Medical Laboratory Science, BS

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Program Description

The Bachelor of Science in MLS degree prepares students to function as medical laboratory scientists in a wide variety of settings including hospital laboratories, clinics, research labs, physician office laboratories, public health laboratories and reference labs. The requirements the first 3 years include courses in biology, chemistry, math, social sciences, and humanities. The senior year includes advanced study in the MLS disciplines along with clinical practice in the clinical facilities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • Possess a broad understanding of science and its in-depth applications, techniques, principles, and instruments used to their specific option within the medical laboratory sciences major.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking skills
  • Practice the skills necessary to analyze and interpret test results through knowledge of physiological and pathological conditions that affect testing.

Admission to the MLS program is one time per year.  Students must complete an application to the MLS program and submit to the Program Director before May 30.  An interview may be requested.  Students should consult their Academic Advisor for additional information.

Medical Laboratory Science Certification

The medical laboratory scientist holds a key position in life-and-death matters involving the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Therefore, the practice of medical laboratory science is regulated both from within the profession and, in some states, by law. In addition to the coursework for the baccalaureate degree, employment as a medical laboratory scientist requires professional certification. A student may obtain one of three certifications in medical laboratory science: generalist, clinical chemist, or medical microbiologist. Complete information (and an application for the certification examination in any area) may be obtained from the medical laboratory science director. To apply for certification, a student must earn a “C” or better in all CLSC courses; and an interview and reference letters also may be required.

Medical Laboratory Science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is approved through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS).

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General Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours: 42 are from designated Core Curriculum Program courses, 20 are from medical laboratory core courses, 12-14 are required Foundation courses and 44 are Clinical courses. After their sophomore year (60 semester hours), students must have (and maintain) a cumulative GPA of 2.70 or above in their course work, with no course work older than 6 years. No “D” or “F” grades will be accepted as credit within the clinical laboratory core or clinical courses (see Notes).

Requirements Credit Hours
University Seminar (when applicable)1 or Professional Skills 2
Core Curriculum Program 42
Medical Laboratory Core Courses 20
Required Foundation Courses 12-14
Clinical Courses 44
Total Credit Hours 120-122
1

Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.

Program Requirements

Full-time, First-year Students1
USSE 1201University Seminar2
Core Curriculum Program
University Core Curriculum42
MATH 1442
Statistics for Life 2
Medical Laboratory Science Core Courses
BIOL 1406
Biology I
BIOL 1407
Biology II
BIOL 2416Genetics4
BIOL 2421Microbiology4
CHEM 1411General Chemistry I4
CHEM 1412General Chemistry II4
CHEM 3411Organic Chemistry I4
Required Foundation Courses
Although no specific courses are required, students will find familiarity with anatomy and/or physiology, or other science electives, to be extremely beneficial.
MATH 1442
Statistics for Life (included in University Core) 2
CHEM 4401Biochemistry I4
CLSC 3300Clinical Immunology and Serology3
or BIMS 4406 Immunology
or BIOL 4406 Immunology
ELECTIVES - to reach 1204-6
Clinical Courses
CLSC 3102Essentials Laboratory for Clinical Laboratory Science1
CLSC 3200Essentials for Applied Laboratory Sciences2
CLSC 4182Seminar – Clinical Correlations 31
CLSC 4200Professional Skills for Clinical Laboratory Scientists2
CLSC 4280Introduction to the Clinical Laboratory Profession 32
CLSC 4220Hematology II2
CLSC 4297Professional Practicum I 32
CLSC 4325Clinical Chemistry I3
CLSC 4326Clinical Chemistry II3
CLSC 4370Clinical Microbiology I3
CLSC 4371Clinical Microbiology II3
CLSC 4382Advanced Medical Laboratory Procedures 33
CLSC 4598Professional Practicum II 35
CLSC 4420Hematology4
CLSC 4599Professional Practicum III 35
CLSC 4430Immunohematology4
Total Hours120-122
1

Students entering with some college credit may not be required to the University Seminar course (see First-Year University Seminar for rules and exceptions concerning these course). Clinical Laboratory Science students must take CLSC 4200 Professional Skills for Clinical Laboratory Scientists (2 sch) whether or not they have taken University Seminar. 

