The Stanford MS Program in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling began in 2008 and is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). This exciting translational two-year program is located in a world renowned Genetics department and a top medical school alongside two nationally ranked hospitals in one of the most beautiful and culturally diverse areas of the country. This all-in-one campus allows students to learn from a range of academic and clinical experts and thought leaders.

Our faculty utilize state-of-the-art testing laboratories, research facilities, and genomics resources to train students to work with patients and clients in a wide range of settings and from multicultural backgrounds. The curriculum provides a balance of cutting-edge genomics technology with strong psychosocial counseling techniques and research training. We emphasize critical thinking skills that will be increasingly needed as genetics and genomics is translated into new professional settings. All aspects of the training are tailored so that content is clinically applicable from the start. 

We envision an inclusive genetic counseling community that leads with innovation and excellence in healthcare.

Our mission is to deliver dynamic and translational genetic counseling education through a combination of coursework, fieldwork, research, and personalized mentoring.

The values we aim to cultivate in ourselves, our students, and our environment are active engagement, personal agency, self-reflection, diversity of perspective and lived experience, adaptive learning, and community.

Program Goals:

1. Deliver high-quality, up-to-date instruction on the core concepts related to genetic counseling.
2. Provide a diverse array of fieldwork placements that enable students to develop clinical and non-clinical skills to prepare them for current and emerging job markets.
3. Provide a robust research experience that allows students to expand personal interests while conducting rigorous research to contribute knowledge to the field.
4. Empower students to tailor their training to meet their own personal and professional goals.
5. Recruit and retain program leaders, instructional faculty, and supervisors with broad expertise and backgrounds, as well as strong educational and mentoring skills.

Student Goals:

1. Knowledge: Graduates of the Program will achieve advanced knowledge in genetics, genomics, and psychosocial counseling for use in evidence based practice.
2. Critical thinking and practice: Graduates of the Program will be able to practice genetic counseling in a variety of settings, demonstrating clinical judgment, insight, flexibility, resourcefulness and accountability.
3. Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Graduates of the Program will treat their patients, colleagues, and community with respect, empathy, cultural humility, and compassion, and they will demonstrate strong communication skills.
4. Research and Scholarship: Graduates of the Program will be able to evaluate and synthesize information, produce rigorous, relevant research, and participate in disseminating scholarly knowledge across healthcare stakeholders.
5. Professional Development, Collaboration, and Service: Graduates of the Program will develop proficiency in inter- and intra-disciplinary teamwork, reflective practice, goal-setting, and professional ethics, and they will promote the field of genetic counseling through clinical care, teaching, research, advocacy, and mentorship.

To receive a Master of Science degree in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Stanford University, students must successfully complete the following:  

1. 84 units, including all of the required coursework (minimum grades of B- or better, Satisfactory, or Credit). Please refer to our Education page for details.
   
2. Approximately six quarters of rotations and independent study projects in diverse settings
3. All required aspects of the Graduate Student Research Project
4. All required aspects of the Service and Outreach Requirement
5. Formal presentations in Medical Genetics Grand Rounds and Human Genetics Journal Club

Students' educational experience is supplemented through:

• Human Genetics Journal Club - monthly group discussions about recent scientific publications, led by trainees and faculty in the Division of Medical Genetics and focused on critiquing complex literature and engaging in team science
• Genetics Department Retreat - typically a 2-3 day department-wide event focused on cutting-edge science and community building
• Current Issues in Genetics - weekly presentations by trainees and faculty in the Department of Genetics
• The Laurie J. Girand Center for Biomedical Ethics Seminars - weekly talks examining issues at the juncture of medicine, law, and ethics
• Work-study position with a genetics service at Stanford - opportunity for students to receive tuition support while learning hands-on, behind-the-scenes skills used by practicing genetic counselors
• Local, regional, and/or national genetics meetings
• Other relevant Stanford events