The University of Montana has transitioned its master’s degree in school counseling from in-person to fully online, aiming to serve rural areas. This change makes UM the only accredited online school counseling program in Montana. The first online cohort has already doubled last year’s face-to-face student numbers, according to a UM news release.
Montana faces a critical need for mental health support as it records the highest suicide rate in the U.S., with nearly 29 deaths per 100,000 people, as per the CDC. The 2023 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey reveals 26% of high school students seriously considered suicide in the past year.
UM’s online program is part of a broader strategy, supported by U.S. Department of Education grants, to place more licensed mental health professionals in rural schools. UM and Montana State University recognized that graduates often stayed in urban areas like Missoula and Bozeman. The online shift is designed to attract aspiring school counselors already in rural communities.
UM received a $3 million Rural School Mental Health Prepare grant to recruit and fund eight school counselors in Montana over the next five years. “What we’ve decided to do with this grant is leverage the online program to reach people who are living and working in rural Montana,” said UM counseling professor Kristen Murray. This approach aims to establish long-term mental health support in these communities.
Nearly 24% of Montana schools lack a licensed counselor, according to the 2023 Montana Critical Quality Educator Report. However, UM reports that 100% of its counseling graduates secure jobs within 18 months of graduation.
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