Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences

The Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences offers creative and integrative adult programs for those seeking personal and professional growth in diverse areas of human development that emphasize the application of theory to practice. Programs are crafted to promote an atmosphere which supports creativity and intellectual development, and stimulates scholarly and research collaborations among students and faculty. These programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of adult learners while maintaining disciplinary integrity and rigorous academic standards.

Academic programs offered through the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences are innovative and at the forefront of their fields. Several hold the distinction of being the first of their kind. While all are offered on campus in Cambridge, many are offered at regional, national and international sites.

Academic Programs of Study

• Division of Counseling and Psychology
• Division of Expressive Therapies
• Division of Interdisciplinary Inquiry:
  • Creative Writing
  • Intercultural Relations
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Self Designed Master's Degree
  • Environmental Studies: 
    • M.A. Urban Environmental Leadership
    • M.S. Ecological Teaching and Learning

• International and Collaborative Programs
  • Israel Extension
  • Certificate in Creativity, Leadership and Social Change

Open Elective Courses

• Please download a list of elective courses [doc] in the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences that are open to both current students and the general public*.  (*Some courses require special permission from a specified person in the division, and are labeled as such.)  

Free and Public Events

• Sonnabend Lecture featuring Dr. Daniel Siegel, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute:  “The Power of the Mind to Change the Brain: Harnessing Mindsight to Cultivate Well-Being and Compassion” 
  
  • Thursday, February 11th at 7pm in the University Hall Amphitheater, Rm. 2-150 (1815 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA)
  • For more information, please contact Beth at 617.349.8467 or echambe5@lesley.edu.
• Intercultural Relations Community Event:  "Intercultural Service Abroad: Impacts on Host Communities and Service Providers"
  • Tuesday, February 9th, 6:45-9:15pm in Alumni Hall (29 Everett St, Cambridge, MA)
  • Featuring Ms. Evelyn L. Gaudrault, RN, MA and Dr. Barbara R. Kelley, RN, EdD, MPH, CPNP
  • For more information, please contact Heather at 617.349.8364 or hshosho@lesley.edu.
     

Conferences/Institutes

• "Mindfulness: Foundation for Teaching and Learning" (March 19-21, 2010)--REGISTER NOW!
• "Arts in Healthcare Conference" (June 4, 2010)
• "Courage to Teach Institute: Sustaining Professional Practice" (July 12-16, 2010)
• "Wise Women Conversations for Baby Boomer Women" (March 12, 2010)--details coming soon
• Past Conferences:
  • "Using Expressive/Play Therapy to Heal the Effects of Interpersonal Traumas: an Integrated Approach to Healing," Play Therapy Conference featuring Eliana Gil (September 26, 2009)
  • "Greening the City: Fostering Inspired and Innovative Leadership for Just and Sustainable Urban Communities," Urban Environmental Leadership Conference (November 6-8, 2009)

Institutes

• Institute for Body, Mind and Spirituality