Medical Laboratory Science, B.S. (Pending Final Approval)

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) provides a comprehensive foundation in the principles and practices of laboratory-based diagnostic testing that support the detection, evaluation, and management of disease. Medical laboratory scientists perform diagnostic tests that provide important information to determine the presence, extent, or absence of disease as well as data to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. They work with all types of body tissues and fluids, from blood and urine to cell samples. Major areas of specialization within the laboratory include hematology, clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, serology, urinalysis, immunohematology (blood bank) and molecular diagnostics.

Years 1-3 of the program constitute the preprofessional phase comprising of program and university prerequisite courses. Year 4 of the program constitutes the professional component and consists of advanced MLS-specific courses and labs, and the clinical internship. Students must apply to Year 4 during the winter semester of Year 3. Year 4 is a full-time program for admitted students.

Students must be admitted to the Medical Laboratory Science professional year (Year 4) and have Medical Laboratory Science listed as their major to be able to register for Year 4 and the clinical internship courses.

Schedule of Classes

Specific offerings for each semester may be found in the Schedule of Classes.

Requirements for the major in Medical Laboratory Science, B.S. program

Students completing a B.S. degree in Medical Laboratory Science must complete a minimum of 120 credits and the following:

General Education Requirements

In order to graduate on-schedule without taking additional courses, it is highly recommended that students meet with an Undergraduate Academic Adviser concerning the selection of all of their general education courses.

Each candidate for an Oakland University baccalaureate will need to satisfactorily complete approved courses in each of the following areas: Foundations, Explorations, and Integration. For details, refer to the General Education Requirements section of the catalog.

Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Core Courses

All courses below must be completed prior to formal admission to Year 4 of the Medical Laboratory Science program.

BIO 1200 - Biology I (4) *
BIO 2100 - Human Anatomy (4)
BIO 2101 - Human Anatomy Laboratory (1)
BIO 2600 - Human Physiology (4)
CDS 2010 - Careers in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences (1)
CDS 2070 - Health Care Systems Around the World (3) *
CDS 2100 - Medical Terminology (1)
CDS 2250 - Clinical Laboratory Theory and Techniques (2)
STA 2220 - Introduction to Statistical Concepts and Reasoning (4) * or STA 2222 - Statistical Methods for Biology (4) * or STA 2226 - Applied Probability and Statistics (4) *

Medical Laboratory Science Pre-Professional Courses

All courses below must be completed prior to formal admission to Year 4 of the Medical Laboratory Science program, except CHM 2340, PHY 1010 and PHY 1020 (however it is recommended that these courses also be completed before admission).

CHM 1440 - General Chemistry I (4) *
CHM 1450 - General Chemistry II (4)
CHM 1470 - General Chemistry Laboratory I (1) *
CHM 1480 - General Chemistry Laboratory II (1)
CHM 2340 - Organic Chemistry I (4)
PHY 1010 - General Physics I (4) *
PHY 1020 - General Physics II (4) *
CDS 4100 - Clinical Hematology (3)
CDS 4110 - Clinical Hematology Laboratory (1)
CDS 4230 - Medical Immunology (3)
CDS 4250 - Medical Biochemistry (4)
CDS 4300 - Clinical Microbiology (4)
CDS 4310 - Clinical Microbiology Laboratory (1)

Medical Laboratory Science Professional Courses

Enrollment in the following courses requires admission to Year 4 of the Medical Laboratory Science program through the formal application process (see “Admission” below for more details).

CDS 4240 - Immunohematology (3)
CDS 4241 - Immunohematology Laboratory (1)
CDS 4270 - Clinical Chemistry (4)
CDS 4280 - Clinical Chemistry Laboratory (1)
CDS 4350 - Clinical Parasitology, Mycology, Virology (3)
CDS 4360 - Clinical Parasitology, Mycology, Virology Lab (1)
CDS 4400 - Clinical Correlations (3) *
CDS 4200 - Advanced Concepts in Hematology (2)
CDS 4210 - Clinical Hemostasis (2)
CDS 4340 - Molecular Diagnostics (2)
CDS 4330 - Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (1)
CDS 4290 - Urinalysis and Body Fluids (1)
CDS 4800 - Laboratory Management (3)
MLS 4810 - Immunohematology Practicum (3)
MLS 4820 - Clinical Chemistry Practicum (3)
MLS 4830 - Clinical Microbiology Practicum (3)
MLS 4840 - Hematology/Coagulation Practicum (3)
*Courses that also satisfy the university general education requirement

Admission to medical laboratory science professional program and internship:

To be accepted into Year 4 of the program and the internship, students must submit a formal application to the program. Application is processed in the winter semester of Year 3 prior to the Fall start date of each year. Acceptance into the program is competitive and based on the prerequisite courses’ grade point average, personal interview, entrance exam score, and letters of recommendation.

Graduation requirements and grade point policy

Students in the professional medical laboratory science program whose cumulative grade point average falls below a 2.80 are not able to graduate with the B.S in MLS.

In order to remove program probationary status, students must raise their cumulative major grade point average to 2.80 or higher.

Academic Advising

All students are required to meet with their professional academic advisor in the School of Health Sciences at least once a year to review progress toward their degree.

Applicable Minors

All Minors are applicable to this major with the exception of the following Minor(s): Child Welfare, International Orientation for EGR/CS, and Sustainability Engineering.