The program recommends courses in biochemistry and molecular biology. The core program includes course work in basic genetics, cytogenetics, mathematical genetics, biochemical genetics, molecular genetics, and clinical genetics. Required courses offered by other departments include biochemistry and statistics, unless the student completes a comparable course. Students must complete an approved core program, and, depending on the choice of specialization, may need to take additional graduate courses. Students must achieve basic computer literacy and show clinical and research skills.
Students select and complete two defined research lab rotations before taking comprehensive exams.
Topics include an overview of human genetics in Mendelian genetics, cytogenetics, population genetics, molecular cytogenetics, oncocytogenetics, and clinical applications of principles, and the importance and implications of genetic disease at the levels of the population and individual families. Students pursue reading or supervised investigation of a problem in human genetics. The student and instructor must agree on the research problem before the term starts. The student earns credit by readings, experiences, and oral and written presentations . Each student is assigned a local, regional, or national support group to work with during their first year of study.