Genetic Counseling

Genetic Counselors are healthcare professionals who help patients and families understand their risks for genetic conditions or diseases. Utilizing patient and family history, they provide advice on genetic testing, medical decisions, and interpretation of results.

Some key responsibilities may include:

  • Analyzing and documenting patient and family history
  • Risk assessments
  • Recommend appropriate genetic testing 
  • Patient education

To learn more about genetic counseling, visit the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC): Become a Genetic Counselor. 

Genetic Counseling Preparation

  • Timeline

  • 1. Obtain a Bachelor’s degree and complete all pre-genetic counseling requirements, including prerequisites, GRE (if applicable), and experiences (4+ years)
    2. Attend an accredited Genetic Counseling Master’s Program (approximately 2 years) and earn a Master’s in Genetic Counseling
    3. Become licensed in the state you wish to practice in
    Optional: Specialize in a field of interest

    Upon matriculation into a genetic counseling training program, there are additional steps students must complete in order to obtain licensure or professional certification. These steps vary by field and by program, and may include board examinations, supervised clinical hours, background checks, or other program-specific milestones. Once you are in your graduate program, your graduate program advisor will provide guidance on the post-graduation next steps.

  • Pre-Requisites

  • Prerequisite courses are the academic foundation that most schools require students to complete before beginning genetic counseling training programs. No matter which major you choose, you will need to fulfill the specific science and non-science prerequisites set by each program. Always review and cross-check the requirements of your major with the prerequisite coursework for your chosen genetic counseling training programs to ensure you are completing both UCD requirements as well as the requirements of the training programs.

    While HPA has developed a suggested prerequisite chart from a sample of training programs, prerequisite coursework and entrance requirements will vary by program, hence it is important to check individual programs' websites to familiarize yourself with their exact prerequisites.

    Program Prerequisites

    Courses to Take at UC Davis

    Most schools require: 

    		 

    General Biology with Lab

    BIO 1 & 2 & 3 AND BIO 1L & 2L

    General Chemistry with Lab

    CHE 2ABC OR CHE 4ABC

    Biochemistry

    BIS 102 AND 103

    Genetics

    BIS 101

    General Psychology

    PSC 1

    Statistics

    STA 13 OR STA 100

    Some schools may require/recommend:

    		 

    Organic Chemistry

    CHE 8AB OR CHE 118ABC

    Abnormal Psychology

    PSC 168

    Human Physiology

    (NPB 101 & NPB 101L) OR (NPB 110C & NPB 101L)

    Human Anatomy

    (EXB 106 & EXB 106L) OR (CHA 101 & CHA 101L)

    Medical Terminology

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    Social Sciences

    Any PSC, ANT, SOC, OR HUM courses

    Molecular Biology

    MCB 120 AND MCB 120L

    Cell Biology

    BIS 104 OR NPB 110A

    Developmental Biology

    MCB 150 

    Embryology

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    HPA recommendations:
    1. Complete all prerequisite courses for a letter grade, not P/NP.
    2. Earn a “C” or higher in all prerequisite coursework. Some programs may require no lower than a B in any of your prerequisite courses.
    3. Maintain a minimum undergraduate and science GPA of 3.0 or higher. A competitive GPA will likely be higher for most programs.

    Please note that genetic counseling training programs do accept community college work in varying degrees, some accept all transferable work, some a certain amount of units, and others accept a very limited amount. If you have any questions about your major, prerequisite courses, or grade/GPA concerns, you are encouraged to make an appointment with one of HPA Staff Advisors.

  • Exam

  • Most genetic counseling training programs no longer require the GRE. However, some programs may still require it and it is recommended to be taken prior to applying. You can speak with a HPA Staff Advisor about your specific timeline. Check each individual school’s admissions webpage that you are applying to to see if they require it.

    Please note: The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is not a course-dependent test, meaning there are no specific UCD courses you need to take to prepare. The best way is to give yourself time to study the test by buying test prep books or taking a test prep course.

    To learn more about the standardized exam and preparing for it, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Standardized Exams and HPA’s Test Prep Events & Resources.

Applying to Genetic Counseling Programs

  • Choosing Schools

  • There are over 50 genetic counseling master’s programs in the U.S. and Canada. Check out the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC)’s list of accredited U.S.Genetic Counseling Programs.

    There are a variety of factors that go into choosing which genetic counseling training programs to apply to, including degree awarded, location, environment (i.e. urban), tuition, class size, focus or mission statement, etc. Spend some time researching programs online and create a spreadsheet that tracks the factors most important to you. On average, pre-genetic counseling students apply to 3 to 5 genetic counseling training programs. HPA also recommends meeting with an advisor to discuss your school list.