2

The 3 hours of lecture is included in the University Core of the Math Foundations area, and the 1 hour of lab is included in the Component Area Option.

3

Admission to these courses is limited to students who have a minimum GPA of 2.7, and who have a “C” or better in all prerequisite Biology, Chemistry, and Biomedical Sciences courses. Full-time students will be given preference for admission to these courses.

Notes:

  1. If a student earns a grade of D, F or W in a CLSC course, the student will be dismissed from the CLSC program.
  2. Following dismissal, students may apply for reinstatement to the CLSC program. Reinstatement is competitive and is based upon space availability.
  3. In order for students to progress through the program, they must be in compliance with immunizations and hospital orientation regulations.

Course Sequencing

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallHours
USSE 1201 University Seminar 2
ENGL 1301 Writing and Rhetoric I 3
BIOL 1406 Biology I 4
CHEM 1411 General Chemistry I 4
 Hours13
Spring
ENGL 1302
or COMM 1311
 Writing and Rhetoric II
or Foundation of Communication
 3
CHEM 1412 General Chemistry II 4
BIOL 1407 Biology II 4
Language, Philosophy and Culture Core 3
 Hours14
Second Year
Fall
MATH 1442 Statistics for Life 4
CHEM 3411 Organic Chemistry I 4
BIOL 2421 Microbiology 4
 Hours12
Spring
POLS 2306 State and Local Government 3
HIST 1301 U.S. History to 1865 3
BIOL 2416 Genetics 4
CHEM 3412 Organic Chemistry II 4
 Hours14
Third Year
Fall
POLS 2305 U.S. Government and Politics 3
HIST 1302 U.S. History Since 1865 3
Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Requirement 3
Creative Arts Core Requirement 3
 Hours12
Spring
CHEM 4401 Biochemistry I 4
CLSC 3300 Clinical Immunology and Serology 3
Elective 3
 Hours10
Fourth Year
Fall
CLSC 3102 Essentials Laboratory for Clinical Laboratory Science 1
CLSC 3200 Essentials for Applied Laboratory Sciences 2
CLSC 4325 Clinical Chemistry I 3
CLSC 4430 Immunohematology 4
CLSC 4370 Clinical Microbiology I 3
CLSC 4220 Hematology II 2
 Hours15
Spring
CLSC 4297 Professional Practicum I 2
CLSC 4326 Clinical Chemistry II 3
CLSC 4371 Clinical Microbiology II 3
CLSC 4280 Introduction to the Clinical Laboratory Profession 2
CLSC 4382 Advanced Medical Laboratory Procedures 3
CLSC 4420 Hematology 4
 Hours17
Summer
CLSC 4200 Professional Skills for Clinical Laboratory Scientists 2
CLSC 4598 Professional Practicum II 5
CLSC 4599 Professional Practicum III 5
CLSC 4182 Seminar – Clinical Correlations 1
 Hours13
 Total Hours120

