Colleges That Offer a Degree in Genetic Counseling

Genetic counselors assess and assist families who have members with birth defects or who are at risk of inherited conditions. They provide information, support and advice to help families and patients make informed decisions and cope with the challenges of their situation. Genetic counselors typically come from a variety of backgrounds such as psychology, nursing, biology and social work.

Stanford School of Medicine

• Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, began its Master of Science degree program in human genetics and genetic counseling in 2008. The program, which is a collaboration between the Departments of Genetics and the Department of Pediatrics, includes six quarters of academic work and full-time clinical work during the summer.

  The course includes a selection of three elective subjects of the student's choice, such as Spanish language, pediatrics, cancer genetics and biomedical ethics.

University of Maryland School of Medicine

• The University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, offers a full-time, two-year master's degree in genetic counseling training. Graduates of this program can apply for certification with the American Board of Genetic Counseling.

  Applicants to the program must have a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, biology or some other relevant field and a minimum of one semester in the subjects of genetics, biochemistry and statistics.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

• The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Evanston, Illinois, offers a Dual-Graduate Degree Program with Genetic Counseling. It is a two-year program consisting of 10 course units, which include six courses each, two years of weekly lectures, two tutorials and an MA thesis. The curriculum includes courses such as History of Medicine, Medicine and Law, Practice of Bioethics and Special Topics in Medical Humanities and Bioethics.

Other Colleges

• Other colleges that offer degrees in genetic counseling with full accreditation from the American Board of Genetic counseling include the Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts; the Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York; the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland; the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond; the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, New York; the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill; and the University of Wisconsin in Madison.