Foundation

• People who train to become genetic counselors get a bachelor's degree in a related subject. Majors like psychology, social work or biology provide you with relevant fundamental knowledge for the field.
  
  

Specialization

• In order to become a genetic counselor, you must complete a master's degree in the discipline. Coursework includes genetics, ethics, health care delivery and public health, and research. Many graduate programs require that you have done some counseling before enrolling.
  
  

Certification

• If you wish to become certified, you must receive your master's degree from a school accredited by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) and attain supervised counseling experience, usually while in school. Upon graduating, you must pass two certification exams administered by the ABGC.