NHGRI logo

The JHU/NIH Genetic Counseling Training Program prepares students for a Master of Science degree (ScM) in Genetic Counseling from the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Overview

This two and one-half year Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC)-accredited program provides academic preparation beyond that available from most genetic counseling programs and is based on coursework taken at the NIH and Johns Hopkins, a minimum of six hundred contact hours of supervised clinical rotations in a variety of settings, and completion of an original research thesis. The program qualifies graduates to attain certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Four or five students are accepted annually into the program.

Program faculty encourage students who are interested in continuing their education to apply to the doctoral degree (Ph.D.) program in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society. The Sc.M. degree requirements include a number of those required for the doctoral degree. Additional coursework, along with a doctoral dissertation, is required for the Ph.D. The master's thesis may provide pilot data for the doctoral dissertation. More information about the doctoral program can be found at: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society: Doctoral Programs.

Six students are accepted annually into the program.

 

  • Overview

    This two and one-half year Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC)-accredited program provides academic preparation beyond that available from most genetic counseling programs and is based on coursework taken at the NIH and Johns Hopkins, a minimum of six hundred contact hours of supervised clinical rotations in a variety of settings, and completion of an original research thesis. The program qualifies graduates to attain certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Four or five students are accepted annually into the program.

    Program faculty encourage students who are interested in continuing their education to apply to the doctoral degree (Ph.D.) program in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society. The Sc.M. degree requirements include a number of those required for the doctoral degree. Additional coursework, along with a doctoral dissertation, is required for the Ph.D. The master's thesis may provide pilot data for the doctoral dissertation. More information about the doctoral program can be found at: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society: Doctoral Programs.

    Six students are accepted annually into the program.

     

Coursework

The curriculum for the master's degree consists of at least 149 credit hours of didactic coursework in the areas of genetic counseling, human genetics, public health, public policy, research methodology, bioethics and health communication and decision-making as well as thesis and rotation credits.

Counseling and Genetic Counseling Courses

Introduction to Genetic Counseling (1st year, NIH) teaches the history and goals of the profession, the scope of practice, values inherent in the relationship with clients, "non-directiveness," practice standards, ethical guidelines for professional conduct and research needs.

Genetic Counseling Practice (1st year, NIH) teaches the basic tools for genetic counseling and outlines professional roles in pediatric, prenatal, adult and research genetics clinic settings.
Counseling Theory and Practice (1st year, JHU) exposes students to the constructs, principles and techniques of the major counseling theories.

Genetic Counseling Seminar (1st - 3rd years, NIH) hosts a wide variety of professionals and clients who teach about services, research, policies, resources and experiences relevant to genetic counseling.

Therapeutic Genetic Counseling (1st and 2nd years, NIH) provides experiential and didactic instruction to foster students' development of their own genetic counseling practice theory. Components of the counseling relationship are developed along with the application of various psychotherapeutic theories to genetic counseling.

Facilitating Family Adaptation to Loss and Disability (1st and 2nd years, NIH) teaches grief issues most relevant to genetic counseling, exploring issues for parents and providers in prenatal and perinatal loss. Loss related to the death and dying of older affected family members, chronic illness and disability is also explored.

Counseling Lab (3rd year, NIH) uses role-play and literature to address educational, counseling and research issues integral to the client relationship within different settings including: prenatal, pediatric, adult, specialty, diagnostic lab, psychiatric and oncology.


Human Genetics Courses

Introduction to Human Genetics (1st year, NIH) teaches patterns of inheritance, cytogenetics, variation and mutation, population genetics, molecular medicine, gene mapping, risk assessment, complex traits, cancer genetics, screening and treatment.

Introduction to Medical Genetics (1st year, NIH) reviews teratology, clinical features and natural history of genetic disorders by specific organ systems, and gene therapy.

Cancer Genetics as a Model for Common Disease (1st year, NIH) reviews clinical and molecular aspects of cancer syndromes, the common counseling issues that arise and provides the framework for understanding genetic counseling for common, chronic conditions.

Current Topics in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Molecular Diagnostics (2nd year, NIH, elective) illustrates state-of-the-art techniques in DNA-based diagnosis by reviewing a number of genetic conditions.

Developmental Biology and Human Malformations (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) teaches developmental biology using model systems to illustrate human malformations.

Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine: From Diagnosis to Treatment (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) examines advances in the diagnosis of genetic disorders and treatments that result from genomic medicine, focusing on examples from multiple malformation syndromes, autoinflammatory diseases, deletion/duplication syndromes, and Ras-opathies.


Health Communication and Decision-Making

Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication (2nd year, JHU) introduces the broad areas of literacy and health literacy, discusses approaches to the assessment of key health literacy skills linked to health outcomes, and explores techniques and approaches for the assessment and creation of print material especially appropriate for low literate audiences.
Health Judgment and Decision-making (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) provides a foundation in cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes underlying judgment and decision-making in a variety of health contexts.


Bioethics and Public Policy

Research Ethics and Integrity (2nd year, JHU) familiarizes students with ethical, legal and social implications of research.
New Genetic Technologies and Public Policy (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) examines both the scientific basis and the policy implications of several new genetic tests that affect the public.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications in Genetics and Genomics over Time (2nd or 3rd year, JHU) examines relevant implications through the lens of significant and field-defining periods and events in the history of the field and how the events have shaped and defined the current state of the science and emerging ethical, policy, and public health issues.


Public Health and Research Methodology

Statistical Methods in Public Health (1st year); Principles of Epidemiology (1st year); and Research Design in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (1st year)(all at JHU), prepare students to conduct research and to critically evaluate research studies.

Thesis Proposal Development (1st and 2nd years, JHU) prepares students in the development of their thesis proposal by clarifying a research idea, discussing methodology and feasibility, and producing a first draft. Students also provide feedback on their peers' thesis proposals.

