Providing students with the academic expertise and clinical skills essential for success in the genetic counseling profession.
This is a full-time, two-year Master of Science program, fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). Our objective is to provide students with the academic expertise and clinical skills necessary to enter the profession of Genetic Counseling. We integrate selected coursework with first-hand diagnostic medical genetics laboratory and clinical genetics experiences. Graduates will hold a Master of Science degree through the graduate program of Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics in the department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, with an emphasis of study in Genetic Counseling. The Genetic Counseling Program requires that by graduation, students have the capacity to demonstrate the skills described in the Practice-Based Competencies of the ACGC. Upon graduation, all graduates will be eligible to apply to the American Board of Genetic Counseling for active candidate status.
Program Vision and Mission Statements
Program quick facts
- Established in 1989
- Accredited by the Accreditation Council of Genetic Counseling, awarded re-accreditation in 2021
- Accepts around 10 new students each year
- Over 250 students have been admitted since the inception of the program
- Offers fieldwork training collaborations with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and CentraCare in St. Cloud, MN where students can complete all rotations in one healthcare system
Our graduates
- Pass the board exam. Our students are well prepared for the exam, with a 93.7% pass rate across the history of the program. The vast majority pass on the first attempt (83.2% across the history of the program). The first-time board pass rate for the last three cohorts is 83.3%.
- Get jobs. Many factors are involved in finding a job, and we work with our students and alumni to support their search process. The job market has become more competitive in the last few years, and we continue to increase our efforts to help our students be successful. The biggest change is not whether our alumni get jobs, but when it happens. From 2020 to 2022, 96.8% of our students had jobs within 3 months after graduation. From 2023 to 2025, the rate at 3 months is 62.5%. Three months is the milestone required by ACGC, but if we expand to 6 months, the rate becomes 81%. The more flexible students are about location and type of position, the faster they have been able to find work. It is important to be realistic about expectations and prepare for a job search measured in months.
- Finish the program. Our attrition rate for the past three cohorts is 0%.
- Becomes leaders in the field. Over 84% of our graduates work in the field in patient-facing roles, labs, and industry. Our alumni include presidents of NSGC and ABGC, program directors, committee chairs, and members in state and national organizations, as well as innovators at every level of the field.
- Contribute to the genetic counseling knowledge base. From 2020 to 2024, 48 of our students presented their scholarly projects at NSGC’s Annual Conference. Over the same time period, 16 students had their scholarly projects published in a peer-reviewed journal, and many have manuscripts in the publication pipeline.