Bioethics and Medical Humanities, MA/Genetic Counseling, MS
Degree: Master of Arts (MA)
Field of Study: Bioethics and Medical Humanities
Bioethics and Medical Humanities (MA) Program Information
Degree: Master of Science (MS)
Field of Study: Genetic Counseling
Genetic Counseling (MS) Program Information
Program Overview
The Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences and Department of Bioethics offer a dual degree program between the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling and the Master of Arts in Bioethics and Medical Humanities Programs. The dual degree program provides a comprehensive curriculum integrating foundational principles of genetics and ethics. The goal of the program is to train Genetic Counselors who wish to apply additional Bioethics expertise into their clinical practice and/or research.
The dual degree program allows graduates to engage in both contemplative analysis and application of knowledge in the counseling of patients and should allow graduates to be more prepared to participate in the ongoing national dialogue about the ethical, legal, and social implications of advances in genomic technology as well as research within their home institutions and with other counselors nationwide regarding issues of new genomic testing technology, concerns about genetic services, and issues related to genetic discrimination, privacy, and the return of genetic and genomic results.
Admissions
Students who would like to enroll in the dual degree program will apply and be admitted into each program separately. While admissions committees for each program will communicate with each other regarding applicants, each admissions committee will decide independently about the suitability of the applicant to their program.
Student Advisors
Once students have been admitted, the Director of the Genetic Counseling Training Program and a Department of Bioethics faculty member will act as student advisors for each of the two programs individually but will meet monthly to assess student progress, address any student or faculty concerns, and assure that student progress in each of the programs, and their overlapping components, are being achieved.
Program Requirements
The curriculum for the Dual Genetic Counseling/Bioethics Degree consists of 62 credit hours to be completed in 2.5 years. Students enrolled in the dual degree program will spend their first year taking courses entirely within the Genetic Counseling Program and then will spread out their Bioethics coursework over the next 1.5 years while continuing with required coursework and clinical rotations in the genetic counseling program.
In addition to both a written and oral comprehensive examination as part of the Genetic Counseling Training Program, the dual degree requires a research project be carried out for the completion of both degrees. For the dual degree, students will be required to choose a research project that includes ethical, legal, or social issues of genetic counseling practice, clinical genetics or genomics, or genetic research. Students will also be required to include at least one Bioethics Faculty member on their Research Project Committee.
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| GENE 524 | Advanced Medical Genetics: Molecular Genetics | 2 |
| GENE 526 | Advanced Medical Genetics: Genomics | 2 |
| GENE 528 | Principles and Practices of Genetic Counseling | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Spring | ||
| GENE 529 | Psychosocial Issues in Genetic Counseling | 3 |
| GENE 525 | Advanced Medical Genetics: Clinical Genetics | 2 |
| GENE 531 | Cancer Genetics | 2 |
| GENE 601 | Research in Genetics | 2 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| GENE 532 | Clinical Practicum in Genetic Counseling | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GENE 532 | Clinical Practicum in Genetic Counseling | 4 |
| GENE 527 | Advanced Medical Genetics: Metabolic Genetics | 2 |
| BETH 401 | Foundations in Bioethics and Medical Humanities I | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| GENE 532 | Clinical Practicum in Genetic Counseling | 4 |
| BETH 412 | Ethical Issues in Genetics/Genomics | 3 |
| BETH 402 | Foundations in Bioethics and Medical Humanities II | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Summer | ||
| GENE 601 | Research in Genetics | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GENE 601 | Research in Genetics | 3 |
| BETH 405 | Clinical Ethics Rotation | 3 |
| BETH Course Elective | 3 | |
| BETH Capstone | 1.5 | |
| Mini-Elective | 1.5 | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 59 | |