Public Health Perspectives on Research (2nd year, JHU) introduces the substantive and methodologic basis for public health research presenting human health throughout the life span; the major causes of morbidity and mortality; and strategies for health interventions in each stage of life.

Concepts in Qualitative Research for Social and Behavioral Science (2nd year, JHU) provides an overview of the development of a qualitative research approach, focusing on the philosophical underpinnings to qualitative research and the application of such methods to key contemporary public health questions.

Special Studies and Research (2nd and 3rd years, JHU) provides the forum for students to conduct their research, process the data and report their findings.

Journal Club (all years, quarterly) provides the opportunity to critique and discuss a classic genetic counseling research paper alongside a contemporary application. Held in the evening in faculty homes.

  • Coursework

    The curriculum for the master's degree consists of at least 149 credit hours of didactic coursework in the areas of genetic counseling, human genetics, public health, public policy, research methodology, bioethics and health communication and decision-making as well as thesis and rotation credits.

    Counseling and Genetic Counseling Courses

    Introduction to Genetic Counseling (1st year, NIH) teaches the history and goals of the profession, the scope of practice, values inherent in the relationship with clients, "non-directiveness," practice standards, ethical guidelines for professional conduct and research needs.

    Genetic Counseling Practice (1st year, NIH) teaches the basic tools for genetic counseling and outlines professional roles in pediatric, prenatal, adult and research genetics clinic settings.
    Counseling Theory and Practice (1st year, JHU) exposes students to the constructs, principles and techniques of the major counseling theories.

    Genetic Counseling Seminar (1st - 3rd years, NIH) hosts a wide variety of professionals and clients who teach about services, research, policies, resources and experiences relevant to genetic counseling.

    Therapeutic Genetic Counseling (1st and 2nd years, NIH) provides experiential and didactic instruction to foster students' development of their own genetic counseling practice theory. Components of the counseling relationship are developed along with the application of various psychotherapeutic theories to genetic counseling.

    Facilitating Family Adaptation to Loss and Disability (1st and 2nd years, NIH) teaches grief issues most relevant to genetic counseling, exploring issues for parents and providers in prenatal and perinatal loss. Loss related to the death and dying of older affected family members, chronic illness and disability is also explored.

    Counseling Lab (3rd year, NIH) uses role-play and literature to address educational, counseling and research issues integral to the client relationship within different settings including: prenatal, pediatric, adult, specialty, diagnostic lab, psychiatric and oncology.


    Human Genetics Courses

    Introduction to Human Genetics (1st year, NIH) teaches patterns of inheritance, cytogenetics, variation and mutation, population genetics, molecular medicine, gene mapping, risk assessment, complex traits, cancer genetics, screening and treatment.

    Introduction to Medical Genetics (1st year, NIH) reviews teratology, clinical features and natural history of genetic disorders by specific organ systems, and gene therapy.

    Cancer Genetics as a Model for Common Disease (1st year, NIH) reviews clinical and molecular aspects of cancer syndromes, the common counseling issues that arise and provides the framework for understanding genetic counseling for common, chronic conditions.

    Current Topics in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Molecular Diagnostics (2nd year, NIH, elective) illustrates state-of-the-art techniques in DNA-based diagnosis by reviewing a number of genetic conditions.

    Developmental Biology and Human Malformations (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) teaches developmental biology using model systems to illustrate human malformations.

    Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine: From Diagnosis to Treatment (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) examines advances in the diagnosis of genetic disorders and treatments that result from genomic medicine, focusing on examples from multiple malformation syndromes, autoinflammatory diseases, deletion/duplication syndromes, and Ras-opathies.


    Health Communication and Decision-Making

    Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication (2nd year, JHU) introduces the broad areas of literacy and health literacy, discusses approaches to the assessment of key health literacy skills linked to health outcomes, and explores techniques and approaches for the assessment and creation of print material especially appropriate for low literate audiences.
    Health Judgment and Decision-making (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) provides a foundation in cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes underlying judgment and decision-making in a variety of health contexts.


    Bioethics and Public Policy

    Research Ethics and Integrity (2nd year, JHU) familiarizes students with ethical, legal and social implications of research.
    New Genetic Technologies and Public Policy (2nd or 3rd year, NIH) examines both the scientific basis and the policy implications of several new genetic tests that affect the public.

    Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications in Genetics and Genomics over Time (2nd or 3rd year, JHU) examines relevant implications through the lens of significant and field-defining periods and events in the history of the field and how the events have shaped and defined the current state of the science and emerging ethical, policy, and public health issues.


    Public Health and Research Methodology

    Statistical Methods in Public Health (1st year); Principles of Epidemiology (1st year); and Research Design in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (1st year)(all at JHU), prepare students to conduct research and to critically evaluate research studies.

    Thesis Proposal Development (1st and 2nd years, JHU) prepares students in the development of their thesis proposal by clarifying a research idea, discussing methodology and feasibility, and producing a first draft. Students also provide feedback on their peers' thesis proposals.

    Public Health Perspectives on Research (2nd year, JHU) introduces the substantive and methodologic basis for public health research presenting human health throughout the life span; the major causes of morbidity and mortality; and strategies for health interventions in each stage of life.

    Concepts in Qualitative Research for Social and Behavioral Science (2nd year, JHU) provides an overview of the development of a qualitative research approach, focusing on the philosophical underpinnings to qualitative research and the application of such methods to key contemporary public health questions.

    Special Studies and Research (2nd and 3rd years, JHU) provides the forum for students to conduct their research, process the data and report their findings.

    Journal Club (all years, quarterly) provides the opportunity to critique and discuss a classic genetic counseling research paper alongside a contemporary application. Held in the evening in faculty homes.

Last updated: May 28, 2021