Application and Admission

There is not a specific undergraduate major required for admission, however most students entering the program will have had a variety of scientific courses, especially in the biological sciences. Common majors include biology, genetics, chemistry, psychology, social work, and public health. In addition to the sciences, desirable applicants will have had exposure to a rich and varied undergraduate education. Students must have a B.S. or B.A degree.

Strongly Recommended Prerequisite Coursework - The strongest applicants will have the completed the following coursework (or be in process of completing) at the time of application to the program. If a course is in progress, this may be reflected on the personal statement.

• Biology (one full year)
• Chemistry (one full year) 
• Biochemistry (one semester or quarter) 
• Genetics (one semester or quarter) 
• General Psychology (one semester or quarter) 
• Statistics (one semester or quarter) 

At the time of application, it is strongly recommended that applicants have some volunteer or professional experience in an area where communication skills are utilized. These experiences should be reflected on your personal statement or CV. Exposure to the Field of Genetic Counseling is recommended. One of the best ways to understand the occupation is to spend time with practicing genetic counselors. By interviewing or shadowing a genetic counselor, one can more fully understand the occupation and critically evaluate it as a career choice.

Additional Requirements

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores from the Verbal, Quantitative and Analytic sections from within the past five years. (Subject portion of the GRE is not required.) 
• While there is not a minimum GPA, it is predicted that most competitive applicants will have an undergraduate GPA of above 3.2 (both overall and in natural sciences).
• Personal Statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume or CV
• An official transcript from every postsecondary institution you have attended for at least one semester’s time
• Photograph for identification purposes (head and shoulders)
• TOEFL scores if from a non-English-speaking country 

Applications will be accepted until March 1 of each year. All applications will be reviewed by the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program Admission Committee. Upon review, the committee will determine which candidates are most qualified. These applicants will be invited for on-site interviews during March and April.