Course Descriptions

This course explores typical components of a clinical genetic counseling session and provides students with a practical approach to case management. Topics include contracting, pedigree construction and analysis, history-taking, medical record review, dysmorphology and syndromology, creation of a differential diagnosis, identification of referrals and resources, and writing both medical and counseling notes. Students will begin to learn about sociopolitical issues relevant to the practice of genetic counseling and explore the provision of services grounded in the framework of social justice.

This course is an in-depth study of the mechanism of Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance of diseases and disorders. Topics include gene structure and function, cellular processes, single-gene and complex inheritance, molecular defects that lead to various classes of genetic disease, and how theories of human genetics can be applied to populations.

This course is designed to teach students the basic and specialized skills necessary for effective counseling in a professional helping relationship. Through didactic training the course will build students’ knowledge and understanding of fundamental counseling skills, and through experiential learning the course will develop students' facility with applying these skills in helping relationships. Race, culture, and other aspects of identity are a part of every aspect of the coursework, as they are fundamental to the counseling process.

In this course, students examine the normal development and physiological function of organ systems, the mechanisms for the maintenance of health, and the pathophysiological alterations in body function that lead to disease. Each class will focus on a specific physiologic process or organ system. This course will focus on diseases with genetic contributions that occur across the life span, examining common genetic mutations, pathogenic mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and common treatments of each. As part of the course, students rotate through clinical laboratories at Columbia in order to understand various diagnostic genetic tests and how they are used.

This course provides students with medical and counseling information unique to the provision of reproductive genetic counseling services. This will include the technical information regarding screening and diagnostic testing modalities, the sociological perspectives of the geneticization/medicalization of pregnancy, and the specific counseling issues facing the perinatal client and genetic counselor.

This course uses a small-group format to process the clinical experiences in the first year and will provide a backbone of clinical supervision for casework. Each small group will be led by a genetic counselor faculty member who will facilitate discussion and provide support. Students will bring case material to the group to process together.

This course is taken throughout the length of the program and is a combined course for all first and second year students. We explore the overarching concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within our society with an emphasis on the system of healthcare and the profession of genetic counseling in the US. This course is grounded in sustained dialogue as a process for transforming deep-rooted human conflicts. Students also engage in Spanish language training through this course as a means of better serving clients and reducing healthcare disparities.

This course is designed to equip students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to assess and communicate genetic risk effectively in clinical settings. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and practical exercises, students will learn to interpret complex family histories, calculate quantitative risk, evaluate genetic testing results, and integrate diverse sources of information to accurately assess an individual's risk relevant to the provision of genetic counseling services. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making, and effective communication strategies tailored to diverse patient populations.

As a basis for working with clients across the life span, this course addresses the physical, cognitive, and psychological changes human beings encounter as we pass through life, from infancy to death. This course also builds upon developing counseling skills as students learn to perform psychosocial assessment during the genetic counseling session and determine when additional intervention is warranted. Students will work with giving bad news and providing support, as well as managing client guilt, shame, anger, and blame. This course will also assist students in learning to identify and address transference and countertransference in the genetic counseling setting and to understand various client coping and defense mechanisms.

In this course, students examine the normal development and physiological function of organ systems, the mechanisms for the maintenance of health, and the pathophysiological alterations in body function that lead to disease. Each class will focus on a specific physiologic process or organ system. This course will focus on diseases with genetic contributions that occur across the life span, examining common genetic mutations, pathogenic mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and common treatments of each. As part of the course, students rotate through clinical laboratories at Columbia in order to understand various diagnostic genetic tests and how they are used.

This course will provide students with medical and counseling information unique to the provision of cancer genetic counseling services. This will include information regarding cancer screening and diagnostic testing, the utility of genetic testing in the setting of cancer, and specific counseling issues facing the cancer genetics client and genetic counselor. Students will become familiar with a broad range of inherited cancer syndromes and will learn how to identify appropriate resources/support for clients and families.

This course provides an introduction to clinical study design, including development of a study question, types of studies, and types of variables. Lab learning workshops provide students with the tools to apply the knowledge learned in lectures as well as provide them the foundation to collect, manage, and analyze data.

Students will begin to develop their independent mentored research project. Workshops that are part of this course cover topics including conducting a literature review, IRB submission, and grant writing. Students are supported in submitting one or more grant applications to assist in funding their research project.

This course uses a small-group format to process the clinical experiences in the first year and will provide a backbone of clinical supervision for casework. Each small group will be led by a genetic counselor faculty member who will facilitate discussion and provide support. Students will bring case material to the group to process together.

This course is taken throughout the length of the program and is a combined course for all first and second year students. We explore the overarching concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within our society with an emphasis on the system of healthcare and the profession of genetic counseling in the US. This course is grounded in sustained dialogue as a process for transforming deep-rooted human conflicts. Students also engage in Spanish language training through this course as a means of better serving clients and reducing healthcare disparities.

This course explores the basic principles of genetics and their application to public health practice and research. Students will explore the history of genetics and public health, learn to apply principles of effective written and oral communication to public health genetics topics, incorporate genetic information into assessment and policy development, and assess the ethical, legal, social, and financial implications of the use of genetic principles and technologies in public health.

This course provides an introduction to genomic sequencing technology and the interpretation of genomic variants in the research and clinical setting.  Students will learn what tools and databases are used to make interpretations. This course is experiential and provides opportunities to practice by critically analyzing sequencing data and interpreting variants, translating findings into the clinic by identifying diagnoses in patients. Students will also learn the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria for evaluation of sequence variants. In addition, students will be exposed to a variety of roles genetic counselors can have in the context of clinical and research genomic testing, as well as the regulatory and ethical aspects of genomic sequencing clinical research.

