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Welcome from the Program Director
If you're considering a career in genetic counseling, we're so glad you're here.
The University of Pennsylvania Genetic Counseling Program faculty and staff have been training genetic counselors for more than 30 years and is one of the most established programs in the profession. Today, our alumni community includes more than 400 graduates who work in diverse fields, including clinics, laboratories, research settings, biotech companies, public health, education, advocacy, and beyond.
What excites me most about our program is the people. At Penn, you'll find students who are curious, compassionate, and driven to make a difference. You'll learn from leaders in the field, gain hands-on experience in a variety of clinical settings, and become part of a supportive community that challenges and supports you every step of the way.
I've had the privilege of teaching every student who has graduated from our program over the past three decades. One of the greatest rewards of my career has been watching our students discover their passions, develop their professional identities, and build careers that reflect their unique goals and values. Today, many of our alumni have come full circle, serving as program directors, instructors, clinical supervisors, mentors, and leaders throughout the genetic counseling profession. Their commitment to supporting the next generation of counselors is a testament to the strength and spirit of our community.
Choosing a graduate program is a big decision. We hope that as you explore Penn, you'll get a sense of the warmth, mentorship, and lifelong connections that have defined our program from the very beginning. Our students join more than a program; they join a network of colleagues and friends that spans generations of genetic counselors.
News
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MSGC Program Newsletter Celebrates First Five Years at Penn
Friday, August 15, 2025
The MSGC program's 2025 newsletter celebrates it's first five years at Penn with profiles and achievements of program leadership, graduates and students; reports on new and longtime activities and opportunities; and highlights of some of the many people and organizations that contribute to the program's success.
Click here to read Updates, Volume 1.
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UPenn MSGC Program Celebrates 5 Years at Penn - and a New Certificate Program for Advanced Research Training for GCs
Thursday, May 1, 2025
As the MSGC program celebrates the graduation of it's 5th class at UPenn (following 23 at Arcadia University!), this article in Penn Medicine News explores the future of genetic counseling, with a spotlight on Penn's Advanced Research Training for Genetic Counselors (ART-GC) certificate program, which is funded by a generous grant from the Warren Alpert Foundation. Click the title to read the full story.
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Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, Penn’s renowned mRNA vaccine research team, win 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Monday, October 2, 2023
Nearly three years after the rollout of mRNA vaccines across the world, Katalin Karikó, an adjunct professor of neurosurgery in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, and Drew Weissman, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research in the Perelman School of Medicine, have been named winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The University of Pennsylvania messenger RNA pioneers whose years of scientific partnership unlocked an understanding of how to modify mRNA to make it an effective therapeutic—enabling a platform used to rapidly develop lifesaving vaccines amid the global COVID-19 pandemic—become the 28th and 29th Nobel laureates affiliated with Penn, and join nine previous Nobel laureates with ties to the University of Pennsylvania who have won the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
The UPenn MSGC Program is fortunate to be based at the Perelman School of Medicine, the first medical school in the country and rated in the top five in the country for the last twenty years, and at a University and in a city where medical and educational breakthroughs and innovations have been a way of life for 300 years.
The combination of experience, tremendous resources, and a dedication to excellence makes the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program a top choice for graduate education.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Perelman School of Medicine’s Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program is to maximize the resources and clinical expertise of a renowned academic, research-oriented medical school to prepare the next generation of genetic counseling clinical scholars in order to shape the future of genetic counseling and genomic medicine.
Vision Statement
Our vision is to be the premier scholarly and experiential educational program that prepares genetic counseling students to become leaders who will advance patient care in the field of genetics and genomics.
The UPenn Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program stands with the Perelman School of Medicine in support of the values of the University of Pennsylvania, as expressed by University President J. Larry Jameson in April 2025:
Penn upholds academic freedom, open inquiry, and principled non-discrimination as essential commitments. Especially in times of uncertainty or challenge, our University Values guide our actions and shape the environment where learning and discovery can thrive. These values are not negotiable – they are foundational. Our strength as a university lies in our diversity of thought, background, and experience. We will continue to ensure we cultivate a community where we are stronger, more innovative, and more effective as a place of learning because we bring different skills and allow every person to flourish. We are defending the vital work of our faculty, staff, and students through our institutional advocacy and are standing firm in protecting the legal rights of our institution and the academic community.
The program received full re-accreditation in 2023 for the maximum of eight years, through August 1, 2031, and meets the ACGC requirements for curriculum content, clinical experience, and overall program design. Graduates of the program are qualified to sit for the certification examination offered by the ABGC and to apply for state licensure.
