History
Elon University is a private, coeducational and comprehensive university. Founded in 1889 by the Christian Church (now United Church of Christ), it is the third largest of North Carolina’s 36 private colleges and universities.
During the 1980s, Elon experienced a decade of unprecedented growth. During this time, applications doubled and enrollment increased 35 percent, making Elon one of the fastest- growing institutions in the region. Dozens of academic and student life programs were added to enrich the quality of an Elon education. Special classes and volunteer programs were developed to provide students with leadership and service opportunities. In fall 1984, the university began offering a Master of Business Administration degree through the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. In fall 1986, a Master of Education degree was added, and in 1997, a Master of Physical Therapy degree program was established. In 2003, the Doctor of Physical Therapy replaced the MPT. The Elon University School of Law opened in fall 2006. The Master of Arts in Interactive Media program was established in fall 2009. The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program began in January 2013. The Master of Science in Management program enrolled its inaugural class fall 2015 and changed to the Master of Science in Business Analytics in 2020. Elon’s newest graduate program are the Master of Science in Accounting, which began in spring 2018 and the Master of Arts in Higher Education, which began in fall 2018.
The university’s physical plant has grown as well. Total campus acreage doubled, square footage of buildings increased and significant new facilities were added, including Carol Grotnes Belk Library, featuring 75,000 square feet with more than 100 computers, networked study rooms and multimedia and audiovisual stations; Dalton L. McMichael Sr. Science Center, providing 81,000 square feet of research laboratories, high-tech instrumentation and computer technology; Moseley Campus Center, a 74,000-square-foot student center; and Koury Center, a physical education, athletics and recreation complex. In the early part of the new century, Elon opened Rhodes Stadium, Belk Track, White Field and five pavilions in the Academic Village.
In the summer of 2006, Elon opened the three-story, 60,000-square-foot Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center, home of Elon’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. The Center includes the LaRose Digital Theatre; the LabCorp Suite for Executive Education; the William Garrard Reed Finance Center with real-time data from global financial markets; the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership; the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center and the James B. and Anne Ellington Powell Lobby.
In the summer of 2017, Elon renovated the first floor of Long Building to become the home of the Master of Arts in Interactive Media program. Long Interactive Media Suite houses a state-of-the-art computer studio, classroom and innovation lab designed for user experience testing and exploration. The suite includes six editing suites, graduate study space and a Student Commons. Long houses an array of digital media equipment such as drones, virtual reality hardware, 360-degree cameras and more to aid students in the development of interactive projects. Additionally, high-definition cameras, audio recorders, lighting kits, booms and other equipment to produce interactive media are available for checkout from the School of Communications. Offices for interactive media faculty and staff are located in the Long Interactive Media Suite.
In April 2011, the Elon University Board of Trustees established the School of Health Sciences. The school is housed in the Gerald L. Francis Center, a renovated space that opened in December 2011 and includes classrooms, lab facilities, meeting and office space.