Genetic Counselling

The Master of Science in Medicine by coursework and research report in the field of Genetic Counselling is a 1-year full-time degree.

Overview

The primary objective of the course is to educate students in the fundamental concepts of medical genetics and counselling in order to become competent, insightful, knowledgeable, sensitive and passionate genetic counsellors. Through teaching, mentoring, supervision, case exposure and experience, students should be equipped with the necessary tools to pass their degree successfully and progress to registered practicing genetic counsellors after the completion of an internship.

Given the amount of course work, clinical exposure, departmental activities as well as an intense focus on self-directed learning, this course is demanding and time-consuming. It requires extreme dedication and commitment. It is therefore important that students embarking on this course enter with a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

Career Opportunities

  • Genetic Counsellor

Curriculum

The Genetic Counselling Masters programme is a one-year, full-time professional Master's degree (NQF level 9). The course is divided into five modules, all of which have to be attended and completed successfully at the University of the Witwatersrand.

  • Medical Genetics for Genetic Counsellors 1 (HUMG7017)
  • Medical Genetics for Genetic Counsellors 2 (HUMG7018)
  • Principles of Genetic Counselling (HUMG7019)
  • Practices of Genetic Counselling (HUMG7020)
  • Research Report (HUMG7016)

All modules need to be passed in order to obtain the qualification.

In addition to the above modules, students will be expected to attend genetic counselling clinics and Division activities during their lecture and clinical rotation blocks.

HPCSA Internship

In order to register as a genetic counsellor with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) graduates will need to complete a full-time two-year internship in an accredited training institute (the University of the Witwatersrand & the National Health Laboratory Service, or the University of Cape Town or Stellenbosch University).

In order to be registered as a genetic counsellor, a portfolio of evidence (PoE) must be submitted at the end of the internship.

The two years (24 months) of full-time internship through the University of the Witwatersrand and the NHLS will be completed after successful completion of the degree.

It is important to realise that the internship as described above, is offered at the discretion of the internship training institutes. Further details regarding internship training will be provided to students later on.

Entry Requirements

It is preferable for candidates to have a BSc (Honours) in a Life Sciences field (eg. Human Genetics, Genetics, Physiology, Microbiology etc.). However, other Honours degrees might be considered, at the discretion of the course coordinator and selection panel. An overall mark of 65% for the Honours degree is considered a minimum prerequisite for entry into a master’s programme by the University.

An entry level exam may be required for those without a Genetics major. A minimum of 65% pass rate for the entry exam is required in order to be eligible for an interview.

Individuals who are interested in applying for the degree must make contact with the course co-ordinator prior to submitting an application as there is an internal pre-application process interested candidates need to complete. Applications received without having done so will be excluded from further consideration.

Selection & Interview Procedures

Candidates who fulfil the minimum requirements will be asked to complete a questionnaire, attend an extensiveface-to-face selection process over two days in Johannesburg, and submit two appropriate referee reports. Successful candidates will be notified of their outcome via email within a week of the selection interviews.

University Application Process

  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.