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.
The program will also offer preparation for the National Counselor Exam, which certifies students looking to become counselors. This preparation will come in the form of all students nationwide 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.
The program is one of two brand new School of Health Sciences programs starting up 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.