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Start your master's degree in counseling as an undergraduate.

While a bachelor's degree in counseling can get you started in a rewarding career in human services, earning a master's degree can open up a wider range of positions in a variety of settings. Additionally, a master's degree is a required step toward becoming a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) in Massachusetts—a credential that qualifies counselors to practice independently.

If you're working toward your Bachelor of Science (BS) in Counseling at Lesley, you can apply to start earning your MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. You can choose the master's without specialization, or specialize in Holistic Studies, Trauma Studies, or School & Community Counseling.

For master's degree programs that have the option to choose between doing one or two internships, Lesley dual-degree students are required to complete the Two-Internship Option to gain 1,300 hours of field experience in clinical settings. This exceeds the Massachusetts requirements for licensure.

Complete both degrees in one streamlined program and graduate with the hands-on experience you need to get started in your counseling career.

How It Works

By completing some graduate credits as an undergraduate student, you'll save both time and money.

  • Take 26–29 of your graduate program's 60 credits in your junior and senior year, included in your undergraduate tuition. Work with the dual-degree coordinator and your graduate academic advisor to plan a course sequence.
  • Complete the remaining 31–34 graduate credits after senior year, at the graduate tuition rate.
  • Earn your bachelor's and master's degrees in 6 years of full-time study. This is about one year faster than if you entered Lesley as a graduate student.
  • Get an additional 12 free graduate credits with the Lesley Dividend award, for a savings of 63% to 68% off your graduate tuition in total.
  • Because this is a dual-degree program, you'll earn a combined bachelor's degree/master's degree (one diploma) once you complete the requirements for the master's degree.

Eligibility & Application Requirements

Our honors-level dual degree program is for exceptional undergraduate counseling students who have demonstrated a high level of academic potential.

We recommend that you explore the various 60-credit programs with the undergraduate dual-degree program coordinator and with the graduate school before applying. You'll need to attend an information session with the graduate school, which is offered twice a year, and this is the perfect time to ask questions so you can figure out which path is best for you.

Applications are due before November 1 of your junior year. If accepted, you'll start taking graduate-level courses in the second semester of junior year and continue through to your senior year. (Adult undergrads through Lesley's Center for the Adult Learner may apply for an exception to apply in spring.)

Additional requirements:

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.3
  • Letter of academic support from Katherine Barone, the dual degree coordinator
  • Recommendations by Undergraduate Department of Psychology & Applied Therapies core faculty
  • A letter of recommendation from a work supervisor in a human service setting, or an internship supervisor
  • A preferred score of 396 or higher on the Miller's Analogy Test
  • Attendance at a graduate school group information session
  • Successful interview with a faculty member from the Department of Graduate Counseling & Psychology
  • Learn more about our counseling dual-degree program

Transfer Students

Follow the requirements for the counseling major and complete client-focused, non-administrative internships or seek work in a human services setting for a summer job before applying to Lesley. Contact the dual degree coordinator by the end of June (or sooner) if you're entering Lesley with 60 or more credits.

Katherine Barone, Chair and Assistant Professor, Psychology
617.349.8159