College of Medicine
Genetic Counseling
OU Medical Center
OUHCP, Room 12100
1200 N. Phillips
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
(405) 271-8685
Erin Youngs, MS., CGC, Program Director
Alexandrea Wadley, MMSc, CGC Assistant Program Director
PROGRAM INFORMATION
For a detailed description of the program, go to https://medicine.ouhsc.edu/Academic-Departments/Pediatrics/Sections/Genetics/Education-Training/MS-in-Genetic-Counseling
DEGREE OFFERED
Master of Science
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The Master of Science in Genetic Counseling is centered in the Department of Pediatrics of the College of Medicine, but involves close collaboration with other departments in the College of Medicine, the College of Public Health, and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. The overall objective of the program is to educate and train master level candidates to become capable of providing genetic counseling to patients and families with known or suspected genetic conditions and to perform basic and/or clinical research in all areas of genetics.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
BS/BA in biology, sociology, psychology, or a related field with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater in upper division courses
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Required Completed Coursework - Biology (two semesters); General Chemistry (two semesters); Organic Chemistry (two semesters); Biochemistry (one semester); Genetics; General Sociology or Psychology (one semester); Abnormal Psychology (one semester); Statistics, Research Methods, or Experimental Design (one semester)
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Completed Course Work, Recommended, if available - Molecular Genetics; Embryology; Anatomy; Medical Terminology; Upper Division Sociology and/or Psychology; Basic Computer Proficiency
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Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
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500 word essay addressing the choice of genetic counseling as a career
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Three letters of recommendation
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Any international applicant whose native language is not English and who does not have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. graduate school, is required to submit a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The test must have been taken within the two years immediately preceding the requested semester of admission. An original score report is required. Any international applicant who is a resident alien should submit a copy of the Resident alien card along with the application for Admission.
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Taken on a full-time basis, course work will require twenty-one months of study. The total time for classroom courses, practicums, and thesis will be 48 semester hours. Didactic course work will encompass medical genetics, psychosocial theory, counseling techniques, applied clinical and molecular genetics, and cytogenetics. A major element of the educational program will be clinical practicums to provide the students with supervised actual experience in clinical genetics, prenatal diagnosis counseling, cancer genetics counseling, clinical metabolic genetics, and laboratory techniques in cytogenetics, and molecular genetics.
Candidates for the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling must meet requirements for the master’s degree as described elsewhere in this bulletin. The full 48 hours of course work must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 as well as attendance and/or participation in departmental journal club, grand rounds, clinic case conferences, committee meetings, teaching opportunities, and support group meetings is required. There must be satisfactory completion of a thesis proposal: an original investigation, a written thesis, and oral comprehensive defense examination. You may submit the essay via email to Susan Hassed at the email address above.
Application deadline is February 1st of the year of admission. Application can be made online at http://admissions.ouhsc.edu/ProspectiveStudents/HowtoApply.aspx
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Genetic counseling as a profession includes positions in private industry, laboratories, research units, and private physician groups as well as in academic centers. Many genetic counselors function as co-investigators or primary investigators for varied projects from clinical studies to laboratory investigations including work on the Genome project. For more detailed information about genetic counseling as a career visit the website for the National Society of Genetic Counselors at http://www.nsgc.org/
Current Courses: Search GENC prefix courses found online at http://apps.ouhsc.edu/StudentInfo/Courses.aspx?College=GRAD
