Careers in Genetics

There are many career opportunities in the field of genetics. Genetics is an extremely broad and diverse subject concerned with variation and heredity (the passing of traits from parent to offspring) in all living organisms. Within this extensive field, human genetics looks specifically at how our genes combine with our environment to make us uniquely human. A further subgroup within this field is medical genetics, which deals with the ways in which genes and the environment influence health and disease. This includes investigating the role of genes through medical research and implementing these findings in the actual practice of medicine.

Within human and medical genetics, there are many specialized fields of interest. These include, but are not limited to: the study of chromosomes (cytogenetics), the study of the structure and function of genes (molecular genetics), the study of the genes and gene products associated with metabolism - how our bodies convert the food we eat into the fuel that powers our cells - (biochemical genetics), the study of the genome, its organization, and functions (genomics), the study of genetic variation in human populations (population genetics), the application of genetics to diagnosis and patient care (clinical genetics), and genetic counseling, which combines the provision of risk information with psychological and educational support.

Most careers in genetics require graduate school or medical school after completion of a four year college degree. People enter genetics with a wide variety of undergraduate degrees, but most have a strong course base in the life sciences. It is important to investigate each graduate program for specific prerequisite course work. For more information about certification in genetics by specialty and degrees please go to: http://genetics.faseb.org/genetics/abmg/stats-allyears.htm.

Information on various careers in Genetics:

• Clinical Geneticists (M.D.)


• Ph.D. Geneticists


• Laboratory Geneticists


• Genetic Counselors


• Genetics Nurse


• Additional Resources

Also, GenEdNet provides comprehensive information on genetics education and careers in genetics.