Genetic Counseling, M.S.
Our program is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and proficiency to practice as genetic counselors in a variety of settings, including non-clinical and clinical prenatal, pediatric, adult, and cancer genetics. Our mission is to provide an exemplary learning environment for you to obtain the knowledge, skills, and competencies to provide culturally sensitive, ethical genetic counseling services in a variety of clinical settings.
The Student Experience
- Rotations are an integral part of the Genetic Counseling Program and provide students with opportunities to increase their general clinical knowledge, gain experience with counseling for a variety of indications, and develop the necessary skills and competencies required for the practice of genetic counseling in many settings and applications.
- Throughout the program, students experience interdisciplinary faculty and guest lecturers, strong mentoring/advising and professional development opportunities, a variety of laboratory experiences, varied clinical rotations, and significant experience with cooperative and shared learning.
- Additional student experiences include graduate student workshops, first-year observational experiences, optional summer experiences in non-traditional genetic counseling roles, and exposure to the North Carolina Medical Genetics Association and the National Society of Genetic Counseling.
- Students are also required to complete a research Capstone Project as the culminating experience for the degree. This project may be a case study, library synthesis, community public health application, or original research.
After Graduation
- All of our graduates (100%) were employed within six months of graduation, with over 95% hired before or within 3 months of graduation.
- From the classes of 2016-2021, students had a 100% acceptance rate for capstone abstracts submitted to NSGC — some students had more than one abstract accepted.
- Our graduates are employed across 25 states in the United States, and in Canada.
- Since 2010, 97.7% of graduates passed the ABGC Board Exam, with 96.5% passing on the first attempt (national average pass rate is 80%, with 82% passing on the first attempt).
- 9 out of 10 genetic counselors report being satisfied with their job.
- Projected job growth from 2016-2026 is 29%, compared to the national growth average of 7%. The field has grown 88% since 2011.
- As of 2021, the national average salary for a full-time genetic counselor is $97,976 – a 20% increase from 2016.
