Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LaGrange College will implement three new graduate and undergraduate academic options, including a Doctor of Education — the college’s first doctoral-level degree — and a minor in Computer Science.

“These new additions will expand our academic offerings to reach more students,” said Dr. Brian Peterson, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We are committed to growing and evolving our programs to meet employer needs in high demand job markets.

“The Doctorate in Education has been discussed at the college for the last seven to 10 years as something that our local community of educators sorely needed,” he said.

“Adding this program allows us to move forward in our strategic plan initiative to create educational programs that are in need by the local and regional workforce.”

Dr. Gretta Milam, Chair of LaGrange College’s Education Department, will serve as coordinator for the new doctoral program, slated to begin in fall 2024.

“This Curriculum and Instruction degree will allow teachers to remain in their current position at a higher level pay or to advance their career beyond the PK-12 classroom to pursue other educational job opportunities that focus on teaching and learning,” she said.

The college’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program will offer a series of graduate-level courses in the field of marriage and family therapy, starting in spring 2024. Current students, alumni and individuals from outside the college with a master’s degree will be eligible to enroll in these courses.

For undergraduates, a computer science minor will be added in spring 2024.

“This field is one of the fastest-growing areas in higher education, given the renewed emphasis on technology, AI and applications-based computing in most employment sectors,” Dr. Peterson said. “Adding the minor was a quick first step in developing a more intentional, sweeping program in computer science that students will be able to integrate into their own disciplines.”

Other new programs to debut in fall 2024 are a minor in neuroscience and a concentration in strength and conditioning.