Continuing Education in Medical Laboratory Scientist Program

Medical Laboratory Science Schools

It may be reassuring to know that trained medical laboratory technologists, often called clinical laboratory scientists (CLS) or medical laboratory scientists (MLS), are behind the more complex procedures being carried out on patient specimens in a laboratory.

Due to the broad level of knowledge required in biology, chemistry, and microbiology, these professionals can specialize in several areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). MLS degree specialties include immunology (carrying out specimen tests on the human immune system and its reaction to foreign bodies), immunohematology (collecting, classifying, and preparing blood for use in transfusions), and molecular biology (carrying out protein and nucleic acid tests on samples of cells).

Aspiring medical laboratory scientists can earn a bachelor's degree in a general or specialized field of science from one of many medical laboratory science schools.

There are many other specialty fields that an MLS can enter, including cytotechnology, microbiology, and clinical chemistry. Compared to clinical laboratory technicians, who usually have an associate degree, medical laboratory scientists are qualified and certified to carry out more complex procedures.

When employed in a small lab, an MLS may do a variety of tests, but when working in a larger lab, they may be able to specialize. Read on to learn more about the educational requirements for an MLS and what types of certifications may be available to help them discover the best possible job outcomes.

MLS fast facts
Projected Jobs Created	21,800
Projected Job Growth	7 percent
Average Salary	$56,910
Low Salary	$30,280
High Salary	$79,340
Entry-Level EDU	Bachelor's Degree
Sourced from

MLS Degree & Certification Programs

A bachelor's degree is typically needed to start an MLS career, according to the BLS, and this means an investment in a four-year bachelor's of science or MLS degree program. That said, students in some programs may complete a degree part-time or even accelerate their speed of learning for an earlier graduation date. Below are a few MLS programs for prospective medical lab scientists:

Arizona State University

The bachelor's of arts in applied medical laboratory science (BAS) degree is available at the Phoenix-based Arizona State University campus. The program features both on-campus options and a selection of courses in an online format. In addition, the program includes clinical rotations through which students gain practical experience, including lab work in hematology, immunology, and many other fields, and the use of current technology and automation similar to what would be found in a lab setting.

Made up of 120 credits, the program includes courses such as laboratory leadership; clinical urinalysis and body fluids; hematology and hemostasis; immunohematology and immunology; clinical microbiology; and clinical chemistry.

• Location: Phoenix, AZ
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
• Estimated Tuition: Arizona resident ($784 per credit); non-resident ($1,248 per credit)

Ohio State University

Located in Columbus, Ohio State University offers a bachelor's degree in MLS with four curriculum tracks. Students who have a bachelor's degree in another field also can complete coursework for a second degree at the school or pursue a certificate of study to further their skills in this area.

An internship in an Ohio-based hospital is included as part of the program to help students seek certification through the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Indeed, the school reports that between 2018 and 2021, at least 98 percent of students who sought ASCP MLS certification successfully passed the exam and received certification over the past four years.

Comprising 120 credits, the program includes courses such as molecular genetics; microbiology; hematology; phlebotomy; chemistry; immunohematology; microscopy; immunology; and professional issues.

• Location: Columbus, OH
• Accreditation: National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 36 months
• Estimated Tuition: $459.08 per credit

University of North Dakota

Offering a degree in MLS since 1949, the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks allows students to either pursue a 2+2 route, comprised of pre-professional and professional education, a 4+1 route for those who already have a bachelor's degree in another field, or a medical laboratory technician (MLT) to MLS route, which also offers online learning options. In fact, the MLT to MLS program can be completed online while working at a medical facility.

A total of 126 credits are needed to graduate from the MLS 2+2 program, which would be for students just starting college, with the professional portion in MLS beginning during the fall of the junior year and including a summer semester of 13 credits between the junior and senior years.

The curriculum includes courses in immunology; hematology; laboratory calculations; molecular diagnostics; medical microbiology; biochemistry; preanalytical testing; clinical urinalysis; clinical immunohematology; medical mycology; and clinical body fluids.

• Location: Grand Forks, ND
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 48 or 60 months
• Estimated Tuition: $422.78 per credit

University of Washington

Based in Seattle, the University of Washington offers an MLS program through the university's department of laboratory medicine that features pre-professional and professional portions. Subjects including bacteriology, biochemistry, clinical hematology, mycology, virology, and others are featured in the professional part of instruction.