This course is conducted as small-group work and is a continuation of Clinical Encouters, providing space for processing clinical case work within the model of leader-led peer supervision. Students will have increasing clinical responsibilities in their internships and can utilize this course to further process and develop their professional self. Each small group will be led by a genetic counselor faculty member who will facilitate discussion and provide support for the students’ ongoing professional development and increasing counseling skills.

Students engage in fieldwork at various settings approximately 3 full days per week.

Students complete a self-paced series of modules intended to support their developing practice as genetic counselors by providing content in areas relevant to their current internship. This course includes medical, genetic, and counseling topics.

Under the supervision of a primary mentor and with the support or a research committee, students conduct independent scholarly research with the aim of creating new knowledge. 

This course provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the therapeutic potential of genetic counseling in various clinical settings. Students will further develop and practice skills to create an ongoing therapeutic/working alliance with clients and to capitalize on this relationship to provide support and education that can positively impact clients. Both theory and practice will be addressed, as well as an understanding of models stemming directly from the genetic counseling profession. Students will deepen their understanding of various topics relevant to the practice of genetic counseling, including nondirective and directive counseling, adult education, decision-making, and working with uncertainty.

Beginning with the basic principles of bioethics, this course will explore ethical dilemmas that may emerge in genetic counseling settings. Readings and class discussions will concentrate on case histories that demonstrate issues that can arise during preconception, prenatal, pediatric, and adult sessions, including wrongful life and wrongful death, unequal access to care, resource allocation, duty to warn, communication of genetic information, predictive testing, testing children for adult-onset diseases, conflict of interest, genetic discrimination, and many others.

This course integrates the medical, ethical/policy, and counseling topics students have been exposed to thus far in their training by applying them to clinical genetic counseling scenarios. Entirely case-based, students will work through cases from a variety of settings including cancer genetics, neurogenetics, cardiogenetics, reproductive genetics, renal genetics, psychiatric genetics, dermatology genetics, and more. All aspects of case management and roles that genetic counselors might play based on the specifics of the case will be discussed.

This course is conducted as small-group work, providing space for processing clinical case work within the model of leader-led peer supervision. Students will have increasing clinical responsibilities in their internships and can utilize this course to further process and develop their professional self. Each small group will be led by a genetic counselor faculty member who will facilitate discussion and provide support for the students’ ongoing professional development and increasing counseling skills.

This course is taken throughout the length of the program and is a combined course for all first and second year students. We explore the overarching concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within our society with an emphasis on the system of healthcare and the profession of genetic counseling in the US. This course is grounded in sustained dialogue as a process for transforming deep-rooted human conflicts. Students also engage in Spanish language training through this course as a means of better serving clients and reducing healthcare disparities.

Students engage in fieldwork at various settings approximately 3 full days per week.

Students complete a self-paced series of modules intended to support their developing practice as genetic counselors by providing content in areas relevant to their current internship. This course includes medical, genetic, and counseling topics.

Under the supervision of a primary mentor and with the support or a research committee, students conduct independent scholarly research with the aim of creating new knowledge. 

This course provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the therapeutic potential of genetic counseling in various clinical settings. Students will further develop and practice skills to create an ongoing therapeutic/working alliance with clients and to capitalize on this relationship to provide support and education that can positively impact clients. Both theory and practice will be addressed, as well as an understanding of models stemming directly from the genetic counseling profession. Students will deepen their understanding of various topics relevant to the practice of genetic counseling, including grief/loss, family systems, disability, meaning making, and adaptation.

This course integrates the medical, ethical/policy, and counseling topics students have been exposed to thus far in their training by applying them to clinical genetic counseling scenarios. Entirely case-based, students will work through cases from a variety of settings including cancer genetics, neurogenetics, cardiogenetics, reproductive genetics, renal genetics, psychiatric genetics, dermatology genetics, and more. All aspects of case management and roles that genetic counselors might play based on the specifics of the case will be discussed.

This course will provide support to students as they prepare to transition into the professional community of genetic counselors in regard to board exam preparation, job search, supervision of students, leadership, and the importance of self-care. Students will identify and review the key aspects to establishing and optimizing genetic services for any type of setting. Beyond employment, genetic counselors have a professional responsibility to stay actively engaged in the community, contribute to advancing the field, and maintain their own education beyond graduate training.

This course is conducted as small-group work, providing space for processing clinical case work within the model of leader-led peer supervision. Students will have increasing clinical responsibilities in their internships and can utilize this course to further process and develop their professional self. Each small group will be led by a genetic counselor faculty member who will facilitate discussion and provide support for the students’ ongoing professional development and increasing counseling skills.

This course is taken throughout the length of the program and is a combined course for all first and second year students. We explore the overarching concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within our society with an emphasis on the system of healthcare and the profession of genetic counseling in the US. This course is grounded in sustained dialogue as a process for transforming deep-rooted human conflicts. Students also engage in Spanish language training through this course as a means of better serving clients and reducing healthcare disparities.

Students engage in fieldwork at various settings approximately 3 full days per week.

Students complete a self-paced series of modules intended to support their developing practice as genetic counselors by providing content in areas relevant to their current internship. This course includes medical, genetic, and counseling topics.

Under the supervision of a primary mentor and with the support or a research committee, students conduct independent scholarly research with the aim of creating new knowledge.