Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines
Fall Start
Priority Deadline: April 1
Standard Deadline: June 1
For 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.
Application Form
Application Form
Apply online for your Master of Social Work (MSW) program.
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:
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.
- World Education Services
- Center for Educational Documentation
- Educational Credential Evaluators Inc.
- Global Credential Evaluators
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
Include 3 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.
- We don’t accept recommendations written by friends or family, or that were written more 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 if they choose.
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
- 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:
- ASC English in Boston
Complete Level 5.
- Boston International Academy
Undergraduate Students: Complete High Advanced I Level.
Graduate Students: Complete High Advanced II Level.
- Boston University Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP)
Complete Level 7 with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Embassy English
Complete Level C1.
- FLS International
Complete Level 15.
- Stafford House International
Complete Level 6.
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
Our graduate programs require that you write a personal statement. Your written personal statement gives us insight into your motivation, purpose in pursuing a degree program, writing skills, and communication style. It’s an important part of our review process.
Write a 750-1250 word statement (3–5 pages).
Please address all of these areas in your statement:
- In 1 to 2 paragraphs, explain why you are interested in the Lesley University Master of Social Work (MSW) program. As you describe your interest, please also provide an in-depth discussion of your understanding of the skills and resources needed for advanced graduate study. For example, how you will manage the time, emotional, and cognitive challenges of this program?
- Discuss the populations or social issues that you would like to address as a professional social worker. If you have a particular reason for this interest, please include this information in your statement.
- What volunteer, work, role models, or life experiences draw you to social work? How do these influence your interest in this field?
- Are there any populations with whom you would be uncomfortable working based on factors such as gender, culture, ethnicity, morals, values, or sexual orientation? If so, please explain.
- What strengths—as a person and as a social work graduate student—do you believe make you a good match for this profession?
- What are your areas in need of growth, as a person and as a student? Self-reflection, a commitment to personal growth, a willingness to engage with others, and the ability to seek and use constructive feedback are essential qualities for this profession.
- Is there additional information about you as a candidate for the MSW degree that you would like for the Admissions Committee to consider?
- Candidates with a GPA of 3.0 or lower must answer the following: Please address why you believe you are academically prepared for the MSW program. Reference your undergraduate transcript or any academic work for which you have submitted a transcript.
Current Résumé
Show relevant work, volunteer, or academic experience on your résumé. Please also show all of the languages you speak and your level of proficiency in each one.
Interview
Interview
If you have a GPA of 3.0 or lower in your undergraduate program, we may require that you interview with one or more faculty members or graduate admissions counselors. The interview may be conducted here on the Lesley University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by phone, or by Skype. A graduate admissions counselor will contact you to schedule the interview if needed.
Contact Admissions
Contact Admissions
- Lesley University
Graduate Admissions Services
29 Everett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
- 617.349.8300
luadmissions@lesley.edu - Contact a Graduate Admissions Counselor.
- Send documents to appstatus@lesley.edu.
- 617.349.8300
luadmissions@lesley.edu - Contact an Online Counselor.
- Send documents to appstatus@lesley.edu