This timeline includes responsibilities for coursework, clinical rotations, thesis, and additional ancillary events. This timeline may vary slightly from student to student. The majority of coursework is completed in the first year. Clinical rotations begin in the spring of the first year, and become the main focus of the second year. Thesis research also features prominently in the second year of study.

During the first Fall Semester, students primarily take didactic courses including Intro to Genetic Counseling, Psychosocial Issues in Genetic Counseling I, Topics in Medical Genetics I, Prenatal Genetic Counseling, Cancer Genetic Counseling, Embryology, and Biomedical Ethics for the Genetic Counselor. Students are observing genetic counseling sessions on several occasions across all specialties and beginning to consider their thesis research topic. In the Spring, students take didactic courses including Topics in Medical Genetics II, Psychosocial Issues in Genetic Counseling II, and Approaches to Research I. Students begin their Introductory rotations, comprising of 6 weeks each in medical genetics, prenatal, and cancer specialties, for approximately 2 days/week.

They choose their thesis topic, committee, thesis Chair, aims, and submit their project for approval from the Academic Standards Committee. In the Summer, students are not in the classroom, but participate in a 2-week long laboratory rotation, and a 5-week rotation of their choosing for which they are in clinic 5 days/week. They submit their research projects to the IRB and await approval.

In the Fall of their second year, students take several courses including Approaches to Research II and Contemporary Issues in Genetic Counseling I. They begin their Advanced rotations, again rotating through the three main specialties (medical genetics, prenatal, cancer), for 6 weeks each, for approximately 3 days/week. They also begin to collect data for their thesis project and begin data analysis. In their final semester, students take Contemporary Issues in Genetic Counseling II and Psychosocial Practicum, participate in a 6-week supplementary rotation of their choosing, and finish analysis of their thesis data, write their manuscript, defend their thesis, and submit for publication. 

At the UTGCP, we pride ourselves on the breadth and depth of our students’ exposures in the genetic counseling arena. Patients come to the Texas Medical Center from all over the world for treatment; therefore, the cases seen represent a wide variety of different genetic conditions and the people seen identify with various cultural, religious, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Houston itself is one of the most diverse cities in the nation, with a large number of residents who have roots all over the world, including Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Vietnam, China, Korea, Nigeria, Columbia, India, and Pakistan. Students average over 200 countable cases at the UTGCP, and are therefore well prepared in all medical and psychosocial aspects of genetic counseling upon graduation.

ROTATION FORMAT

Introductory Rotations:  Students begin seeing patients in January of the first year. During the spring semester, they rotate for 6 weeks each through the prenatal, cancer, and medical genetics blocks. Students are seeing patients 2 days per week, while also continuing with their didactic course work.

Summer Rotation:  This five-week, full-time rotation may occur either in Houston or away from the city to be near friends, family, or significant others. Some students visit a new part of the United States, and a few elect to visit another country. For students interested in increasing their Spanish proficiency, a summer Spanish genetic counseling immersion rotation is available. Since students receive a wealth of cases while on the traditional Introductory and Advanced Rotations, the summer is a time to explore unique offerings.  The summer experience also involves a one-week laboratory rotation at the Baylor College of Medicine Medical Genetics Laboratory in Houston. This provides excellent insight into laboratory genetic counseling and genetic testing analysis.

Advanced Rotations:  During the second year, students rotate again through prenatal, cancer, and medical genetics for 6 weeks each. With logistics under their belt, students are able to tackle more advanced psychosocial skills and indications. This second trip through the major venues of genetic counseling is relatively unique to the UTGCP, and something that is highly valued by our students. The students gain confidence and independence while expanding their psychosocial repertoire.

Supplemental Rotation:  In the spring of the second year, students have two 3 week experiences that may be used to supplement their training in an area of interest via synchronous and asynchronous options, such as neurogenetics, cardiogenetics, business of healthcare, extended industry, infertility, fetal center, specialty cancer, or research.

Advanced Rotation Exam and Oral Comprehensive Exam:  The rotation experience culminates with an Advanced Rotation Exam towards the conclusion of Advanced Rotations. This allows students to identify any remaining skills to focus on during their Supplemental Rotation.  After supplemental rotation, there is an Oral Comprehensive Exam in which students demonstrate their clinic readiness before an exam committee. Students who demonstrate competency are ready to function as entry-level genetic counselors upon graduation.

ROTATION SITES

Prenatal:  Affiliated institutions include the UTHealth Maternal Fetal Medicine clinics at various UT Physicians clinics, Memorial Hermann Hospital System locations, and LBJ Hospital, as well as The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and the Texas TIPS Teratogen Call Center. Students become proficient in not only routine indications such as advanced maternal age, abnormal serum screening, and noninvasive prenatal testing, but also in more advanced referrals for abnormal ultrasound findings and family histories.

Cancer:  Affiliated institutions include UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT Physicians Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center, and UTMB Cancer Center. Students counsel patients at risk for hereditary cancer syndromes including hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome, hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, familial adenomatous polypsis, and rarer syndromes such as Li-Fraumeni, Cowden, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia and von Hippel -Lindau.

