Administrative Guidelines

Registration, Courses and Credits

Course Registration 

Lesley has online WebReg, mail-in/walk-in, and on-site registration periods as well as an on-campus late registration period.  Each semester, a Course Schedule that contains registration information, course meeting times, and general information is mailed to all students enrolled in a program. The Course Schedule includes all registration deadline dates.  Course registration must be completed prior to the second class meeting.  (WebReg can be found on line at www.lesley.edu/lois.)

At the time of registration, all tuition and course fees must be paid by check or money order payable to Lesley University, or charged to MasterCard or VISA, unless alternative financial arrangements have been made with the approval of the Student Financial Services Office.  (If you are interested in a monthly payment play, contact Student Financial Services.)

Transfer Credit

Courses Taken Before Matriculation into the Ph. D. Program

Students are permitted to transfer up to a maximum of 12 credits of post-Master's work toward the Ph.D. degree. The courses must be at the post-Master's level, taken at regionally-accredited institutions, approved within the context of the doctoral study plan, and completed no longer than five years prior to the date of admission to the Lesley University Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies. In order to transfer coursework, a student must have earned a grade of "B" or better.

For students who have received a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.) at Lesley and who have taken the four required doctoral courses (Interdisciplinary Seminar I & II, Quantitative Research Methods: Statistics, and Qualitative Research Methods I), these 12 credits may also be applied to the program (for a possible total of 24 transfer credits). All courses must be approved within the doctoral study plan, and taken no longer than five years prior to the date of admission to the Lesley University Ph.D. Program.

Courses Taken After Matriculation into the Ph.D. Program

With prior approval of the Senior Advisor and the Advanced Graduate Council, Ph.D. students may include in their study plan traditional coursework done at other universities (no limit on the number of credits), which students can transfer into their program of study at Lesley. Students register for these courses at the designated accredited institution and transfer them to Lesley University.

All transfer credits must be approved by the Senior Advisor and the program director and be transferred before the end of Phase II doctoral study. (A transfer credit form is included in the printed Doctoral Student Handbook.)

For University policies on transfer credit go to Transfer Credits: Ph.D. Program.

Course Waiver

Some required courses may be waived if equivalent work has been completed previously. Waived requirements, unlike transfer credit, do not reduce the total number of credits (45) required to complete the degree.

EAGSR 7101 Qualitative Research Methods I and/or EAGSR 7103 Qualitative Research Methods may be waived upon presentation of documentary evidence (both transcripts and course descriptions) that the student has completed similar courses with parallel content at other institutions, and that these courses were taken no longer than five years prior to the date of the student's admission to the Ph. D. Program. Interdisciplinary Seminars I & II cannot be waived. (A course waiver form is included in the printed Doctoral Student Handbook.)

Time Limit to Complete Degree

The time limit for completion of all three phases of the program is seven years. The time limit to complete Phases I and II is four years. A leave of absence may be granted during any phase of the program because of serious illness, personal crisis, etc. A leave of absence must be approved by the Director of the Ph.D. Program.

Residency Requirement

Ph.D. students are required to be in residence (registered as full-time students) at the Cambridge campus for a minimum of two consecutive semesters, although a longer period of residency is encouraged. The requirement must be met by the end of Phase II of the program. The time limit to complete Phase I and Phase II is four years.

Student Classification and Status

Full-time

Students, in the doctoral program who take nine or more credits in a semester are considered full-time.  International students who register for EAGSR 9151: Doctoral Study and pay the matriculation or continuation fee are entitled to full-time status.

Half-time

Students in the doctoral program who register for six or fewer credits per semester are considered half-time. Payment of the matriculation or continuation fee also entitles students to half-time status.

Leave of Absence

The time limits for each phase of the program will be considered to run consecutively beginning with the semester in which the student is admitted to Phase I of doctoral study, whether or not the matriculated student has registered for courses. Students may petition their doctoral committee or dissertation committee for a leave of absence, not to exceed two consecutive semesters, for extraordinary personal reasons. Such petitions must be submitted and approved by the Program Director. Students must also submit a Leave of Absence Form, which is available through the Registrar's Office. During an approved leave of absence, the time limits of the program will be suspended until the student reenters.

At the time a student wishes to re-enter the program, a letter of intent must be sent to the Ph.D. Program Office with a copy to the Registrar's Office 30 days prior to the start of the semester of anticipated enrollment. Once a review of the student's record is completed, the Program Director will notify him/her of eligibility status and any procedures necessary to resume studies.

If a student does not return within the time period approved and does not request an extension of the Leave of Absence, the student will be officially withdrawn from the University. (A Leave of Absence form is included in the printed Doctoral Student Handbook.)

Administrative Withdrawal

Unregistered students may be administratively withdrawn from the doctoral program.  The university reserves the right to administratively withdraw, with prior notice, any student who does not meet the stated financial requirements of Lesley University.  Any student reinstated after administrative withdrawal is subject to a reinstatement fee of $260.

Academic Probation and/or Dismissal

The University reserves the right to suspend or dismiss at any time any student who, in the opinion of the University officials, does not achieve and maintain the required academic, personal, or professional standards. Such dismissal does not affect the student's financial obligation to the University for tuition or other indebtedness.

Students who perform below academic expectations of the Doctoral Program may be placed on probation or dismissed based on an academic review. (Student transcripts are reviewed by the Program Office at the end of each semester to insure that all students are making satisfactory academic progress.) Academic probation or dismissal may result from such deficiencies as, but not limited to, the following: a grade point average of "B-" or below; non-approved or more than six (6) credits of incomplete (INC); or specific deficiencies in areas deemed essential to the student's preparation.

Academic probation or dismissal is determined in accordance with Lesley University policy. A recommendation is made to the appropriate School Dean after a meeting with the student, the faculty advisor, and the Director of the Ph. D. Program in Educational Studies. The decision is transmitted to the student in writing. A student placed on probation must meet prescribed requirements of the Doctoral Program in order to be reinstated as a student in good standing.