Medical Laboratory Science
The degree program includes three years of undergraduate (BS pre-clinicals) studies plus one year (3 semesters) of clinical (BSMLS) education.
Pre-clinical Program. The first three years of undergraduate study include General Education, cognate science, and preclinical degree requirements. Program options feature directed elective course work selected in consultation with the faculty advisor according to the student’s career goals and interests.
Clinical (Professional) Program. The year of clinical studies is comprised of lectures and student laboratories on the Berrien Springs campus and clinical practica at an affiliated hospital or clinical laboratory site.
Clinical Experience (Practica). Students work side-by-side with practicing professionals in patient health care during the final portion of the clinical year. Andrews University maintains a number of affiliations with clinical institutions across the country. Student preferences for clinical site assignments are solicited and granted when possible. Final site assignments are made at the discretion of the faculty. Each student is responsible for providing his/her own transportation for the clinical practica. We strongly advice that each student have his/her own car for that purpose.
Clinical Year Admission Requirements. An independent admissions process is required for university students who wish to enter clinical studies. The application form may be obtained from the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) office. Students should complete the application and return it to the departmental office by January 31 prior to their anticipated clinical-study year.
Admission requires an overall GPA of 2.50. In the admissions process, the GPAs for the cognate science courses and medical laboratory science content courses are computed together. This combined GPA must also be a minimum of 2.50. Preference is given to students with the higher GPAs. Students may only repeat the fundamentals courses once to be eligible for admission consideration for the program.
Applicants must be able to meet the program’s published Essential Functions, copies of which are incorporated into the application packet, and express a willingness to comply with the principles, rules, regulations, and policies of both the university and the program as they relate to the ideals and values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the medical laboratory science profession.
All prerequisite course work, including General Education, cognate science, and pre-clinical courses, must be completed prior to entry into the clinical year. A personal interview may be required at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.
In exceptional circumstances, the Admissions Committee may accept students outside the stated policy.
Student Progression in Clinical Year. The clinical year is highly structured and sequential. Enrolled students may not drop a class, audit a class, or earn a grade lower than C- in any class. Students may enter clinical practica only upon satisfactory completion of on-campus course work. Satisfactory completion is defined as a senior-year minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 and the recommendation of the faculty. A student receiving a cumulative GPA of less than 2.50 may be allowed to advance if the program faculty identifies exceptional circumstances and recommends that the student continue in the program.
Student continuance in the clinical practica is conditional upon acceptable ethical deportment and exemplary patient-care practices. The clinical affiliate supervisors and program faculty are final arbiters in determining student continuance.
Professional Certification. Students who complete the degree program are eligible to write the national certification examination sponsored by the ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathology) Board of Certification.
Program Accreditation. The Andrews University Program for Medical Laboratory Sciences holds accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N River Rd, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, (773) 714-8880 fax (773) 714-8886, e-mail at info@naacls, or the Web at www.naacls.org.
Refer to the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences web site for the MLS Program Year Calendar.
