How to Apply - Education

Graduate Programs

Education 

At Lesley, we’ve been preparing educators to teach and transform since 1909, providing cutting-edge theory, extensive practical experience, and the long-term career support teachers need to excel inside and outside the classroom. We’re committed to equipping you with the skills and deep knowledge needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of education.

We offer programs tailored to your preferred educational path. Whether you’re aspiring to become a teacher or an existing teacher looking to advance your career through additional licensure or skill development, we have a graduate master’s or certificate program for you. Flexible options are available on-campus, online, and in a hybrid format. Contact our admissions team if you have questions or need more information.

Apply to one of our graduate programs using the appropriate link below. Once you’ve created your account, you can save your progress and finish your application later.

2026 Education Programs

2026 Online Education Programs

Non-US Citizens or Permanent Residents: Fully online programs do not qualify for issuance of a Form I-20 or an F-1 student visa, nor maintenance of legal F-1 status. If you are currently in the U.S., please consult with an immigration attorney to determine if your current U.S. non-immigrant status permits online study from within the U.S.

Depending on the start date of your graduate program, deadlines for submitting your application may differ. Use the chart below to see the priority and standard deadlines for your chosen program.

Please note: For priority scholarship consideration, you must submit your application by the priority deadline. If you wish to apply and be considered after the deadline, contact Graduate Admissions at 617-349-8300 or email luadmissions@lesley.edu to discuss a late application. 

Deadlines by Program & Start Date

Program(s) Start Date
  • M.Ed. - Middle School or High School Education
  • M.Ed. - Art Education
  • M.Ed. - Early Childhood Education
  • M.Ed. - Early Childhood Education with ESL Preparation (Summer Only)
  • M.Ed. - Elementary Education with ESL Preparation (Summer Only)
  • M.Ed. - Elementary Education (On Campus)
  • M.Ed. - Reading Specialist, Initial Licensure
  • M.Ed. - Inclusive Special Education

Summer Start 

  • Priority Deadline: April 1
  • Standard Deadline: May 15 

Fall Start 

  • Priority Deadline: July 1
  • Standard Deadline: August 15
  • M.Ed. - Language & Literacy, Non-Licensure
  • M.Ed. - Reading Specialist, Initial Licensure (repeated from above - need clarity on which placement is accurate) 
 Online programs enroll in 8-week terms. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until three weeks prior to the beginning of the term. 
  • PhD in Educational Studies: Individually Designed
  • PhD in Educational Studies: Educational Leadership 

Summer Start 

  • Priority Deadline: February 15
  • Standard Deadline: May 20

For questions or deadline extensions, email Stephanie Correia: scorreia@lesley.edu.

An undergraduate degree is required, and the programs listed below also require applicants to have earned their initial teaching license:

  • Certificate in Literacy or Reading Education: Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Reading Specialist
  • Certificate in ESL or TESOL Education: Bilingual Education Endorsement
  • M.Ed. - Reading Specialist, Initial Licensure
  • M.Ed. - Language & Literacy, Non-Licensure

Please review the additional program-specific prerequisites below. These may include specific coursework, additional certification or licensure, or a master's degree in a particular field. If you have questions about prerequisites, you can ask us at luadmissions@lesley.edu. We're here to help!

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.

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.

You'll need to submit a series of supporting materials to complete your application. You may send the documents separately, but we cannot make an admissions decision until we've received all supporting documents.

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.

Graduate Programs

The written personal statement is a crucial component of your graduate application, helping 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.

A well-written personal statement is academic in tone and clearly articulates your purpose for pursuing a graduate degree program at Lesley University.

Authenticity Statement

Your personal statement should reflect your own experiences, perspectives, and voice. While you may use tools such as grammar checkers or AI-assisted editing, the ideas and content should be your own. Lesley University reserves the right to request additional writing samples or supplemental materials as part of the admissions review process.

