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How to Apply

Apply to an undergraduate advanced professional certificate as an international student.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Our 3 undergraduate art and design certificate programs are designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree.

Application Form

Application Form

Create an account before you start your application. You can stop and save your application and return to complete it later. Upload your supporting documents in the online application.

Apply online now.

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

Send your official college transcripts to Lesley University’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Send a transcript for each institution you've attended, in English. If your transcript is not in English, submit a notarized translation of it.

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.

Undergraduate Transfer Students

You’ll need a course-by-course evaluation for any college or university you attended abroad. Credential evaluations are not required for high school transcripts.

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.

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.

Portfolio Requirements & Artist Statement

Portfolio Requirements & Artist Statement

Portfolio

As a student applying to a BFA program, or a campus-based undergraduate certificate program in art and design, you'll submit a digital portfolio of your strongest and most recent work as part of your application.

Exception: If you are applying for the BA in Art, you do not need to submit a portfolio.

  • Submit your portfolio.

    What to include:

    • 10–15 images in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, collage, photography, or other media (traditional or digital).
    • Or, 12 minutes of video clips for a digital filmmaking portfolio.
    • Review our portfolio tips to see what we're looking for.

    First-Year BFA Program Applicants

    Create your Common Application account before you upload your portfolio to Slideroom.

    Transfer and Advanced Professional Certificate Applicants

    You won’t use the Common Application, so you can upload your work to Slideroom at any time.

    Upload Your Portfolio

    1. Create a Slideroom account.
       
    2. Select the type of applicant you are:
      1. Common Application First-Year
      2. Transfer Undergrad Application
      3. Advanced Professional Certificate (2-year program)
         
    3. Upload your work.

      Slideroom requires you to upload a minimum of 12 submissions. For example, if you submit 2 films to be considered for our Digital Film BFA program, you’ll need to submit 10 other forms of work (such as still frames) to complete your portfolio.

     

Artist Statement

This 1-2 page statement is required for transfer BFA students and certificate students, but optional for first-year BFA students.

  • Submit your Artist Statement.
    1. Write a 1-2 page essay that describes your progress as a visual artist. The format may follow a chronological account of your progress through high school (and college if applicable) and how that progress relates to Lesley University's College of Art and Design as your next destination.
    2. Upload the essay to Slideroom when you submit your portfolio.

Application Status

Application Status

Activate your online account and review your status.

We’re so happy you’ve chosen to apply to Lesley University.

Soon, we'll assign you a Self-Service account where you'll be able to review the receipt of your admission application materials and financial aid documents.

  • Activate Account

    You must do these steps to be able to log in to your Lesley accounts.

    1. Go to the Password Management page.
    2. Click "Activate/Change Password" to change your temporary password.
    3. Enter your Lesley credentials, as communicated to you in your application acknowledgment letter.
    4. You'll be prompted to create a Password Profile.
    5. After creating your Password Profile, you'll be able to change your temporary password to one that you choose, or you can let the system generate a password for you.

    Account Issues

    If you have password problems, visit the Password Management page and choose "Reset my Password."

    If you have any difficulty using your Self-Service account, contact Information Technology at 617.349.8770 or it@lesley.edu.

  • Review Status

    To view the receipt of your application and financial aid documents and materials:

    1. Log in to Self-Service.
    2. Enter your Lesley credentials in the form of username@lesley.edu and the password you chose when you activated your account.
    3. In the Notifications section, select "View required documents." To see more than outstanding items, click on "View All". If you do not have a Notifications section, go to the User Options area, and select "Required Documents."

      View the status of your application materials. "Received" or "Waived" indicates the completion of an individual requirement.
       
    4. For Financial Aid-related information, select Financial Information > Financial Aid from the navigation bar or go back to the Home page and click on the Financial Aid tile.

Contact Admissions

Contact Admissions

If you have any questions or concerns about any of the application requirements, please contact us and we'll be in touch.
Mailing Address
  • Lesley University
    Admissions Services
    29 Everett Street
    Cambridge, MA 02138
On-Campus Programs
Online Programs
29 Everett St, Cambridge, MA 02138
617.868.9600