The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) degree program at Marshall Univesity in Huntington, West Virginia, is an online program that enables students who have already completed their A.A.S. in Medical Laboratory Technology to pursue a bachelor’s degree, often while working full-time in a clinical laboratory. Our online MLS program is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS).
Medical laboratory scientists perform specialized tests in areas such as flow cytometry, blood bank analysis, serology, immunology, clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics and parasitology. Most medical laboratory scientists are employed in hospital laboratories, physician’s offices, state and federal health agencies, and the armed forces. Upon successful completion, students are eligible for national American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification. Our Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science graduates are also well prepared for graduate programs such as medicine, physical therapy and forensics.
The Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department at Marshall provides continuing clinical medical education for the region. It is an ongoing mission of the department to implement innovative programs to meet the dynamic needs of the medical community.
Why study Medical Laboratory Science at Marshall?
Marshall University offers a convenient and affordable Medical Laboratory Science bachelor’s degree program. Our +2 online degree completion plan for the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science is specially designed for those who already have an associate’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.
Tuition rates for our online MLS program are very affordable compared to other programs across the country.
Our fully accredited laboratory science program does not require you to do a full clinical rotation, but rather, advanced clinical tasks that can be managed and completed while working either part-time or full-time in a medical laboratory setting.
Career Outlook for Medical Laboratory Science Majors
As the field of medicine continues to rapidly expand, so will the need for those whose services make the practice of modern healthcare possible. Given the present national shortage of laboratory professionals, degrees in this area ensure you future employment and career security. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, predicts a 13% growth in clinical laboratory science professions between 2016 and 2026.
The 2017 ASCP wage and vacancy survey showed that the national hourly wage for a non-supervisory medical laboratory scientist was close to $30 / hour. Wages continue to rise as the need to fill vacant positions in the field increases.
Locally, students from the online Medical Laboratory Science program at Marshall University have a 100% job placement rate; most are already employed as medical laboratory technicians either full-time or part-time while working on their MLS degree online.
As a clinical laboratory scientist, you can expect to perform a wide variety of testing in locations including:
Within the clinical laboratory, there are many opportunities for career advancement for the MLS graduate, some of which include:
Graduate Study
Our Medical Laboratory Science graduates are well prepared to go into graduate programs such as forensic science, pathology, pharmacy, public health, physician assistant and medicine.
Related graduate programs at Marshall University include:
Opportunities for Medical Laboratory Science Majors
Hands-on Research in Medical Laboratory Science
- General Education Course
- Milestone course: a key success marker for your major. See your advisor to discuss the importance of this course in your plan of study.
Four Year Plan
Medical laboratory scientists perform a variety of specialized tests in the clinical laboratory that provide information used by the physician to determine the extent and cause of disease. The tests performed by or supervised by the medical technologist are completed in such areas as hematology, blood banking, serology, immunology, clinical chemistry, bacteriology, and parasitology. The graduate medical technologist is prepared with the knowledge and abilities needed for certification by nationally recognized professional agencies. Certified medical laboratory scientists are accorded the status of professionals in the medical team. They often supervise laboratory sections, exercise independent judgement, and evaluate the work of others.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
| CHM 211
|
Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 217
|
Principles of Chem Lab I | 2 |
| ENG 101
|
Beginning Composition | 3 |
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| CLS 105
|
Medical-Lab Terminology (CT) | 3 |
| UNI 100 | Freshman First Class | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CHM 212
|
Principles Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 218
|
Principles of Chem Lab II | 2 |
| CMM 103
|
Fund Speech-Communication | 3 |
| SOC 200
|
Introductory Sociology (CT) (MC, WI) | 3 |
| MTH 130
|
College Algebra | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| BSC 227 | Human Anatomy | 3 |
| BSC 227L | Human Anatomy Lab | 1 |
| CLS 200
|
Clinical Biochemistry | 4 |
| CLS 230 | Clinical Hematology | 4 |
| ENG 201
|
Advanced Composition | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| BSC 228
|
Human Physiology | 3 |
| BSC 228L
|
Human Physiology Lab | 1 |
| CLS 210
|
Clinical Immunohematology | 4 |
| CLS 220 | Clinical Microbiology | 4 |
| CLS 255
|
Clinical Lab Problems | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| Summer Term | ||
| CLS 270 | Clin Practicum Hematology | 3 |
| CLS 271 | Clin Practicum Chemistry | 3 |
| CLS 272 | Clin Pract Immunohematol | 3 |
| CLS 273 | Clin Pract Microbiology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| CHM 327
|
Intro Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CLS 320 | Advanced Topics in CLS | 3 |
| ECN 200 or ECN 250 |
Survey of Economics or Principles Microeconomics |
3 |
| Core II Humanities (WI) | 3 | |
CLS 270 |
Clin Practicum Hematology (if not taken during summer) | |
CLS 271 |
Clin Practicum Chemistry (if not taken during summer) | |
CLS 272 |
Clin Pract Immunohematol (if not taken during summer) | |
CLS 273 |
Clin Pract Microbiology (if not taken during summer) | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CLS 310
|
Clin Immun & Mol Diag | 3 |
| STA 225
|
Introductory Statistics (CT) | 3 |
| Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
| CLS 466 | Diagnostic Physiology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| CLS 400 | Adv Clinical Chemistry | 2 |
| CLS 410
|
Adv Clin Immunohematology | 2 |
| CLS 420 | Adv Clinical Microbiology | 2 |
| CLS 430 | Adv Clinical Hematology | 3 |
| CLS 460 | Clinical Lab Mgt and Educ | 3 |
| CLS 499 | Seminar in Lab Medicine | 2 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CLS 464 | Lab Instrumen Inform Sys | 3 |
| CLS 472 | Adv CLS Clinical Practicum I | 3 |
| CLS 473 | Adv CLS Clinical Practicum II | 3 |
| CLS 468
|
Clinical Lab Research (Capstone) | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
Part Time Enrollment Plan
Full-time enrollment at Marshall University requires that students take a minimum of twelve credit hours. Prerequisite courses, other than CLS courses, that are listed in Year Three in the curriculum may be taken in any sequence and in any combination. Part-time enrollment in CLS courses at the BS-MLS level is permitted for working MLTs; however students must take the following courses together and in this sequence:
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
| CLS 460 | Clinical Lab Mgt and Educ | 3 |
| CLS 499 | Seminar in Lab Medicine | 2 |
| Credit Hours | 5 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CLS 310 | Clin Immun & Mol Diag | 3 |
| CLS 466 | Diagnostic Physiology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| CLS 400 | Adv Clinical Chemistry | 2 |
| CLS 410 | Adv Clin Immunohematology | 2 |
| CLS 420 | Adv Clinical Microbiology | 2 |
| CLS 430 | Adv Clinical Hematology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CLS 464 | Lab Instrumen Inform Sys 1 | 3 |
| CLS 468
|
Clinical Lab Research (Capstone) 1 | 3 |
| CLS 472 | Adv CLS Clinical Practicum I 1 | 3 |
| CLS 473 | Adv CLS Clinical Practicum II 1 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 32 | |
- 1
CLS courses in this final Spring Semester can only be taken immediately preceding anticipated commencement in May.
Once a student has been accepted into the BS-MLS online program, he/she will work together with the chair/program director to outline an acceptable curriculum completion plan.