The application committee reviews all complete applications received by the deadline. Once the review process has been completed, approximately 30 applicants are invited for individual virtual interviews, which usually occur during the first two weeks of March. After the interviews have been completed, the committee determines the ranking order of applicants and submits this list to the NMS Match. This is usually completed by mid-March. Applicants who successfully match to UBC will be offered a seat for the following September start date. Applicants who wish to tour the physical facilities will be able to do so after the program has submitted their ranking order to the NMS Match.
Eight students are accepted into the program each year to begin their studies in September. Two of these 8 students will be selected to complete a remote clinical placement in Victoria, BC. This will require moving to Victoria for the first term of their second year. Students who are interested in the option of the Victoria placement will need to select this rank option in the NMS match, and will learn on match day well in advance of program start. See more details below in the section on MATCH for the UBC MSc. in Genetic Counselling Program.
Applicants for the program come with a wide range of life experiences and communication skills, which are evaluated along with the individual’s academic transcript.
It is important that candidates possess knowledge of the profession and, if possible, experience in a clinical genetics unit. This may be obtained through volunteer work, a Work Study position or a Directed Study project.
Students are expected to follow the screening expectations and recommended immunizations of Health Care Organization workers as set out in Health Care Organization policy, including complying with all applicable Provincial Health Orders pertaining to mandatory vaccines.
Exposure to the profession of genetic counselling:
We recognize that opportunities to gain exposure to the field are challenging. We encourage applicants to find alternate ways of gaining insight into the field. This can include informational interviews with genetic counsellors across different practice areas, reading the Journal of Genetic Counselling to understand the issues and the research that are active in the field, and online sources such as NSGC, CAGC, Master Genetic Counselor videos and the BCCHR Mini Med School 2016 session on genetic counselling. Additional resources, provided by the NSGC, can be found here, though we cannot guarantee these materials to be fully comprehensive or up-to-date.
MATCH for the UBC MSc. in Genetic Counselling Program:
The UBC MSc. Genetic Counselling Graduate Program is participating in the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match through National Matching Services (NMS). The GC Admissions Match has been established to enhance the process of placing applicants into positions in masters-level genetic counselling programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). The Match uses a process that takes into account both applicants’ and programs’ preferences. All applicants must first register for the Match with NMS before applying to the participating genetic counselling graduate programs. At the conclusion of all program interviews, both applicants and programs will submit ranked lists of preferred placements to NMS according to deadlines posted on the NMS website. The binding results of the Match will be released to both applicants and programs simultaneously in late April. UBC will have 2 tracks for students to consider for ranking: the Victoria placement option and the Vancouver option. Students who wish to come to UBC can choose to rank only one, or both of these options. Only students who rank the Victoria option will be matched to this program of study.
Please visit the NMS website to register for the match, review detailed information about the matching process, and to view a demonstration of how the matching algorithm works.
There is a $100 fee for registering with the Match program, though applicants can apply for fee waivers (deadline: early October). Please see our Tuition & Aid page for more details.
UBC’s MATCH number is: 123
Required Prerequisites:
Applicants must have a minimum of a BSc or equivalent degree, and have:
- One course in Biochemistry (an introductory course is acceptable).
- One course in Statistics (an introductory course is acceptable).
- One course in (Clinical) Human Embryology – Developmental Biology does NOT meet this requirement unless the course focuses heavily on human development. For a full description of course criteria, please see the second-to-last item in our FAQ section. While it is preferable that this course be completed at the time of application, if it is still in progress, then applicants may upload proof of current enrollment (e.g. official letter or transcript confirming enrollment) to the application portal. Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to program enrollment.
- One course in Molecular Genetics. For a full description of course criteria, please see last item in our FAQ section.
- A minimum overall average in the B+ range (equivalent to 76% at UBC) in all third and fourth year courses.
- Academic standing with at least 12 credits of third or fourth year courses (equivalent to 4 courses at UBC) in the A grade range (80% or higher at UBC) in the field of study*.
*For the Genetic Counselling Masters Program, this could include courses such as genetics, genomics, psychology, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, embryology, cell biology, and bioinformatics. - A minimum of 3 months of one-on-one counselling experience (prior to entry into the program) in a setting such as a distress line, peer counselling, text support, or rape relief centre. This experience can either be paid or volunteer. However, to be considered, your experience must include a formal training process prior to beginning your counselling experience.
As genetics is a rapidly evolving sphere, we require grades in genetics courses within the past five years. If you have completed the genetics courses more than five years ago, we strongly require that you to re-take/update the genetics courses, especially, the courses in molecular genetics, unless you can demonstrate recent related experience in this area, in which case we require you show a recent grade in a course related to the field of study.
Note: UBC is subject to the requirements of the Criminal Records Review Act, which means that all students who are enrolled in programs that include a practicum component involving work with children or vulnerable adults will have to undergo a criminal record check before they will be permitted to register in the practicum. If you are found to present a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children or physical, sexual or financial abuse to vulnerable adults, as a result of the CRRA Check, you will not be permitted to register in the practicum. In our program, the practicum is a required component. Therefore, you should consider this requirement carefully before applying to this program.