Curriculum for the Advanced Research Training for Genetic Counselors Certificate Program

Core Courses

There are four required courses, including one elective course. Courses are primarily asynchronous and are taken one at a time, in sequential seven-week blocks, two in the fall semester and two in the spring semester. Regular weekly synchronous online meetings provide students with opportunities to build on didactic learning.  Courses are graded on a pass/fail basis, except in situations in which a student enrolls in an elective course where pass/fail grading is not an option.

The required courses are:

• GENC 7101: Research Design and Methodology
• GENC 7102: Research Bioethics
• GENC 7103: Manuscript and Grant Writing

Full descriptions of each course can be found here and in the University of Pennsylvania course catalog.

Elective Courses

As part of the certificate program, students will enroll in an online elective offered through one of the Master’s and Certificate Programs at the Perelman School of Medicine.  Most students choose GENC 7104: Biomedical Informatics for Genetic Counselors, an elective developed specifically for this program, but other opt for courses in Healthcare Innovation, Bioethics, or Public Health. The elective course may enhance a student’s interests and skills in patient advocacy, health care disparities, genomic medicine, health care innovations, ethical, legal, and social issues, or promote their ability to write grants as independent researchers. Electives other than GENC 7104 require prior approval of the Mentoring Committee.

Examples of online elective courses include:

• BMIN 5050: Precision Medicine and Health Policy
• HCIN 6070: Translating Ideas into Outcomes
• HCIN 6071: Health Equity
• HCIN 6190: Pitching Innovation
• HCIN 6170: Leading Change in Health Care

Mentored Research

Throughout their time in the program, each student also works closely with a research mentor to design and complete an individual research project in their area of interest. This can be a research project the student is already actively pursuing, or the student can propose a new research topic and be matched with a research mentor at their institution.