Students also complete their final year (three quarters) in the lab at the university. Students also have the opportunity to learn about more complex laboratory procedures by completing an internship.

The curriculum includes courses such as introduction to immunology; introduction to biochemistry; introduction to medical laboratory science; molecular diagnostics; medical bacteriology; introductory clinical chemistry; medical virology; medical mycology and parasitology; clinical coagulation; and laboratory analysis of urine and body fluids.

• Location: Seattle, WA
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS); Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
• Estimated Tuition: Resident ($745.25 for two credits); non-resident ($2,644.23 for two credits)

University of Vermont

A bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science is offered through the University of Vermont, located in Burlington. Two concentration areas are available in clinical and public health. In the spring semester of the senior year, students start intensive laboratory experiences and begin to work one-on-one with a staff technologist. The school has affiliations with several labs in the Northeast part of the country, including Vermont, New York, and Connecticut.

The curriculum includes courses such as medical terminology; human cell biology; human anatomy & physiology; microbiology & infectious disease; fundamentals of biochemistry; applied molecular biology; immunology; general chemistry; and introduction to organic chemistry. The program comprises 121 credits.

• Location: Burlington, VT
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
• Estimated Tuition: Vermont residents ($678 per credit); out-of-state ($1,720 per credit)

Weber State University

Based in Ogden, Utah, Weber State University provides a bachelor of science degree in medical technology (MT) and an associate degree to pursue a career as a medical laboratory technician (MLT).

The bachelor's degree offers two tracks. The first is for students who intend to use their MT degree to work in a medical lab. In contrast, the second is designed for those who plan to go on to graduate-level education to become veterinarians, physician assistants, or attend medical school. All programs have online as well as on-campus options available.

As part of the program, students will delve into topics such as biostatics, research & laboratory practices; advanced clinical immunohematology; advanced clinical hematology & hemostasis; advanced clinical chemistry; advanced clinical microbiology & molecular diagnostics; and clinical lab immunology/virology.

• Location: Ogden, Utah
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS); Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Expected Time to Completion: AAS (24 months); BS (48 months)
• Estimated Tuition: Campus tuition (full-time – $3,015.58 per term); online tuition ($291 per credit)

SELECT * FROM `mts_online_offline_data` WHERE `page_url` = '/medical-lab-scientist' AND ( `table_type` = 'Offline' OR `table_type` = 'BOTH (Online + Offline)' ) ORDER BY `grads` DESC

