MGCS Tuition and Aid

The Master of Genetic Counselor Studies (MGCS) program offers students several aid options to help alleviate the cost of tuition.

Tuition

You may access the full semester-by-semester breakdown of the cost of attendance for the Master of Genetic Counselor Studies program by visiting the UW–Madison Bursar’s Office website and clicking on “View Tuition Rates Workbook,” then on “Tuition Rates by Program and Degree Level.” From there: select Tuition and Segregated Fees, select appropriate year, select Medicine and Public Health as the school/college, select Master’s as the program award type and select Genetic Counselor Studies as the program name.

Additional Expenses

Excludes housing and transportation to rotations

Students are required to have health insurance while enrolled in the Master of Genetic Counselor Studies program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, either through a private insurance company or through the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). For information on premiums, coverage, and enrollment, contact the SHIP office.

Computer: Students are expected to have laptops for graduate school programming. The laptop model must meet or exceed minimum specifications recommended by the School of Medicine and Public Health.

Onboarding and Compliance: Students are required to buy a subscription to an outside vendor for maintenance of all onboarding and compliance requirements (e.g. immunizations, background checks, drug screening). The cost is approximately $125.

Travel: Student travel may include outreach clinic visits and regional and national meeting attendance. The program is committed to keeping costs reasonable to the student and the program while providing the best educational experience possible. Second year students attend the national educational conference hosted by NSGC. The program provides funding for the registration and travel to the conference, but the student is responsible for lodging, meals, and any travel while at the conference (e.g. taxi).

Scholarships and Stipends

All first-year students enrolled with the MCH LEND training program receive a stipend towards tuition in the first semester, and thanks to the generosity of our donors — almost all of whom are MGCS graduates — all first year students receive a scholarship towards tuition in their first semester.

More about our named scholarships

Program monies have been used to partially fund second year student travel to the Annual Education Conference hosted by NSGC.

Graduate Assistantships

Master of Genetic Counselor Studies students frequently pursue and obtain funding through graduate assistantship positions on campus. These positions include teaching assistantships (TA), project assistantships (PA) or research assistantships (RA). Current compensation for a TA, PA or RA is full tuition waiver (resident and non-resident), a monthly stipend and insurance benefits. Such funding opportunities and employment are not guaranteed upon admission and availability varies from semester to semester; students interested in applying for one of these competitive employment opportunities typically have held such positions for at least two of their four semesters as graduate students.

Financial Aid

Visit the Student Job Center regularly to search for jobs that align with your interests, experience, and/or career goals. Student also may finance their education through federal, state or local student loans.