MS/PhD Dual Degree program

The Boston University Genetic Counseling Program has an approved PhD/MS degree at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

To qualify for the dual degree program, applicants are required to be an existing PhD student within Graduate Medical Sciences within the genetics and genomics program. Applicants are invited to apply following completion of at least one year of their required PhD coursework.  All applicants considered for the PhD/MS dual degree program must register for the genetic counseling match and complete the admissions application for the program in the same way as any other genetic counseling applicant. The applications are held to the same standards and reviewed holistically. The genetic counseling program maintains a separate match track for the dual MS/PhD degree and only applicants who meet the program’s admissions requirements and are existing PhD students as described above will be considered.

The dual degree PhD/MS student will complete the same requirements as all students for completion of their master’s degree in genetic counseling.  Two courses are waived, GC600 (laboratory methods) and GC713 (research methods in genetic counseling), and replaced by existing PhD coursework. Dual PhD/MS students will complete all required co-curricular activities, engage with a capstone project and complete the same fieldwork requirements.  Graduates in this track of training will graduate board eligible and licensure eligible.  As the master’s degree is a tuition-based program, PhD students are responsible for a tuition payment during this time and may consider submission for a dual degree training grant.  The anticipated time to completion for the PhD portion of the dual degree remains unchanged.

Information about admission into the PhD program within Graduate Medical Sciences can be found HERE