Medical Laboratory Science - General Concentration (BA or BS)

Faculty Coordinating Committee: Campbell (Chemistry and Biochemistry), Faulkner (Biology, Chair), Stover (Biology), Fry (Chemistry and Biochemistry, Chair)

Adjunct Faculty: Affiliate Instructors Carlson and Jobst.

Medical Laboratory Science is an interdepartmental major jointly sponsored by the Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The objective of the program is to provide the student with the appropriate background for admission to an accredited medical laboratory science hospital program. Students electing the Medical Laboratory Science program will be assigned an advisor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and must complete either the Clinical or General concentrations to fulfill the program requirements.

Students desiring a major in Medical Laboratory Science will be required to complete a minimum of 45 hours of science and math courses distributed as follows:

• 19 hours of biology
• 20 hours of chemistry
• 3 hours of biology/chemistry elective
• 3 hours of elementary statistics

Students must submit a petition to advance to candidacy in the program following completion of the following courses with a C or better.

At the completion of 60 hours of coursework, a 3.0 cumulative GPS and a 3.0 science GPA are required for advancement to candidacy in the Medical Laboratory Science -Clinical concentration. Majors who are eligible for the Clinical concentration (a 3+1 program) usually complete their University coursework in the third year and spend their final year in a clinical internship at an affiliated hospital program. Students in this concentration traditionally apply to one or more of the affiliated hospital practicum programs by December 1st of their junior year. Admission to the clinical practicum is competitive and determined by a selection committee external to Bradley. Continuation in the Clinical concentration of the Medical Laboratory Science program is contingent upon acceptance into an affiliated hospital clinical practicum. All affiliated clinical programs are accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS).  After successful completion of a clinical practicum, the student will be granted a bachelor’s degree from Bradley. Upon receipt of the B.S., graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification exams in Medical Laboratory Science.

Students who are not selected for a senior year clinical practicum are eligible to transition into the Medical Laboratory Science-General concentration. In addition, students may elect the General concentration instead of the Clinical concentration to fulfill the Medical Laboratory Science program requirements. After successful completion of the General concentration coursework and all University requirements, the student will be granted a bachelor’s degree from Bradley.

Students who have graduated from a program other than the Medical Laboratory Science-Clinical concentration and who have completed the appropriate science courses are eligible to apply to any NAACLS-accredited medical laboratory science clinical practicum in the nation. Following completion of the practicum year, they will have the credentials to be a Medical Laboratory Scientist. 

Required math and science hours (minimum) in the Medical Laboratory Science major- 45 hrs.

Total required math and science hours (minimum) in the Medical Laboratory Science program – 67 to 78 hrs.

Note: Those students who have not attained an overall grade point average and a science GPA of at least 3.0 after completion of 60 semester hours will complete the General concentration to fulfill the major requirement.

The hours required for a major in Medical Laboratory Science are distributed as follows:

• Biology – 19 to 23 hrs.
• Chemistry - 20 to 23 hrs.
• Statistics - 3 hrs.
• English - 6 hrs.
• Speech Communication - 3 hrs.
• Core Curriculum Electives– 21 hrs.
• Concentration (Clinical or General)-22 to 32 hrs.

Total (minimum) – 120 hrs.

Students in the General concentration must complete 22-23 additional science hours as delineated below;

Upon receipt of the baccalaureate degree and successful completion of the hospital clinical practicum, graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification exams in Medical Laboratory Science.

 The following schedule of courses is suggested for the first year.

 This is a suggested plan of study to complete this program. Students should work with their academic advisor to develop a plan that best meets their individual educational goal