Decisions for admission are based on review of application materials and the outcome of interviews for invited candidates. Applicants are typically notified of offers for interview in January, and interviews are typically held in February and March. Applicants interviewed by the program will be notified of their match status through the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match in April. Currently, IU School of Medicine accepts ten students into the genetic counseling program each year.
Prerequisites
Applicants to the genetic counseling graduate program at IU School of Medicine must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate institution with at least a 3.0 GPA. Common undergraduate degrees include biology, psychology, biochemistry and life sciences; however, candidates with other undergraduate degrees are considered. Prerequisites include at least one course in each of biology, genetics, psychology and either organic chemistry or biochemistry. Courses in molecular biology or molecular genetics as well as statistics, anatomy and physiology are recommended but not required.
Particularly strong applicants have explored the profession through extracurricular counseling and/or advocacy experiences (such as observing or interning with a genetic counselor, working/volunteering as a crisis-counselor, or interacting in some fashion with individuals who have disabilities).