Undergraduate Certificate Programs
Students who complete a certificate are eligible to receive Departmental Honors.
Cancer Research Certificate (CCR)
Overview
"Unlock the potential to make a difference in the fight against cancer."
The Department of Genetics offers a Certificate in Cancer Research (CCR) for Genetics majors. Completion of the Certificate in Cancer Research will provide an advantage when applying to MD, PhD, and MS programs and facilitate transitions to careers with Cancer-related missions. The goal of the CCR is to provide students with a rigorous and Cancer-specialized curriculum. Students will do at least one year of research in a nation-leading Cancer Research Lab and students will be expected to participate in community engagement and develop skills to build community outside of academia. This program is only open to declared Genetics Majors.
The Certificate will be awarded only in conjunction with the awarding of a baccalaureate degree in Genetics. At the end of the program students will:
- Have gained knowledge in Cancer Genetics with an expanded curriculum focused on Cancer biology.
- Have at least one year of experience conducting laboratory research in a Cancer research lab.
- Be prepared to apply to M.S., MD, or Ph.D. graduate programs in the areas of Cancer Genetics or for career positions in industry, biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, policy-driving institutes, or universities.
The Department of Genetics offers an undergraduate Genetic Counseling Certificate Program (GCCP). The GCCP program is intended for a select group of students interested in applying to the masters-level programs in genetic counseling. The goal is to provide students with guidance, coursework, and relevant clinical experience to improve their graduate school applications. This is a highly competitive option and is only open to declared genetics majors. Not all applicants will be accepted. The Certificate will be awarded only in conjunction with the awarding of a baccalaureate degree in genetics and does not replace minors. The certificate is NOT in lieu of completing the masters-level programs in genetic counseling. At the end of the program students will:
- understand genetic counseling as a profession
- understand application requirements for masters-level programs
- gain experience in talking with people who are in crisis
- gain experience in a clinical genetic counseling clinic
Computational Genetics Certificate
Overview
The Department of Genetics offers a Certificate in Computational Genetics (CCG) for Genetics majors. The volume of data being generated in Genetics and related life science fields has been expanding tremendously in recent years, and career opportunities for geneticists with computational and quantitative expertise are simultaneously growing. This certificate program is intended for students who are either interested in applying to graduate-level programs, or planning careers, in Computational Genetics/Biology, Statistical Genetics, Bioinformatics, or other programs in quantitative biomedical related research. The goal of the CCG is to provide students with guidance, coursework, and relevant data design and analysis experience to prepare them for graduate studies in the field or entry-level informatics jobs. This program is only open to declared Genetics Majors. The Certificate will be awarded only in conjunction with the awarding of a baccalaureate degree in Genetics. At the end of the program students will:
- Have gained competence in genetic data analysis using basic computer programming and statistical analysis.
- Be prepared to apply to M.S. or Ph.D. graduate programs in the areas of Computational Genetics and Bioinformatics.
- Be prepared to apply for career positions in industry, biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, or universities.
