The Master of Science in Genetic Counseling is a 59-credit hybrid program that will prepare graduates for careers in the burgeoning field of genetic counseling. As a profession, genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. This process integrates a variety of disciplines including science, psychology and education.  Tasks include interpretation of family and medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence and education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources and research. The counseling process promotes informed choices and adaptation to the risk or condition. Genetic counselors (GCs) practice in a variety of settings, including hospitals, laboratories, and policy arenas, and serve as clinicians, researchers, educators, and policy makers.

Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to take the ABGC certification examination, and will be employable by hospitals, medical centers, physicians, medical insurance companies, biomedical laboratories and policy centers.

Program Requirements

To earn an M.S. in Genetic Counseling, students must complete 59 hours of graduate coursework including an original institution review board (IRB) approved capstone project, which involves an in-depth study of a selected genetic counseling issue or topic. Students will be strongly encouraged to study topics appropriate for national presentation and/or publication.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling are expected to:

• Develop and hone clinical, research and communication skills for use in medical-based settings, research laboratories, industry, government agencies, institutions of higher education, and others, as outlined in the Practice-Based Competency list required by the Board.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the history of genetic counseling and how the student’s own contributions fit into that tradition while continuing to expand the boundaries of the genetic counseling field through utilizing technological advances.
• Recognize the ethical dilemmas facing patients, families and clinicians that routinely occur in the genetics/genomics arena.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to effectively perform in the online classroom setting.