Requirements
A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or a degree from a non-U.S. institution of higher education that is judged equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree by the International Admissions Office.
Official transcripts with a minimum of a 3.00 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for undergraduate course work. If cumulative GPA is lower than 3.0, applicants must submit 2 additional references that demonstrate their professional accomplishments and work experience.
Prerequisite coursework must be from an accredited university or college (Boise State courses listed). Please note all prerequisites must be completed by application deadline, and grades need to be submitted no later than December 30th. For In-Progress Courses, please see the Admissions In Progress Course Policy. AP courses will NOT be accepted as a prerequisite without advanced courses taken at university level:
- General Biology (1 semester) BIOL 191 or equivalent
- General Chemistry with lab (1 semester) CHEM 111/111L or equivalent
- Biochemistry (1 semester) not combined with another chemistry or biology with a grade of “B-” or better CHEM 350 or equivalent Although Organic Chemistry is not a requirement of this program, most Biochemistry courses will list Organic Chemistry as a prerequisite
- Genetics (1 semester) completed within the last 5 years with a grade of “B-” or better BIOL 310 or equivalent. Not combined with any other program prerequisite.
- Embryology or Developmental Biology (1 semester) GENCOUN 320 or equivalent. Not combined with any other program prerequisite. For more information on GENCOUN 320, please reach out to geneticcounselingms@boisestate.edu. (Letter of Completion with Grade cannot be accepted for this course. This prerequisite must be included on an official transcript. An absence of an official transcript will prevent your application from being forwarded from the Graduate College to our program for review.)
- General Psychology (1 semester)
- Statistics (1 semester)
Content on this page is provided as a quick reference for planning. All official course descriptions/degree requirements/admission standards/program learning outcomes/etc. are published on the Graduate Catalog site.
Registration in the National Match System with a current NMS number (Boise State code number 14711). For more information about how the Match System works, visit the National Matching Services website. The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors has established a waiver for the $100 fee associated with the NMS Match. Prospective students who demonstrate financial need AND have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater can apply for a match fee waiver. For more information, visit the National Matching System Registration website.
Previous experiences that involved developing and using skills relevant to genetic counseling including but not limited to: using advocacy, research, teaching and/or leadership skills to support individuals with disabilities, work/volunteer in underprivileged communities or at pregnancy/reproductive counseling programs, crisis hotlines, domestic violence programs, or other similar activities.
Strong written and oral communication skills in English.
We do NOT require GRE scores for admission to our program, and they will not be reviewed if submitted.
*PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
ALTHOUGH NOT REQUIRED STRONGEST APPLICATIONS WILL DEMONSTRATE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:
- Additional recommended coursework in Molecular or Cellular Biology, Medical Terminology, and /or Anatomy and Physiology.
- Online coursework experience.
- Fluency in a language other than English is desired but not required.
- Experience engaging with cultures other than one’s own.
- Previous involvement with genetic counseling in a clinical or laboratory setting (paid or volunteer).
- Personal essay is written in a clear, well organized manner with no or few grammatical errors.
- References indicate strong potential for academic success in a graduate program.
- Individuals who are collaborative and collegial possessing the ability to be independent and a self-starter.
APPLICATION FORMS
An application guideline is available to give you more information.
You will need to complete following form with your application. (This form will be found in the application, please do not use the sample form):
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Application materials are due December 15 in order to be considered for Fall 2025 courses. Applicants must be registered with the National Match System in order for their application to be considered by the graduate program NMS Genetic Counseling Admissions Match.
APPLICATION DEADLINES BY SEMESTER
All required application materials and fees must be received by 11:59PM MST on the posted deadline.
2025 INTERVIEW DATES AND TIMES
***If you do not hear from the program by the Notification Date, you have not been selected for an interview. You will receive official notification from the University in May.***
***If you do not hear from the program by the Notification Date, you have not been selected for an interview. You will receive official notification from the University in May.***
If an applicant does not receive an invitation by this date they may still be eligible for an interview after the Match day as part of the unmatched pool. Please see the NMS Match website for more information.
Please note: This is a summary of key dates within the academic calendar for online programs and is subject to change. For current official academic calendar details, please refer to the Boise State Academic Calendar.
CLINICAL HEALTH POLICY
As per contractual agreements with the clinical partners, background checks and certain vaccinations are required. Students will be required to submit health requirements that includes:
Verified negative TB skin or blood test
TB skin or blood test is required prior to July 1 after admission and annually until the end of the program; results must be negative
If a student has a positive TB test, a chest X-ray report indicating the absence of TB obtained within six months prior to admission must be submitted
Mumps, Rubeola, Measles Vaccinations
Documentation of positive titers for each prior to admission
Varicella
Documentation of positive antibody titer must be submitted prior to rotations
Hepatitis B vaccinations
Documentation of a positive titer prior to admission
Tdap
Documentation of vaccination received as an adult within the past 10 years must be submitted prior to July 1 after admission
Proof of seasonal flu vaccination received between September 1 and December 1 must be submitted annually
Students at Boise State are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enroll and attend classes. However, many of our partner hospitals and clinic sites where required fieldwork is completed, are requiring students to be fully vaccinated in order to participate in fieldwork (clinical rotations). Some sites are accepting medical/religious exemptions for students; others require students to be fully vaccinated and will not accept exemptions. This is a decision made by the hospitals/clinics and Boise State has no control over this. We will try to accommodate students with exemptions by matching them with clinical rotations at sites that do not require students to be fully immunized against COVID-19. We cannot guarantee this will be possible and there may be delays in being able to complete program requirements and graduating.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
The Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program is available to students in all states. More information about State Authorization is available at About Boise State Online. Students must reside in the United States due the fieldwork requirement of an ABGC certified genetic counseling supervisor at the clinical site. Due to U.S. Homeland Security regulations and our online program structure, we are regretfully unable to provide F-1 student visa paperwork to international students for this degree program. International students who are currently residing in the US on a visa other than an F-1 visa should check to see if their current visa allows for participation in our program. Please note that international students cannot participate in our program on a tourist visa.