  • Application System

  • Applicants typically apply the year before they matriculate into the genetic counseling training program. Depending on the programs that pre-genetic counseling students apply to, they may need to register with National Matching Services Inc. (NMS) before applying to participating genetic counseling graduate programs. NMS is a centralized system used by most genetic counseling programs to help aid in the placement process of matching students to genetic counseling programs. Applicants must still apply directly to the genetic counseling programs in which they are interested. At the conclusion of all program interviews, both applicants and programs will submit ranked lists of preferred placements to NMS. The binding results of the Match will be released to both applicants and programs simultaneously in April. To learn more about Match, visit the webpage National Matching Services Inc.: Overview of the Match. Students are encouraged to refer to the National Matching Services Inc.: Help Center for Applicants for additional guidance on how to complete their NMS applications. For a list of Match participating training programs, please visit National Matching Services Inc.: Participating Programs. Students should be aware that there are strict guidelines on the matching process, therefore students are encouraged to review the Match processes, guidelines, and instructions prior to applying.

    Most schools will have applicants participate in Match and will also have applicants complete an application through their own internal graduate school applications, while other programs do not use Match at all. HPA recommends for applicants to carefully review the application process of each individual school that they are applying to. Students who are interested in applying to match and non-match training programs are also welcome to learn more about what it means to be applying to both by going to National Matching Services Inc.: Apply to Programs.

    The Match opens in September and closes in April; these dates may vary for schools who are not utilizing the Match. While Match closes in April, participating schools of Match may have earlier program’s application deadline dates, which are the deadlines applicants should be submitting by. These deadlines may also vary by schools or some may admit students on a rolling basis; please check your individual schools for specific dates. If that is the case for your programs of choice, be sure to submit your application early, but only when you are ready. Match recommends applicants to register by December. Come see an advisor at Health Professions Advising to review your application.

    Programs and application systems may have specific guidelines about what is considered a completed application, and these components may vary based on the application system and/or individual programs. Some examples include but are not limited to submitting the application fee and receiving letters of recommendations and official transcripts. Students are responsible for ensuring their applications are complete, submitted, and verified by the application deadline.

    To learn more about applications and application timeline, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Applications and Application Timelines.

  • Personal Statement
  • The prompt and/or character or word count may vary per year. HPA recommends applicants  begin drafting their personal statement in advance of the application opening. It is very common for applicants to write multiple drafts before they finalize their personal statement. To learn more about approaching personal statements, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Personal Statements.
  • Experiences and Activities

  • Experiences and activities help students learn more about their motivations, interests, and goals, and to explore the field of genetic counseling. What you do with your time helps define who you are in your application. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are dedicated, passionate about it, and understand your motivation for pursuing it. It is important that you balance your co-curricular activities with your academics to ensure you are maintaining strong academic performance while still engaging meaningfully outside the classroom.

    Most genetic counseling training programs may have recommended experiences for students. These can include shadowing, work, or volunteering experience in a genetic counseling or related environment. Because these training programs place a strong emphasis on advocacy, one-to-one interactions, counseling, and interpersonal skills, it’s important to demonstrate these qualities through your experiences. HPA recommends researching each program’s experience requirements as they may vary by program.

    Some examples of pre-genetic counseling experiences include, but is not limited to:
    -Peer counseling/resident advisor
    -Crisis/suicide hotline
    -Domestic violence shelter
    -Pregnancy/family planning center
    -Homeless shelter
    -Disability support services

    Students are also encouraged to participate in pre-genetic counseling programs, if available locally, to gain exposure into the field of genetic counseling, understand the application process, and engage in various professional development workshops. Check out the National Society of Genetic Counselor: Internships and Workshops.

    To learn more about experiences and various on- and off-campus opportunities, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Experiences. UC Davis students are also encouraged to subscribe to HPA Today (HPA’s newsletter).

  • Letters of Recommendation

  • Letter of recommendation requirements vary by health professional schools. For many health fields, HPA recommends two lecture-based science instructor recommendations (this excludes research PI), one lecture-based non-science instructor, and additional letters from your co-curricular experiences. This can include a research PI, mentor, volunteer coordinator, professional you shadowed, etc. Your specific program list will determine what letters you may actually need.

    To learn more about the etiquettes for letters of recommendation, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Letters of Recommendations.

  • Supplemental Applications
  • Supplemental applications (or secondaries) may be required for some genetic counseling training programs and some may not require it. Students should carefully review the application process of the programs they are applying to. Supplemental/secondary applications may include additional fees and/or essays. To learn more about supplemental applications, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Applications.
  • Interviews
  • Interviews may be required for most genetic counseling training programs and some may not require it. Students should carefully review the application process of the programs they are applying to. To learn more about preparing for interviews, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Interviews and HPA’s Interview Week.

More questions? Check out the frequently asked questions or schedule an appointment with an advisor.