B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science (2+2)
Prepare to become a detective in a high-growth area of healthcare, analyzing body fluids in the laboratory to assist physicians in patient diagnosis and treatment.
A medical laboratory scientist can perform multiple roles, including conducting and evaluating diagnostic laboratory procedures on body fluids, developing new diagnostic procedures, supervising biomedical research projects, providing technical expertise, consulting, managing clinical and research laboratory departments, and analyzing and implementing laboratory information systems. At the University of Mississippi, students complete two years of pre-requisite courses while enrolled in Allied Health Studies then apply to a competitive-entry professional program.
Key Benefits
Students complete two years of pre-requisites while enrolled in the Allied Health Studies at UM in preparation for the competitive-entry final two years of the program, which are designed to provide students with broad-based knowledge in clinical and basic sciences. Major areas of training in laboratory science are hematology, immunohematology (transfusion medicine), clinical microbiology, clinical chemistry, clinical immunology, body fluid analysis and molecular diagnostics. The program offers a unique blend of coursework combined with clinical instruction in hospital laboratories.
Graduate Outcomes
Graduates of the MLS program are eligible to take national examinations for certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, such as those offered by the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology. In comparison to one-year hospital-based programs, two-year university-based programs are focused more on developing a student into a professional medical laboratory scientist who has the skills and knowledge to accept positions in various health care settings, biotechnology/molecular biology industries, biomedical manufacturing industries and research institutions.
Experiences Offered
Allied Health Studies was designed with health professions students in mind. It allows our students the flexibility to obtain prerequisites for the vast amount of health professions programs in the country, while also working toward a four year degree. Students will gain a liberal arts foundation, while also having the ability to mix and match classes based on their health professions area of interest, such as medical laboratory science.
Course Requirements
The first phase of the Bachelor of Science in medical laboratory science degree program consists of 60 semester hours in academic residence in the Allied Health Studies program at UM with a 2.5 minimum GPA. The second phase is in a professional program such as the Medical Laboratory Sciences program offered at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and includes lectures, laboratories, and clinical rotations in selected hospitals.
Admissions Requirements
Students who attend the University of Mississippi in Oxford for their pre-requisites are not automatically admitted to the medical laboratory science program in Jackson. Admission is competitive, and different medical laboratory science schools have different requirements.