The ScM in Genetic Counseling is designed to prepare graduates to provide genetic counseling with an emphasis on clients’ psychological and educational needs. A joint effort of the Department and the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the program provides a solid foundation in conducting social and behavioral research related to genetic counseling, and teaches the skills necessary for graduates to educate health care providers, policymakers and the public about genetics and related health and social issues. The two-and-a-half-year, full-time program consists of coursework taken at the East Baltimore campus of the Bloomberg School of Public Health and at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. The curriculum consists of didactic coursework in the areas of human genetics, genetic counseling, health education, communication, ethics, public policy and research methodology. View Program Competencies. The program also requires a minimum of 400 contact hours of supervised clinical rotations in a variety of settings in the Baltimore-Washington area. Clinical rotations begin in the second term of the program and are required throughout. These rotations provide a critical opportunity for students to learn directly about genetic conditions and their impact on individuals and families and to receive an introduction to the breadth of services and variety of counselor responsibilities. Students are required to pass a written departmental comprehensive exam and complete a thesis project. | 