List of Clinical/Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) Schools

School	City	State	Website	grads (2018)
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Cincinnati	Ohio	www.uc.edu	181
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks	North Dakota	und.edu	116
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	uwm.edu	93
Michigan State University	East Lansing	Michigan	www.msu.edu	89
Austin Peay State University	Clarksville	Tennessee	www.apsu.edu	71
Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus	Ohio	www.osu.edu	69
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Lubbock	Texas	www.ttuhsc.edu	58
San Francisco State University	San Francisco	California	www.sfsu.edu	55
The University of Texas Medical Branch	Galveston	Texas	www.utmb.edu	53
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond	Virginia	www.vcu.edu	53
University of Rhode Island	Kingston	Rhode Island	www.uri.edu	52
Idaho State University	Pocatello	Idaho	www.isu.edu	45
CUNY Hunter College	New York	New York	www.hunter.cuny.edu	43
University of Utah	Salt Lake City	Utah	www.utah.edu	42
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German	San German	Puerto Rico	www.sg.inter.edu	39
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook	New York	www.stonybrook.edu	39
California State University-Dominguez Hills	Carson	California	www.csudh.edu	38
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	North Dartmouth	Massachusetts	www.umassd.edu	35
University of Massachusetts-Lowell	Lowell	Massachusetts	www.uml.edu	35
University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences	San Juan	Puerto Rico	www.rcm.upr.edu	34
Brigham Young University-Provo	Provo	Utah	www.byu.edu	33
University of Delaware	Newark	Delaware	www.udel.edu	32
Farmingdale State College	Farmingdale	New York	www.farmingdale.edu	31
Saint Cloud State University	Saint Cloud	Minnesota	www.stcloudstate.edu	31
Illinois State University	Normal	Illinois	illinoisstate.edu	30
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Bowling Green	Ohio	www.bgsu.edu	29
Northern Illinois University	Dekalb	Illinois	www.niu.edu	29
University of Kentucky	Lexington	Kentucky	www.uky.edu	28
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	Stevens Point	Wisconsin	www.uwsp.edu	28
Wichita State University	Wichita	Kansas	www.wichita.edu	28
The University of West Florida	Pensacola	Florida	uwf.edu	27
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill	North Carolina	www.unc.edu	27
West Virginia University	Morgantown	West Virginia	www.wvu.edu	27
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce	Ponce	Puerto Rico	www.pucpr.edu	25
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	Little Rock	Arkansas	www.uams.edu	25
University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Seattle	Washington	www.washington.edu	25
DeVry University-Arizona	Phoenix	Arizona	www.devry.edu	24
Grand Valley State University	Allendale	Michigan	www.gvsu.edu	24
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	La Crosse	Wisconsin	www.uwlax.edu	24
Eastern Michigan University	Ypsilanti	Michigan	www.emich.edu	23
Ferris State University	Big Rapids	Michigan	www.ferris.edu	23
The University of Texas at El Paso	El Paso	Texas	www.utep.edu	23
University of Central Florida	Orlando	Florida	www.ucf.edu	23
Wayne State University	Detroit	Michigan	www.wayne.edu	23
Eastern Kentucky University	Richmond	Kentucky	www.eku.edu	22
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans	New Orleans	Louisiana	www.lsuhsc.edu	22
University at Buffalo	Buffalo	New York	www.buffalo.edu	22
University of Vermont	Burlington	Vermont	www.uvm.edu	22
University of Maryland Baltimore	Baltimore	Maryland	www.umaryland.edu	21
Andrews University	Berrien Springs	Michigan	www.andrews.edu	20
CUNY York College	Jamaica	New York	www.york.cuny.edu	20
Georgia Southern University	Statesboro	Georgia	www.georgiasouthern.edu	20
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro	San Juan	Puerto Rico	www.metro.inter.edu	20
Oakland University	Rochester Hills	Michigan	www.oakland.edu	20
Tarleton State University	Stephenville	Texas	www.tarleton.edu	20
University of Alabama at Birmingham	Birmingham	Alabama	www.uab.edu	20
University of Alaska Anchorage	Anchorage	Alaska	www.uaa.alaska.edu	20
Marist College	Poughkeepsie	New York	www.marist.edu	19
Seattle University	Seattle	Washington	www.seattleu.edu	19
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Edinburg	Texas	www.utrgv.edu	19
University of Kansas	Lawrence	Kansas	ku.edu	19
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda	California	home.llu.edu	18
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences	Albany	New York	www.acphs.edu	18
Long Island University	Brookville	New York	liu.edu/cwpost	18
Texas State University	San Marcos	Texas	www.txstate.edu	18
University of Illinois at Springfield	Springfield	Illinois	www.uis.edu	18
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	Corpus Christi	Texas	www.tamucc.edu	17
Thomas Jefferson University	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	www.jefferson.edu	17
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus	Gurabo	Puerto Rico	ut.suagm.edu	17
Florida Gulf Coast University	Fort Myers	Florida	www.fgcu.edu	16