Courses

CLSC 3102  Essentials Laboratory for Clinical Laboratory Science  
1 Semester Credit Hour (1 Lab Hour)  
Application of essential practices for clinical laboratory science. Offered fall semester every year.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 3200  Essentials for Applied Laboratory Sciences  
2 Semester Credit Hours (1 Lecture Hour)  
Introduction to general laboratory procedures, laboratory safety and regulations, quality assurance, professional ethics, specimen acquisition, sample maintenance and microscopy. Includes an introduction to the health care, public health and criminal investigation system. Offered fall, spring and summer semesters every year.
Prerequisite: BIOL 1407 and CHEM 1412.
CLSC 3300  Clinical Immunology and Serology  
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)  
This course provides an overview of immunology with emphasis on immune system physiology and detailed examination of the specific cells, cytokines, antibodies, and molecules that comprise the immune system. The course will discuss the diseases of the immune system, transplantation, and serological procedures for diagnosing a variety of immune diseases and infectious diseases. Requires Instructor Approval.
Prerequisite: (BIOL 2416*).
* May be taken concurrently.
CLSC 4182  Seminar – Clinical Correlations  
1 Semester Credit Hour (1 Lecture Hour)  
Informal lectures covering the newest developments in laboratory medicine. Includes discussion of the patient's clinical laboratory results, selection and interpretation of laboratory tests, and presentation of research. Requires permission of instructor and application. Offered summer semester (summer II only) every year.
CLSC 4200  Professional Skills for Clinical Laboratory Scientists  
2 Semester Credit Hours (2 Lecture Hours)  
Study of the role of the medical laboratory professional in the health care system. Includes professional ethics, legal responsibility, medical laboratory management, instructional methods, evaluation of clinical laboratory methods, medical laboratory instrument selection, clinical research and current professional topics. Requires permission of instructor and application. Offered summer semester (summer I only) every year.
CLSC 4220  Hematology II  
2 Semester Credit Hours (2 Lecture Hours)  
Emphasis on blood coagulation and the interaction of blood vessels, platelets, and certain plasma proteins.  Disorders of hemostasis will be discussed along with diagnostic testing.
CLSC 4280  Introduction to the Clinical Laboratory Profession  
2 Semester Credit Hours (2 Lecture Hours)  
Studies of the latest instrumentation, instrument selection, basic research, quality assurance and statistics used in the clinical laboratory.
Prerequisite: (CLSC 3200, CHEM 4401 and MATH 1442).
CLSC 4297  Professional Practicum I  
2 Semester Credit Hours (2 Lecture Hours)  
Supervised learning experience in selected departments of the clinical laboratories.
CLSC 4325  Clinical Chemistry I  
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)  
Principles and practice of procedures found in general clinical chemistry. Includes the methodology of diagnostic tests and normal and abnormal human physiology as applied to diagnosis of pathological conditions.
Prerequisite: CHEM 4401.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 4326  Clinical Chemistry II  
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)  
Continuation of  CLSC 4325 - Clinical Chemistry I. Emphasis on advanced clinical chemistry topics and procedures.
Prerequisite: CLSC 4325.
CLSC 4370  Clinical Microbiology I  
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)  
Lecture and laboratory studies of common pathogenic bacteria. Emphasis is on staining, cultural, and differential biochemical characteristics, methods of isolation from body fluids and susceptibility to therapeutic agents.
Prerequisite: BIOL 2421.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 4371  Clinical Microbiology II  
3 Semester Credit Hours (2 Lecture Hours, 3 Lab Hours)  
Lecture and laboratory studies of parasitic, viral, mycological and unusual bacterial human pathogens. Emphasis on methods of isolation from body fluids, identification methods and correlation with pathology.
Prerequisite: CLSC 4370.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 4382  Advanced Medical Laboratory Procedures  
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)  
Lecture and laboratory studies of the newest development in laboratory diagnostic medicine. Includes advanced clinical chemistry, immunology and molecular diagnostic procedures.
Prerequisite: CLSC 4325 and BIMS 4406 or BIOL 4406 and CHEM 4401.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 4420  Hematology  
4 Semester Credit Hours (4 Lecture Hours)  
Studies of the formation, function and identifying characteristics of the cellular elements of human blood and other body fluids in health and diseased states and laboratory studies on blood coagulation. Lecture and laboratory emphasize the enumeration, morphology and staining characteristics of normal and abnormal cells and hemostasis.
Prerequisite: BIOL 2416 and CHEM 4401.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 4430  Immunohematology  
4 Semester Credit Hours (4 Lecture Hours)  
Theoretical aspects of the immune response and its relationship to the diagnosis of disease and clinical immunohematology. Lecture and laboratory stress the detection, identification and characterization of antibodies, blood grouping and typing, compatibility testing, blood component therapy, HLA testing and diagnosis of pathological conditions.
Prerequisite: BIMS 4406 or BIOL 4406.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0092.  
CLSC 4598  Professional Practicum II  
5 Semester Credit Hours (5 Lecture Hours)  
Continuation of  CLSC 4297 - Professional Practicum I. Supervised learning experience in selected departments of the clinical laboratories.
Prerequisite: CLSC 4297.
CLSC 4599  Professional Practicum III  
5 Semester Credit Hours (5 Lecture Hours)  
Continuation of  CLSC 4598 - Professional Practicum II. Supervised learning experience in selected departments of the clinical laboratories.
Prerequisite: CLSC 4598.