Your personal statement should address the following areas (in 750 - 1000 words):

  • Your interest in the field of education and the specific graduate program to which you are applying. Highlight your beliefs on the responsibility of an educator to foster inclusion and social justice.
  • How your personal and professional experiences have influenced and prepared you to seek admission to the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University.
  • Any unusual or extenuating circumstances in your academic history (if applicable, or if you have a GPA that is below the 3.0 suggested minimum) and your plan for achieving success in your graduate program.

Lesley University's Graduate Education programs are guided by core values of democracy, equity, community, inquiry, professionalism, and leadership. The university is committed to practices fostering inclusion and social justice. Consider these values as you write your personal statement.

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:

Doctoral Programs

The written personal statement is a crucial component of your doctoral application, offering an opportunity to highlight your commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive educational environment.

A well-written personal statement is academic in tone and clearly articulates your purpose for pursuing a doctoral degree program at Lesley University. It is important to discuss the ways that your education, readings, and personal and professional experiences have informed your thinking and to include citations to scholarly literature that shaped your perspective.

Authenticity Statement

Your personal statement should reflect your own experiences, perspectives, and voice. While you may use tools such as grammar checkers or AI-assisted editing, the ideas and content should be your own. Lesley University reserves the right to request additional writing samples or supplemental materials as part of the admissions review process.

Your personal statement should address the following areas (in approximately 10 - 12 pages):

  • Describe an issue related to education that deeply concerns you, particularly within the context of creating an equitable and inclusive educational system. Explain how this issue is relevant to education and how addressing it can contribute to a more just and equitable learning environment.
     
  • Reflect on how your educational, personal, and professional experiences have shaped your understanding of power and privilege, identity, and lived experiences in educational systems. Discuss how these experiences have shaped your understanding of creating inclusive and supportive educational spaces, particularly in relation to power dynamics and privilege. Explore how your own identity and lived experiences influence your perspective and the questions these concepts raise for you as an emerging leader in education. Share how you plan to promote these values in your scholarly and professional work.
     
  • Discuss your familiarity with existing scholarship on creating inclusive and equitable educational environments. Refer to theoretical or research-based literature that is relevant to your areas of interest, particularly those that address power, privilege, and identity. Demonstrate how your scholarship will contribute to advancing these critical issues in education. Explain how Lesley University’s faculty and mission can support your goals. Take care to show how your research aligns with the core values that are central to the Ph.D. in Educational Studies program.

As one of the core perspectives of the Ph.D. in Educational Studies program at Lesley University, the pursuit of educational equity is central to our scholarly and professional work. The doctoral admissions committee will review your statement for clarity, coherence, writing style, and the depth of your commitment to creating learning environments that are inclusive, just, and respectful of all individuals.

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.

At Lesley University, we’re committed to preparing students to become the world’s best practitioners in the fields of education, mental health and well-being, art and design, and liberal arts and business. Deep professional partnerships are a crucial part of how we deliver on that promise, and our Scholar Partner Program is how we make these partnerships real for our students, from day one, and the organizations who depend on them.

Learn more about our Scholar Partner Program

Contact Graduate Admissions 

If you have any questions as you work throughout the application process, please reach out to our ​Graduate Admissions Counselors, who can assist you and provide additional information. 

Mailing Address 

Lesley University Graduate Admissions 

29 Everett Street

Cambridge, MA 02138 

Phone, Email, and Documents 

617-349-8300 

luadmissions@lesley.edu

Send documents to: appstatus@lesley.edu 

Take the next step

Ready to begin your journey with Lesley? ​Share some basic information by filling out one of the forms below so that we can reach out to you with more information about our programs. Or, email admissions@lesley.edu to connect with a member of our admissions team.

 

Undergraduate &  Transfer: 

Inquiry Form   |   Visit   |   Apply

 

Graduate: 

Inquiry Form   |   Visit   |   Apply

 

Threshold Programs: 

Inquiry Form   |   Visit   |   Apply