Jefferson College of Health Sciences	Roanoke	Virginia	www.jchs.edu	16
Wright State University-Main Campus	Dayton	Ohio	www.wright.edu	16
Carolinas College of Health Sciences	Charlotte	North Carolina	www.carolinascollege.edu	15
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indiana	www.iupui.edu	15
Marquette University	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	www.marquette.edu	15
Mercy College	Dobbs Ferry	New York	www.mercy.edu	15
Saginaw Valley State University	University Center	Michigan	www.svsu.edu	15
Salisbury University	Salisbury	Maryland	www.salisbury.edu	15
University of Louisiana at Monroe	Monroe	Louisiana	www.ulm.edu	15
Upstate Medical University	Syracuse	New York	www.upstate.edu	15
Dominican University of California	San Rafael	California	www.dominican.edu	14
Texas Southern University	Houston	Texas	www.tsu.edu	14
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio	San Antonio	Texas	www.uthscsa.edu	14
University of Connecticut	Storrs	Connecticut	uconn.edu	14
McNeese State University	Lake Charles	Louisiana	www.mcneese.edu	13
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences	Lancaster	Pennsylvania	www.pacollege.edu	13
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	Houston	Texas	www.mdanderson.org	13
Winona State University	Winona	Minnesota	www.winona.edu	13
Arkansas State University-Main Campus	Jonesboro	Arkansas	www.astate.edu	12
St John's University-New York	Queens	New York	www.stjohns.edu	12
The University of Texas at Austin	Austin	Texas	www.utexas.edu	12
University of Bridgeport	Bridgeport	Connecticut	www.bridgeport.edu	12
University of Hartford	West Hartford	Connecticut	www.hartford.edu	12
Kean University	Union	New Jersey	www.kean.edu	11
Mercy College of Health Sciences	Des Moines	Iowa	www.mchs.edu	11
University of Rochester	Rochester	New York	www.rochester.edu	11
Bellarmine University	Louisville	Kentucky	www.bellarmine.edu	10
College of Southern Nevada	Las Vegas	Nevada	www.csn.edu	10
College of Staten Island CUNY	Staten Island	New York	www.csi.cuny.edu	10
Michigan Technological University	Houghton	Michigan	www.mtu.edu	10
Minnesota State University-Mankato	Mankato	Minnesota	mankato.mnsu.edu	10
North Dakota State University-Main Campus	Fargo	North Dakota	www.ndsu.edu	10
Purdue University-Main Campus	West Lafayette	Indiana	www.purdue.edu	10
University of Michigan-Flint	Flint	Michigan	www.umflint.edu	10
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport	Shreveport	Louisiana	www.lsuhscshreveport.edu	9
Stevenson University	Stevenson	Maryland	www.stevenson.edu	9
University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College	Blue Ash	Ohio	www.ucblueash.edu	9
University of North Texas	Denton	Texas	www.unt.edu	9
York College of Pennsylvania	York	Pennsylvania	www.ycp.edu	9
DLP Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center	Johnstown	Pennsylvania	www.conemaugh.org	8
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	www.franu.edu	8
Lincoln Memorial University	Harrogate	Tennessee	www.lmunet.edu	8
Monmouth University	West Long Branch	New Jersey	www.monmouth.edu	8
Rush University	Chicago	Illinois	www.rushu.rush.edu	8
Saint Louis University	Saint Louis	Missouri	www.slu.edu	8
University of South Dakota	Vermillion	South Dakota	www.usd.edu	8
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	Oshkosh	Wisconsin	www.uwosh.edu	8
University of Wyoming	Laramie	Wyoming	www.uwyo.edu	8
Baptist Health College Little Rock	Little Rock	Arkansas	www.bhclr.edu	7
Clarion University of Pennsylvania	Clarion	Pennsylvania	www.clarion.edu	7
East Carolina University	Greenville	North Carolina	www.ecu.edu	7
Howard University	Washington	District of Columbia	www.howard.edu	7
Louisiana Tech University	Ruston	Louisiana	www.latech.edu	7
Northeastern State University	Tahlequah	Oklahoma	www.nsuok.edu	7
Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences	Cape Girardeau	Missouri	www.sehcollege.edu	7
Southern Adventist University	Collegedale	Tennessee	www.southern.edu	7
University of Iowa	Iowa City	Iowa	www.uiowa.edu	7
University of South Florida-Main Campus	Tampa	Florida	www.usf.edu	7
University of Toledo	Toledo	Ohio	www.utoledo.edu	7
West Liberty University	West Liberty	West Virginia	westliberty.edu	6
Dixie State University	Saint George	Utah	dixie.edu	6
George Mason University	Fairfax	Virginia	www.gmu.edu	6
Kent State University at Kent	Kent	Ohio	www.kent.edu	6
Morgan State University	Baltimore	Maryland	www.morgan.edu	6
The University of Montana	Missoula	Montana	www.umt.edu	6
University of California-Davis	Davis	California	www.ucdavis.edu	6
University of the Sciences	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	www.usciences.edu	6
Youngstown State University	Youngstown	Ohio	ysu.edu	6
Auburn University	Auburn	Alabama	www.auburn.edu	5
Ball State University	Muncie	Indiana	www.bsu.edu	5
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	East Stroudsburg	Pennsylvania	www.esu.edu	5
Miami University-Oxford	Oxford	Ohio	miamioh.edu	5
Minot State University	Minot	North Dakota	www.minotstateu.edu	5
Mississippi State University	Mississippi State	Mississippi	www.msstate.edu	5
Norfolk State University	Norfolk	Virginia	www.nsu.edu	5
Northwest Missouri State University	Maryville	Missouri	www.nwmissouri.edu	5
