Genome Sciences & Policy Certificate
The sequencing of the human and other genomes has enormously expanded our knowledge of living systems, with great potential for improving human health and exploring the human condition. However, widespread use of genomic information raises complex issues for society in areas as diverse as individual rights, genetic discrimination, the nature of humanity, intellectual property law, the meaning of normal variation, large-scale data storage and analysis, and national health and science policy.
The Genome Sciences & Policy Certificate includes a combination of course work and direct research experience designed to expose students to the genome sciences and their broad societal impacts. This interdisciplinary curriculum addresses the following goals:
- To enable students from a broad range of disciplines to acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of the Genome Revolution and its growing impact on their distinct fields; and
- To cultivate in students the interdisciplinary perspectives necessary to address current and future implications of genomics for health, science and society.
Program Director:
Huntington F. Willard, PhD
Program Coordinator:
Shandra Robertson
IGSP Office for Undergraduate Programs
919-684-3156
Curriculum Requirements
The Genome Sciences & Policy Certificate will be available to all students at the undergraduate level. Undergraduate students in the Class of 2010 and beyond will be required to complete the following 5 courses and 2 research experiences, taking into account that no more than three courses for the certificate may originate in any one department.
- GENOME core course (GENOME 48/BIO 48/PPS 48 or GENOME 148 when appropriate);
- Three elective courses with at least one course chosen from the Genome Ethics/Law/Policy elective course list;
- Research experiences (at least one of which is credit-bearing) consisting of either two semester-long independent study courses or one semester-long independent study course plus one approved summer research experience;
- GENOME capstone course to be taken in the senior year.
Requirements for the Class of 2009
Undergraduate students graduating in 2009 will be required to complete one of the following sets of courses and research experiences, taking into account that no more than three courses for the certificate may originate in any one department:
- BIO 48/ PPS 48
- Three elective courses with at least one course chosen from the Genome Ethics/Law/Policy elective course list;
- Research experiences (at least one of which is credit-bearing) consisting of either two semester-long independent study courses or one semester-long independent study course plus one approved summer research experience;
- GENOME capstone course to be taken in the senior year (Spring 2009).
OR
- Participation in the Genome Revolution FOCUS cluster in Fall 2005 (two courses);
- Two elective courses, taking into account that at least one of the total of five courses must be chosen from each of the Genome Ethics/Law/Policy and the Genome Sciences elective course lists;
- Research experiences (at least one of which is credit-bearing) consisting of either two semester-long independent study courses or one semester-long independent study course plus one approved summer research experience;
- GENOME capstone course to be taken in the senior year (Spring 2009).