Texas Wesleyan is now offering a Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy, the first Ph.D. program and third doctoral-level offering for the university.

The four-year Marriage and Family Therapy doctoral program offers students the opportunity to interact closely with the best and brightest in the field, through the Master Therapists series and mentorships.

"Texas Wesleyan is always looking for new ways to offer compelling programs that will prepare students to be highly successful in their professional careers," Linda Metcalf, director of graduate counseling programs, said. "We feel that our students will benefit a great deal from interacting regularly with the best and brightest marriage and family therapists in the world, in a personal and intentionally small setting."

Featured Master Therapists this fall:

• Sept. 6: Wendell Ray, Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapy - Applying Systemic Theory to Create Constructive Change in Families

• Sept. 27: Elliott Connie, LPC, Solution Building with Couples

• Oct. 11: Jill Freedman, MS, Narrative Therapy with Couples and Families

• Nov. 15: Roberta Gilbert, MD, Understanding the Individual's Functioning in Family Relationships

The degree plan will lead students through design and research projects that are intervention based, providing new strategies for working with families and couples. The program will graduate its first class in spring 2018.

"Graduates of the Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy will go on to serve as supervisors to master-level counselors, take the lead in agencies and hospitals utilizing medical family therapy and guide students as professors and researchers in higher education," Metcalf continued.

Texas Wesleyan currently offers two other doctoral programs – in education and nurse anesthesia. The university launched its doctor of education (Ed.D.) program in 2009 and doctor of nurse anesthesia practice (DNAP) program in 2008.

For more information about Texas Wesleyan's marriage and family therapy program, visit the Ph.D. website.