St Luke's College	Sioux City	Iowa	www.stlukescollege.edu	5
SUNY College at Plattsburgh	Plattsburgh	New York	www.plattsburgh.edu	5
Texas Woman's University	Denton	Texas	www.twu.edu	5
University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison	Wisconsin	www.wisc.edu	5
University of Maine	Orono	Maine	umaine.edu	4
Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences	Memphis	Tennessee	www.bchs.edu	4
Brookline College-Phoenix	Phoenix	Arizona	www.brooklinecollege.edu	4
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus	Indiana	Pennsylvania	www.iup.edu	4
Nazareth College	Rochester	New York	www.naz.edu	4
Oklahoma Christian University	Edmond	Oklahoma	www.oc.edu	4
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	Winona	Minnesota	www.smumn.edu	4
The University of Texas at Arlington	Arlington	Texas	www.uta.edu	4
Baylor University	Waco	Texas	www.baylor.edu	3
Bradley University	Peoria	Illinois	www.bradley.edu	3
Eastern Illinois University	Charleston	Illinois	www.eiu.edu	3
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania	Edinboro	Pennsylvania	www.edinboro.edu	3
Holy Family University	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	www.holyfamily.edu	3
Indiana State University	Terre Haute	Indiana	www.indstate.edu	3
Itawamba Community College	Fulton	Mississippi	www.iccms.edu	3
Lake Superior State University	Sault Ste Marie	Michigan	www.lssu.edu	3
Missouri State University-Springfield	Springfield	Missouri	www.missouristate.edu	3
Ohio Northern University	Ada	Ohio	www.onu.edu	3
Pittsburg State University	Pittsburg	Kansas	www.pittstate.edu	3
Rutgers University-New Brunswick	New Brunswick	New Jersey	newbrunswick.rutgers.edu	3
Salem State University	Salem	Massachusetts	www.salemstate.edu	3
Salve Regina University	Newport	Rhode Island	www.salve.edu	3
Southeast Missouri State University	Cape Girardeau	Missouri	www.semo.edu	3
Southwest Minnesota State University	Marshall	Minnesota	www.smsu.edu	3
St. Joseph's College-Long Island	Patchogue	New York	sjcny.edu	3
St. Joseph's College-New York	Brooklyn	New York	www.sjcny.edu	3
SUNY at Fredonia	Fredonia	New York	www.fredonia.edu	3
University of Central Oklahoma	Edmond	Oklahoma	www.uco.edu	3
University of Hawaii at Manoa	Honolulu	Hawaii	manoa.hawaii.edu	3
Washburn University	Topeka	Kansas	www.washburn.edu	3
Indiana University-Southeast	New Albany	Indiana	www.ius.edu	2
Bemidji State University	Bemidji	Minnesota	www.bemidjistate.edu	2
Blue Mountain College	Blue Mountain	Mississippi	www.bmc.edu	2
Indiana University-East	Richmond	Indiana	www.iue.edu	2
Keuka College	Keuka Park	New York	www.keuka.edu	2
King's College	Wilkes-Barre	Pennsylvania	www.kings.edu	2
Marian University	Indianapolis	Indiana	www.marian.edu	2
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College	Perkinston	Mississippi	www.mgccc.edu	2
Northern State University	Aberdeen	South Dakota	www.northern.edu	2
Purdue University Northwest	Hammond	Indiana	www.pnw.edu	2
Roberts Wesleyan College	Rochester	New York	www.roberts.edu	2
The College of Saint Rose	Albany	New York	www.strose.edu	2
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Knoxville	Tennessee	www.utk.edu	2
Western Illinois University	Macomb	Illinois	www.wiu.edu	2
Western Kentucky University	Bowling Green	Kentucky	www.wku.edu	2
Arkansas Tech University	Russellville	Arkansas	www.atu.edu	1
Brescia University	Owensboro	Kentucky	www.brescia.edu	1
Briar Cliff University	Sioux City	Iowa	www.briarcliff.edu	1
Caldwell University	Caldwell	New Jersey	www.caldwell.edu	1
DePaul University	Chicago	Illinois	www.depaul.edu	1
Dordt College	Sioux Center	Iowa	www.dordt.edu	1
Drury University	Springfield	Missouri	www.drury.edu	1
Elmira College	Elmira	New York	www.elmira.edu	1
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus	Madison	New Jersey	www.fdu.edu	1
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus	Teaneck	New Jersey	www.fdu.edu	1
Gannon University	Erie	Pennsylvania	www.gannon.edu	1
Kansas State University	Manhattan	Kansas	www.k-state.edu	1
Lincoln University	Jefferson City	Missouri	www.lincolnu.edu	1
Maryville University of Saint Louis	Saint Louis	Missouri	www.maryville.edu	1
Missouri Southern State University	Joplin	Missouri	www.mssu.edu	1
Missouri Western State University	Saint Joseph	Missouri	www.missouriwestern.edu	1
Mount Mercy University	Cedar Rapids	Iowa	www.mtmercy.edu	1
Quincy University	Quincy	Illinois	www.quincy.edu	1
Ramapo College of New Jersey	Mahwah	New Jersey	www.ramapo.edu	1
SUNY College at Brockport	Brockport	New York	www.brockport.edu	1
Union College	Lincoln	Nebraska	www.ucollege.edu	1
University of Arizona	Tucson	Arizona	www.arizona.edu	1
University of Central Missouri	Warrensburg	Missouri	www.ucmo.edu	1
University of Evansville	Evansville	Indiana	www.evansville.edu	1
University of Idaho	Moscow	Idaho	www.uidaho.edu	1
University of Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indiana	uindy.edu	1
University of Mary	Bismarck	North Dakota	www.umary.edu	1
University of Sioux Falls	Sioux Falls	South Dakota	www.usiouxfalls.edu	1
Wartburg College	Waverly	Iowa	www.wartburg.edu	1
Washington Adventist University	Takoma Park	Maryland	www.wau.edu	1
Western New Mexico University	Silver City	New Mexico	www.wnmu.edu	1
Wilkes University	Wilkes-Barre	Pennsylvania	www.wilkes.edu	1

