your transcript is not in English, please provide a notarized translation and submit proof of English Language Proficiency.
• If your degree is from outside the U.S., you’ll need to get your credentials evaluated to demonstrate U.S. bachelor's degree equivalency. See ​Application Requirements for International Students for detailed information about foreign academic credentials evaluation.

Include two recent recommendations from those you’ve worked with closely in an academic or professional setting.

• 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.
• If you’re applying for one of our doctoral education programs, include a third recommendation from a person with a doctoral degree who can attest to your ability to complete doctoral-level study successfully.
  • For Doctoral programs, recommendations should also address your readiness for doctoral-level study, your commitment to the field, and an assessment of success in your current role.
• Include the name and email of the person writing your letter of recommendation within your application. They'll receive an email with an electronic recommendation form and can upload a letter if they choose.

Letters should be dated within two years and written by someone who is not a friend or family member.

Your personal statement is a key component of your application. It helps us understand your motivations for pursuing a graduate program in education, your interest and knowledge in your chosen field, your communication style, and your writing skills. We recommend taking time to thoughtfully prepare and revise your statement before submitting it.

Once completed, you can submit your written personal statement electronically in one of two ways: 

• Upload the file as part of your application for admission. 

OR 

• Email it to appstatus@lesley.edu.

Share relevant work, volunteer, or academic experience on your résumé. Make note of any languages you speak — other than English — and your proficiency in each, if applicable.

Please note: If you are applying to one of our doctoral programs, your resume or CV must demonstrate three years of professional experience.

• If you are an existing teacher seeking to add a license, you will be asked to provide copies of any licenses or certificates you currently hold as part of your application.
• A first license is required for Reading Specialist and Language programs (these are second-license programs) and for Literacy programs (these do not lead to a license).

Several of our education graduate programs require standardized test scores. The expectations for standardized tests are outlined below.

• PhD in Educational Studies
  Submitting Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores as part of your application to either of our PhD programs in Educational Studies is optional. If you choose to send your GRE or MAT scores to us, we will accept scores from tests you've taken within the past five years.
  For the GRE, Lesley University's CEEB (College Entrance Exam Board) number is 3483.

If you’re applying to the M.Ed. in Art Education, you'll need to include a digital portfolio as part of your application. This requirement may be waived if you already hold a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). 

When you submit your portfolio, include: 

• 20 images of your strongest and most recent work with representative examples of different art media.
• A chronological outline or résumé of your background in the arts, with a summary showing you’ve completed at least 18 credits of undergraduate studio art and 6 credits of art history.

To upload your images and outline/résumé via Slideroom, follow the instructions below: 

• Create a Slideroom account.
• Choose: "Teacher of Visual Art - M.Ed. and License Only."
• Upload each image, adding the title, size, date, and medium.
• Film, video, or new media should be no longer than 30 minutes. Cue it to a ten minute section you want us to view.
• Upload your résumé or outline of your background.
• Pay the submission fee.

International students pursuing graduate degrees must complete additional application requirements, including notarized translation of transcripts, foreign academic credentials evaluation, and proof of English language proficiency. See our How to Apply page for International Students for detailed information about the requirements for your intended program of study. Review the list of additional requirements below and learn how to complete the necessary steps.