High School

If you are interested in this career, you should begin by taking college preparatory courses in high school. Such classes as biology, physiology, chemistry, and statistics will help you determine your aptitude in these areas as well as prepare you for college. Since counseling skills are as important to the performance of this job as understanding genetics, you will also benefit from classes in sociology and psychology. English classes will help you develop your written communication skills and speech will help you gain confidence in speaking. Since all counselors use computers, it'a a good idea to take computer science courses. 

Postsecondary Training

Getting your bachelor's degree is the next step to becoming a genetic counselor. Although no specific major is required, students entering this field typically have a degree in biology/bioscience, psychology, genetics, nursing, public health, social science, or a related field. Important college courses to take include general biology, developmental biology, genetics, chemistry, and statistics and probability. Other helpful courses include psychology, English, and ethics.

Following college, you must complete a master's degree. At present there are approximately 50 graduate schools offering programs in genetic counseling in the United States. The Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling accredits graduate programs in genetic counseling in the U.S. and Canada. Visit https://www.gceducation.org/program-directory for a list of programs.

Graduate school studies in genetic counseling typically include classes in client-centered counseling, issues in clinical genetics, medical genetics, biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, and clinical medicine. All programs require field experience in clinical settings.

Other Education or Training

The National Society of Genetic Counselors offers an Annual Education Conference, online education courses, and other continuing education (CE) opportunities. Recent offerings included Leadership Training: Your Next Step in Professional Development, Psychiatric Genetics: The New Frontier, and Career Advancement and Professional Development: Finding, Creating, and Cultivating Opportunities. The American Society of Human Genetics also provides CE classes and seminars. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

Certification is not required, although it is highly recommended because most employers will prefer job candidates who are certified. The American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) offers certification to candidates who have a graduate degree in genetic counseling, clinical experience in an ABGC-approved training site or sites, and who successfully pass an examination. Contact the ABGC for more information.

Approximately 25 states required genetic counselors to be licensed. Other states are considering implementing licensure requirements for genetic counselors. 

Any experience one can obtain in genetic counseling—such as an internship, volunteering, or a part-time support job—will be useful.

Genetic counselors should enjoy reading, studying the field of science, and working with technology. They also must be both good communicators and good listeners. Because they deal with controversial issues (such as adoption and abortion) when counseling clients, counselors must also be aware of their own biases and strive to be nonjudgmental. Clients faced with tough decisions such as deciding whether or not to keep an unborn child will need the full support of their counselor, no matter what their final decision may be. As a result, counselors must be able to work in stressful, emotional situations, helping their clients make informed decisions about the health and well being of their families.