Dual Degree Programs:

Counseling Psychology

The integrated BS/MA programs are developed for students in Lesley College who are interested in accelerating their educational experience in a program combining the curriculum of the undergraduate human services major or counseling major and a graduate program in Counseling Psychology or Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students may combine the undergraduate Human Services or Counseling Program with graduate specializations. Graduates of the dual degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling will be eligible for professional licensure in Massachusetts and most states at the completion of the program at Lesley. The programs are designed for students who demonstrate a high level of maturity and academic potential. Essentially an honors program, the integrated programs demand that students be able to achieve the academic rigor of graduate education by the time they reach their junior year of traditional undergraduate study. Students in the accelerated program must be able to achieve a level of introspection and cultural awareness necessary to engage in clinical work at a relatively young chronological age.

Admissions

Students will be eligible for admission at two admissions review periods:

1. For the exceptional student, application is possible at the time of application to Lesley College. A candidate must have achieved a 1100 or better on her SAT, a GPA of 3.0 in high school and successfully completed an interview with a Counseling Psychology faculty member. At this point of review, a student can only be conditionally admitted until the end of her sophomore year. The conditions under which the candidate will be fully admitted are: achievement of 3.0 or better in her first four semesters, academic support of her faculty advisor and achievement of 40 or higher on the MAT.
2. The more natural route of entry into the programs will be through application during the summer or fall following the sophomore year. Admission criteria include: achievement of 3.0 or better in her first four semesters, letter of academic support from faculty advisor, achievement of 40 or higher on the MAT, and successful completion of an interview with a Counseling Psychology faculty member.

Students who wish to enter this program follow the first-year requirements for the Human Services or Counseling major. Once accepted into the program, a student will work closely with her advisor to choose an appropriate course sequence.

Education

The Dual Degree Programs provide opportunties for students to meet requirements for a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in an accelerated program that prepares them to teach in early childhood, elementary education, and middle school English or Political Science/Political Philosophy. Full time students can usually complete a Dual Degree Program in five years. The Dual Degree Programs are designed for students who demonstrate a high degree of maturity and academic potential. They require students to meet high standards of academic achievement in both their undergraduate and graduate level coursework. Students admitted to Lesley College may apply for admission to the Dual Degree Programs in their sophomore or junior years. Specific requirements for admission are set by each one of these programs. Students interested in pursuing a dual degree should contact the advisor for the program of her choice in order to obtain further information.

A Declaration of Intent to Apply for Admission form must be completed prior to making formal application to any of these programs. Both a baccalaureate and master's degree are awarded at the completion of each of the Dual Degree Programs. Types of licensure for which one qualifies differ across programs. Please check specific program descriptions for this information.

Early Childhood Education

In order to be accepted into this program, the student must have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher during the first four semesters of college. Formal application involves creating a portfolio application which is reviewed by a team of undergraduate and graduate faculty. This formal portfolio application is due at the end of sophomore year. Transfer students should consult the program's advisor about application.

Elementary Education

In order to be considered for admission to the program, a student must file the Intent to Apply for Admission form during the sophomore year. Once the student has filed the Intent form, he or she is expected to meet frequently with the advisor for that program to plan the course work and begin work on the portfolio.

Formal application to the Dual Degree Program is made in the first semester of the student's junior year. To make formal application for admission to the Dual Degree Program in Elementary Education, a student must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher during the first four semesters of college. Recommendations for admission are made on the basis of academic achievement, the completed portfolio and the information provided on the application form.

Accommodations are made for transfer students who may find it difficult to complete each step of the admission process at the designated time.

Middle School Education

This dual degree program offers qualified undergraduates an opportunity to meet the requirements for both a bachelor's and a master's degree, in an accelerated fashion, taking one graduate course in both their junior and senior years. Through this program, students will be eligible to receive a graduate degree in Middle School Education in either English or Political Science/Polotical Philosophy.

Formal application to this dual degree program is made at the beginning of the student's first semester of the junior year. To make formal application for admission to the Dual Degree Program in Middle School Education, a student must demonstrate a minimum grade point average of 3.3 during the first four semester of college. Recommendations for admission are made on the basis of academic achievement, the completed portfolio and the information provided on the application form.

Accommodations will be made for transfer students who may find it difficult to complete each step of the admission process as stipulated in the application procedure.