2017-2018 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in November, 2019)

Hybrid and Online MLS Degree Programs

The George Washington University (Health Sciences)

University of West Florida

University of Cincinnati Online

sponsored

Students looking for online programming as part of their MLS education typically will find two options: a hybrid bachelor's degree program with some campus visits required or a track for employed MLTs to complete a bachelor's degree and further their careers.

Students take online courses for general education requirements or electives while traveling to campus for MLS courses in the first track. The second track can be appropriate for those who have earned an associate's degree and are already employed as medical laboratory technicians who want to complete a four-year degree. The two years needed to finish this degree may necessitate that students complete clinical, internship, and practicum experiences, but many schools may allow these to be done in the area where the student resides.

Here are some schools that offer bachelor's degree completion programs in medical laboratory science:

Georgia Southern University

With campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, and Hinesville, Georgia Southern University offers an MLT-to-MLS degree that can be completed by taking 48 credits in the field, 15 of which must be done in clinical practicums. Another three credits are to be taken in laboratory management and education, which provides students insight into the financials, leadership, management, and personnel administration required at a lab.

To be accepted into the program, students must already be employed at an approved clinical site. Students can finish the degree in as little as 16 months, with some graduates finding work with the Centers for Disease Control, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the American Red Cross.

• Location: Savannah, GA
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS); Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges
• Expected Time to Completion: Four semesters
• Estimated Tuition: $182.13 per credit

University of Cincinnati

Medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) already working in the field who want to complete two more years of education for a bachelor's degree in MLS can turn to the University of Cincinnati for an online MLS degree program. Each term in the program, students are assigned to a specific cohort of students led by an instructor and interact through chat sessions, message boards, and other formats.

Preparing students for the ASCP MLS certification exam, this 100% online program can be completed in just over two years. Comprising 60 credits, the program includes courses such as clinical immunology; clinical fluid analysis; clinical microbiology; principles of immunohematology; statistics; hematology; hemostasis; clinical chemistry; and diagnostic molecular biology.

Admission requirements to the program include an associate degree in MLT or CLT from a NAACLS accredited institution, a minimum grade point average of 2.5, and proof of ASCP, AAB, or AMT CLT/MLT certification.

