Accelerated Master's: BS in Art Therapy & MA in Mindfulness Studies

The Accelerated Master’s Degree in Mindfulness Studies & Art Therapy BS/MA program is designed for the exceptional student interested in accelerating his or her education experience by combining the curriculum in the undergraduate major and the master’s program in Mindfulness Studies. For Art Therapy majors seeking a non-clinical master's, utilizing some of the art therapy field’s new emphasis in mindful artistic creation, this may be a path towards post graduate practice that does not require licensure in similar health and wellness settings. In this accelerated program students complete 9 credits of the 36 credit master's program starting in the spring of their junior year which allows them to complete the low residency master's in online or hybrid courses approximately 4 semesters after BS degree.

Master’s Program Description: Academically and experientially rigorous, the M.A. in Mindfulness Studies is the first graduate program of its kind in the United States. Students are immersed in the theory and practice of mindfulness, mindful communications, mindful leadership and social engagement, and the roots of contemplative practice in Buddhist traditions, as well as emerging research on effects of mindfulness on the brain.

This two-year program is offered in a low-residency format, in which students attend a 7-day residency on Lesley's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During the residency students participate in daily meditation, attend classes, meet with faculty members, attend advisory sessions and program-related workshops, network with peers, and participate in community-building events. Other coursework is completed online or in hybrid modalities.

Accelerated Pathways Description: Students eligible for the accelerated master’s program demonstrate a high level of maturity, superior academic achievement, and demonstrated interest in and understanding of the potential of a career with this master’s degree. The integrated program requires that students can engage in the academic rigor of a graduate education by the time they reach the second semester of their junior year in the undergraduate program in Art Therapy. In that semester and afterward, students in this program must be able to complete one graduate course a semester. Qualified students apply in the fall of their junior year (or by the time they have earned approximately 60 credits) and must be accepted by meeting the admissions standards of the MA program in Mindfulness studies.

Admissions Criteria for Accelerated Master’s Program in Mindfulness Studies:

3.3 GPA
Transcript documenting 60 credits and coursework to date
Completed Application
3 recommendation letters, including one from an internship supervisor; one from undergrad faculty stating readiness for accelerated master’s program
Written personal statement following Master’s program questions and guidelines
An academic writing sample
Program information meeting with the Associate Director of Advising and Student Services in the Mindfulness Program
Interview with Director or other Master’s program core faculty as designated by the Mindfulness Studies program

Course Sequencing for the Accelerated Master’s Degree in Mindfulness:

Upon acceptance to the program by the determined admission criteria in fall of junior year (at approx. 60 credits) Accelerated Master's students would take the graduate level course sequence below. These courses would count for undergraduate elective credit – and reduce the total number of master's-level credits taken post-graduation by 9 credits.

Spring Junior Year: GMIND 6032: Graduate Academic Writing
Fall, Senior Year: GMIND 6042: Mindfulness: Practice, Theory and Science
Spring, Senior Year: GMIND 6050: Mindful Leadership and Social Change
Upon graduation, students would attend the summer residency and register for GMIND 6049: Foundations of Contemplative Practice: The Buddhist Traditions and possibly an elective. Students are not permitted to register for any additional coursework until GMIND 6049 and the residency requirement is met (current program policy).