CORRECTION: The original version of this article included a photo of the Psychology and Human Service Studies Building. That building is unaffiliated with the new Master of Science in Clinical mental Health Counseling Program. Elon News Network regrets this error.
Updated as of 5:01 p.m. on Dec. 9 to include an interview from program chair and interim program director Judy Folmar.
Elon University is launching a new Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program starting in the fall of 2026.
Students will have the option to choose between taking the program either at Elon’s main campus or at the university’s Charlotte campus. The program will have a hybrid model where students complete their first year of coursework in person and then complete online coursework while they have in-person clinical placements in the second year. The second year will include a 600 hour internship requirement. It will be a 60-credit program.
Judy Folmar, the program chair and interim program director, said the program is answering a need for more mental health professionals. She said that’s part of the reason Elon decided to launch the program.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 97 out of 100 counties in North Carolina are considered mental health professional shortage areas. The state also ranks 38th in the nation for access to mental health care, according to nonprofit Mental Health America.
Folmar said this industry will grow at a high rate in the future. But she emphasized quality over quantity.
“It's not just about churning out more counselors. It's about developing and graduating ethical, competent, compassionate mental health professionals who will be trained with the absolute best preparation they can have,” Folmar said.
Folmar said the two locations will allow students to choose to study at either a rural or urban campus. The decision to have online coursework was made to help students get used to the technology and increased usage of telehealth in today’s world.
“It's really the best of both worlds that students are getting,” Folmar said. “In-person instruction, scaffolded to prepare them for the online learning, and then they move into the clinical placements while they have online support and supervision. And once they're in their clinical placements, they'll have site supervisors who are trained clinicians.”
The focus on online courses also meets students where they are, according to Folmar. She said that the average counseling student is working and is in their 30s or 40s, so online courses are needed for them to attend.
The program will also offer preparation for the National Counselor Exam, which certifies any student nationwide looking to become counselors. This preparation will come in the form of all students being required to pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination. According to a university press release, this will help students get ready for the NCE and build confidence and familiarity with the online exam process. Folmar said they will also emphasize teaching trauma-informed counseling. According to the University of Buffalo, trauma-informed care focuses on realizing the prevalence of trauma and being aware of trauma that is present in everybody.
The program is one of two new School of Health Sciences programs starting on the Charlotte campus. A physician assistant studies program will be launching in the fall of 2027, which originally had a tentative launch date of January 2027.
The launch of the program comes amid a statewide call for more investment in mental health services after several high-profile killings this year, including the stabbing of Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska in August. The death of Zarustka inspired a sweeping crime bill that ushered in several new criminal law changes, but Gov. Josh Stein has urged state lawmakers to fund more mental health services.
“We must have a well-functioning mental health care system that gets people the treatment and support they need to stay healthy and keep us all safe,” Stein said in an October press release. “By building on these successful programs that are already making a difference in people’s lives, we can prevent people from falling through the cracks.”
Applications for the fall 2026 cohort are now open until April 15, 2026. Folmar said she expects to have 24 students for each campus’ cohort next year. She encouraged prospective students to reach out with any questions.