• Location: Cincinnati, OH
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
• Estimated Tuition: Resident ($532 per credit); non-resident ($547 per credit)

University of New Mexico

Many of the University of New Mexico's MLS courses are offered online through the UM School of Medicine with required on-campus lab training. Students can complete their MLS bachelor's degree in just one-and-half years of full-time study or three years of part-time study.

Admission dates are August and January of each year. Students complete their practical experiences at sites affiliated with the school in the state, such as Quest Diagnostics, TriCore Reference Laboratories, and the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center.

Comprising 63 credits, the program includes courses such as introduction to clinical chemistry; clinical microbiology; clinical hematology & hemostasis; clinical immunohematology; clinical parasitology; urinalysis rotation; and clinical serology.

• Location: Albuquerque, NM
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: Full-time (18 months); part-time (36 months)
• Estimated Tuition: NM residents ($264.20 per credit); non-residents ($954.34 per credit)

University of Tennessee

Students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center can complete a bachelor's degree in MLS by taking 36 credits in medical laboratory science. Based in Memphis, the school has several affiliate sites in Tennessee, including Baptist Memphis Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, through which students can complete clinical and practical hours.

Students can expect to gain clinical hours at more than one hospital in the state. This program prepares graduates to be eligible for the MLS licensure exam offered by ASCP, a certification required by many employers. The curriculum includes courses such as clinical chemistry; medical laboratory practices; hematology; blood bank; clinical microbiology; and advanced laboratory practices.

• Location: Memphis, TN
• Accreditation: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Expected Time to Completion: Three terms
• Estimated Tuition: In-state ($8,750); out-of-state ($10,375)

It is essential to know that to even be accepted into an online MLT-to-MLS program, students often need to have graduated from a program accredited through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

Other requirements also may be necessary for acceptance, including a specific minimum GPA or even letters of recommendation. Finally, there are more schools, in addition to those listed above, that offer certification-only programs. For more information about MLS certification, please see the licensing and certification section below.

School	City	State	Website	grads (2018)
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Cincinnati	Ohio	www.uc.edu	181
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks	North Dakota	und.edu	116
Michigan State University	East Lansing	Michigan	www.msu.edu	89
George Washington University	Washington	District of Columbia	www.gwu.edu	74
Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus	Ohio	www.osu.edu	69
The University of Texas Medical Branch	Galveston	Texas	www.utmb.edu	53
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond	Virginia	www.vcu.edu	53
Winston-Salem State University	Winston-Salem	North Carolina	www.wssu.edu	36
National University	La Jolla	California	www.nu.edu	28
University of Kentucky	Lexington	Kentucky	www.uky.edu	28
University of Nebraska Medical Center	Omaha	Nebraska	www.unmc.edu	27
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill	North Carolina	www.unc.edu	27
University of Southern Mississippi	Hattiesburg	Mississippi	www.usm.edu	27
South Dakota State University	Brookings	South Dakota	www.sdstate.edu	26
Marshall University	Huntington	West Virginia	www.marshall.edu	25
Augusta University	Augusta	Georgia	www.augusta.edu	23
Northern Michigan University	Marquette	Michigan	www.nmu.edu	23
Old Dominion University	Norfolk	Virginia	www.odu.edu	20
Tarleton State University	Stephenville	Texas	www.tarleton.edu	20
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center	Memphis	Tennessee	www.uthsc.edu	15
University of Mississippi	University	Mississippi	www.olemiss.edu	14
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	flex.wisconsin.edu	13
Santa Fe College	Gainesville	Florida	www.sfcollege.edu	12
East Mississippi Community College	Scooba	Mississippi	www.eastms.edu	4

2017-2018 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in November, 2019)

Medical Laboratory Science Core & Elective Courses

More than 240 MLS programs are accredited through the NAACLS, which means that students should have plenty of opportunities in the U.S. to be accepted into a program that has gone through rigorous outside review by this agency. Often, in MLS degree programs, there are pre-professional and professional components that need to be completed. For example, the pre-professional phase may include biology, chemistry, statistics, and general education requirements ranging from English to the social sciences or arts.

