Admissions

The Wake Forest Genetic Counseling Training Program participates in the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match process through National Matching Services (NMS). The Genetic Counseling Admissions Match has been established to place applicants into positions in masters-level genetic counseling programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC).

All applicants must first register for the Match with NMS before applying to participating genetic counseling graduate programs.

Please visit the NMS website to register for the match, review detailed information about the matching process, and to view a demonstration of how the matching algorithm works.

Program Pre-requisites

Applicants to the program should have completed the following pre-requisites from an accredited institution:

  • A 4-year baccalaureate degree
  • A semester (or equivalent) of the following coursework:
    • Introductory biology
    • An upper-level biology elective (Two upper-level Biology courses are acceptable in place of Introductory Biology)
    • Biochemistry
    • Genetics
    • Statistics
    • Psychology
    • Please note: Applicants must receive a letter grade for all pre-requisite courses; advanced placement (AP) course grades or courses graded as pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory, or as a certificate of completion are not acceptable.

In addition to these pre-requisites, applicants must:

  • Register with the NMS match system as outlined above
  • Submit
    • 3 Letters of recommendation
    • A written personal statement
    • A video or audio statement
    • Scores for the TOEFL Exam (International applicants only)

We invite applicants from diverse backgrounds who are interested in this dynamic career in healthcare. Competitive applicants will have:

  • A 3.0 or higher GPA from undergraduate or graduate coursework
  • Exposure to the genetic counseling field through shadowing, volunteering in a genetic counseling practice, or working among genetic counselors in some capacity
  • Experience with individuals with genetic conditions or disabilities and/or in crisis situations (e.g. through crisis counseling)
Interested in applying for the Genetic Counseling (MS) program? Learn More about the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Programs Application Requirements.