Medical Genetics: Specialty clinics within the UT Physicians, Memorial Hermann Hospital, Shiners Hospital for Children, and LBJ Hospital system include Craniofacial Clinic, Gulf States Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Clinic, Huntington Disease Clinic, Lysosomal/Glycogen Storage Disease Clinic, Mitochondrial Disease Clinic, Neurogenetics Clinic, Osteogenesis Imperfecta Clinic, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Clinic, and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Clinic. Students see general genetics patients and metabolic patients in the outpatient UT Physicians clinics and participate in the consult service in the NICU and PICU at Memorial Hermann. In addition to developing fundamental genetic counseling skills, this rotation focuses on the development of clinical assessment and diagnostic skills, including performing measurements and limited physical exams, conducting patient interviews, formulating genetic diagnoses and identifying psychosocial issues related to having a child with genetic and non-genetic birth defects.

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Students are expected to propose and complete a clinically-oriented or laboratory based research question that includes study design, collection of data (where applicable), data analysis, and a written thesis. Projects are developed during the Approaches to Research course work. A written thesis in publication ready format and an oral defense of the thesis are required for graduation. Over 75% of the thesis projects have been presented at national meetings and 65% published in peer reviewed journals. Abstracts and thesis titles from recent classes are listed on the thesis history page.

UTGCP Strategic Plan, Mission, and Vision 2021-2026

Vision:

The UTGCP is the leader in the education of genetic counseling students who support and advance genetics in healthcare.

Mission:

The UTGCP excels in the training of versatile genetic counselors by facilitating competency-based learning, supporting personalized growth, and immersing students in the depth and breadth of genetic counseling practice.

 UTGCP 2021-2026 Strategic Plan:

1. Ensure graduates are prepared for the multitude of roles in the constantly evolving genetic counseling field by teaching and supporting counselor adaptability and humility throughout the curriculum and incorporating emerging trends that allow for flexibility beyond the practice-based competencies.
2. Graduate a student body that consistently represents unique perspectives specific to the genetic counseling field by increasing the depth and breadth of the qualified applicant pool and expanding the community participating in the education of our students.
3. Evaluate opportunities for acquiring new sources of revenue to support faculty and students and develop a plan for pursuing selected funding sources.

To submit an online application, please visit the Admissions page and refer to the Admissions FAQs for questions. Please note the special requirements for the genetic counseling program outlined above. Applicants may request a waiver of the application fee by emailing [email protected].

International Applicants:

A copy of your ETS TOEFL score report is required and should be uploaded online with the application. International applicants who have, or will have, received a diploma from a university at which English is the language of instruction, before the Fall 2022 semester, are not required to take the TOEFL exam. If this school is not in an English-speaking country, evidence that indicates the language of instruction will need to be provided with your application such as a letter from the university on official letterhead or a statement attesting to this on the institutional transcript. Applicants should upload the statement online, along with the transcript.

New: Tuition and Fees

• In-state Tuition: The total cost of tuition for the entirety of the program across the 5 semesters is approximately $15,086*.* For students who receive a competitive scholarship, total tuition is expected to be approximately $13,086.*
• Out-of-state Tuition: The total cost of tuition for the entirety of the program across the 5 semesters is approximately $33,311.*
  • The UTGCP participates in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Academic Common Market (ACM). Students whose home state participates in the SREB ACM and do not have a genetic counseling program in their home state at a public university may apply to receive in-state tuition at UT through the program. Participating states include: Delaware, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia.* Please visit http://home.sreb.org/acm/states.aspx for more information.
• Additional details about tuition and fees may be found on the webpage for the Office of the Registrar at UTHealth: https://www.uth.edu/registrar/current-students/registration/tuition-fee-schedule.htm

*subject to change

Scholarships

Up to 6 scholarships are available to incoming students. Each scholarship is worth $1000, but if awarded to an out-of-state student, qualifies that student for in-state tuition regardless of residency status. The scholarships are renewed in the second year of study for students in good standing.

• Academic Scholarships (4): The Jacqueline T. Hecht Founding Director Scholarship (2) and the James T. and Nancy Beamer Willerson Scholarships (2): these academic scholarships are awarded to three top students ranked by the program who match to the UTGCP.
• Resilience Scholarship (2): these scholarships are awarded to incoming students who have shown resilience, or the ability to recover quickly during difficulty, as it is one important characteristic that can contribute to success in graduate school and a career in genetic counseling. Applicants need to submit an additional essay

(Resilience Essay) in the online application to the program. This allows students the potential to be ranked on this additional track in the UTGCP match process.

Additionally, the Barbara L. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship is awarded to one to two second year students for academic merit and financial need for academic merit and financial need. Similarly, this scholarship is worth $1000, but if awarded to an out-of-state student, qualifies that student for in-state tuition regardless of residency status. Students apply during the spring semester of their first year.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is offered to students through the UTHealth Office of Student Financial Aid. It is strongly recommended that applications for financial aid be submitted by March 1 of the year for which you are applying. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis, as determined by the date the application is complete. To ensure that funds are ready by the first day of class, applications must be completed no later than six weeks prior to the first day of class. Students may submit application materials for financial aid prior to receipt of offer of admission. Application materials may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid, UT-Houston, P.O. Box 20036, Houston, Texas 77225. Visit https://www.uth.edu/sfs/ to learn more.