Learn more about Maine Scholars.
Lesley Announces Maine Scholars Program
The Maine Scholars program gives students prioritization by Maine employers as well as opportunities for financial aid and scholarship benefits.

How to Apply

Apply for our PhD program in Educational Studies: Individually Designed as an international student.

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.

Education – PHD 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.

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.

  • 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.

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 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.

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. The suggested length of the written personal statement is approximately 10-12 pages.

Your personal statement should address the following areas:

  • 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.

Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae

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

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