Students need to successfully complete their pre-professional courses, including obtaining a specific GPA, to be able to move on to the professional part of the program. The final two years of an MLS degree program include courses in:

• Blood banking
• Clinical parasitology
• Hematology & hemostasis
• Introduction to clinical chemistry
• Introduction to clinical microbiology
• Advanced clinical microbiology
• Laboratory operations math

Students may also need to complete clinical rotations, which are typically done after all of a student's MLS coursework has been finished. Lab hours are usually done on campus. If the program is offered online (as may be an option in some MLS completion programs), students may need to report to the campus lab or an approved lab elsewhere to complete this portion of their education.

Accreditation of Medical Laboratory Science Programs

The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) oversees the accreditation of MLS programs, in addition to programs in other related fields, such as cytogenetic technology (CT), histotechnician (HT), diagnostic molecular scientist (DMS), and more. Students may choose to attend a NAACLS-accredited program as a form of assurance that they will receive a quality education from qualified instructors.

The NAACLS, a nonprofit, independently accredits schools using a process that begins with submitting a self-study, which is then reviewed by the NAACLS and then sent back to the school for response and follow-up. From there, a site visit by NAACLS is scheduled.

Accreditation, when granted, can be given on a probationary basis, a two-year basis or, even for five years, depending on the number of non-compliance issues found. Perhaps, more important is that the NAACLS offers a search page on its website, allowing students to look for accredited programs by program name, institution name, or state.

In addition to programmatic accreditation through NAACLS, students should be sure to verify a school's institutional accreditation. Offered through US Department of Education-approved accrediting bodies such as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) or the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), this accreditation applies to the school as a whole. The institutional accrediting process is similar to programmatic accreditation but must be broader to cover all programs.

Career Outlook

According to the BLS (2022), demand for clinical technologists and technicians—a field related to MLS—is expected to grow by 7 percent from 2021 to 2031. Numerous factors are expected to contribute to this growth, including an aging Baby Boomer population in need of more services, such as lab work, to help identify Type 2 Diabetes or cancer conditions.

Because of this anticipated job growth, some 21,800 new positions are expected to become available in that decade. It is important to note that this outlook data applies to all medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, including medical laboratory scientists.

Career Facts	MLS
Related Careers	Chemist, Cytotechnologist, Histotechnologist, Materials Scientist, Microbiology Technologist, Veterinary Technologist
Common Job Titles	Medical Technologist, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Laboratory Technologist
Technology & Equipment	Microscopes, Advanced Analytical Equipment, Precision Testing Equipment, Computers
Sourced from BLS 2022

Licensing & Certification of Medical Laboratory Scientists

Upon graduation from a bachelor's level program, students may want to seek certification of their skills through an organization, such as the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), Board of Certification (BOC). The fee for its MLS certification exam is $240 as of September 2022.

To be eligible, a candidate must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited MLS program or from a program that includes biology, chemistry, and math courses in the past five years. There are six pathways of eligibility for the MLS examination.

When a student's eligibility documentation has been approved by the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC), they can schedule their exam through a Pearson Professional Center. If students pass the exam, they will receive their certification within three to five weeks of notification of their exam scores, and the certification is good for three years.

Why seek certification through the ASCP BOC? It allows professionals to demonstrate their competence in carrying out various responsibilities in the profession. Certification also can result in better job opportunities, higher pay, and even garnered respect from work associates. The ASCP BOC reports that its certifications (including in many fields and MLS) are sought by seven times as many lab professionals as lab certifications offered through different credentialing organizations.

In addition to certification, state licensure is required in some areas. According to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS), state licensure is required in 11 states: California, Hawaii, Florida, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, Louisiana, Nevada, West Virginia, Montana, and Georgia as well as Puerto Rico.

The licensing process is different in each state but typically requires proof of certification, education, and fingerprinting. Therefore, any aspiring MLS who plans to work in a state requiring licensure should be sure to research that specific state's requirements before enrolling in an MLS program to ensure they can meet all standards upon graduation.

Rachel Drummond Writer

Rachel Drummond is a freelance writer, educator, and yogini from Oregon. She's taught English to international university students in the United States and Japan for more than a decade and has a master's degree in education from the University of Oregon. A dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner, Rachel is interested in exploring the nuanced philosophical aspects of contemplative physical practices and how they apply in daily life. She writes about this topic among others on her blog (Instagram: @racheldrummondyoga).

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Source: https://www.medicaltechnologyschools.com/medical-lab-scientist

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