Bachelor's Degree in Medical Laboratory Science
Bachelor's Degree in Medical Laboratory Science
The Medical Laboratory Science program prepares students for an exciting career, for which employment prospects are significant. As one of the best Medical Laboratory Science programs in CT, UB's degree program has achieved national accreditation through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
What is Medical Laboratory Science?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics defines Medical Laboratory Science as follows: Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Clinical laboratory technologists, also referred to as clinical laboratory scientists or medical technologists, and clinical laboratory technicians, also known as medical technicians or medical laboratory technicians, perform most of these tests.
A Career with Varied Work
The work is exciting and demanding! As a student in the Medical Laboratory Science program, you will learn how to examine and analyze body fluids and cells from normal and diseased patients. You will look for bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms, analyze the chemical content of blood and body fluids, match blood for transfusions and test for drug levels in the blood that show how a patient is responding to treatment. Laboratory Scientists also prepare specimens for examination, count cells, and look for abnormal cells in blood and body fluids. They use microscopes, cell counters, run analyzers, and other sophisticated laboratory equipment. They use automated equipment and computerized instruments capable of performing a number of tests simultaneously. After testing and examining a specimen, laboratory scientists analyze the results, make decisions around the quality of the specimen and validity of results and then relay those results to physicians as part of the patient care team.
There are many industries that require the skills and knowledge of the Medical Laboratory Scientist. Check out our career page.
Benefits of being a Medical Laboratory Scientist
- Multiple career opportunities within various clinical, reference or research labs
- Challenging and constantly changing technology
- Excellent entry-level salaries and opportunities for growth
- Flexible hours and part-time opportunities
- Foundation for other health-related careers (Medical School, Physician Assistant)
- Becoming an integral part of the health care team and providing quality patient care
Medical Technology Workforce
There is an acute workforce shortage in Medical Technology in the state of Connecticut and the nation. The University has secured the commitment from regional hospitals to serve as clinical sites for students in the program. Because of retirements in the field, the profession needs 15,000 new practitioners per year, yet educational programs graduate approximately 5,000 students per year creating a shortage and opportunity for students according to the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. The number of NAACLS accredited medical technology programs dropped from 709 in 1975 to 234 in 2018 with the University of Bridgeport’s program is one of them. The overall medical laboratory workforce across the United States is gradually getting younger as increased numbers of longtime employees in the profession are retiring, according to the results of the ASCP 2017 Wage Survey, published online Oct. 1 in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP). This has created many openings and opportunities in the field for graduating students.
2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the 3,660 Medical Laboratory Scientists in Connecticut comprise 0.018% of the overall CT workforce with an average mean wage of $63,520 per year. The ASCP Wage and salary survey showed that compared with 2015, there is an overall increase in salaries for most of the laboratory occupations surveyed in response to demand.
Program Outcomes
| Job placement in career-related fields except for students pursuing advanced degrees | Average graduation rate for students having completed clinical rotations | Average pass rate on the national certification exam over three years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 100% | 100% | 93% |
| 2020 | 100% | 100% | 93% |
| 2019 | 100% | 100% | 93% |
Apply for Admission
2023 applications are now open!
No application fee
Contact us to learn more about the application process, financial aid, or any of our career-focused programs. Fall 2023 Early Action Deadline! Domestic freshmen submit your completed application by November 15 to receive an admissions decision by the holidays and priority consideration for scholarships — UB is test optional!
Want to learn more about UB before you apply?
Apply to University of Bridgeport before our Early Action Deadline on November 15 and receive priority consideration for a merit scholarship. Merit scholarship awards are based on a 4.0 cumulative GPA scale. If your high school uses a different GPA scale, Admissions will convert this to a 4.0 during the application review process.
Here’s a snapshot at what you could be awarded:
- Trustee Scholarship - $25,000
- Presidential Scholarship - $20,000
- Provost Scholarship - $17,500
- Dean Scholarship - $15,000
There’s no better time to submit your UB application than now — we are test optional and it’s free to apply! Take the next step toward becoming a Purple Knight and submit your application today!
Medical Laboratory Science Courses
Completion of the Medical Laboratory Science degree requires 28 weeks of supervised clinical work in a hospital laboratory, provided by our clinical affiliates.
Since the curriculum includes laboratory work done under professional supervision, the degree candidate not only must satisfy the customary expectations of academic work but also must meet the high-quality standards demanded of a professional medical laboratory scientist. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.7. MLS students are required to maintain a grade of C or better in all required courses. MLS students must pass a comprehensive pre-clinical examination prior to pursuing their clinical rotations.
Individual professional liability is recommended of each student and can be purchased through the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS). Criminal background checks and/or drug screening may be required before clinical rotations. A background check that is not “clear” may preclude rotations at some hospitals and prevents employment at most healthcare facilities.
As a closure requirement for graduation, students must pass a comprehensive department examination covering all aspects of clinical laboratory science. However, issuing of the degree is not contingent on passing any type of external certification or licensure examination.
General Education Requirements
| Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | English Composition | 3 |
| FYS 101 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| MATH 109 | Precalculus | 4 |
| CHEM 103 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 104 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| PHIL 110 | Healthcare Ethics | 3 |
| HUM | Humanities Core | 3 |
| PSYC 103 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOSC | Social Science Core | 3 |
| FA | Fine Arts Core | 3 |
| CAPS 390 | Capstone | 3 |
| BIOL 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| Total | 31 |
Science Foundation Courses
| Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 102 | General Biology II | 4 |
| BIOL 211 | General Physiology | 4 |
| CHEM 205 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| MATH 203/203B | Biostatistics | 4 |
| CHEM 206 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 302 | Analytical Methods | 4 |
| CHEM 360 | Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 320 | Microbiology | 4 |
| PHYS 201 | General Physics I* | 4 |
| BIOL 307 | Genetics/Asterics | 3 |
| BIOL 213 | Anatomy and Physiology l** | 4 |
| BIOL 214 | Anatomy and Physiology ll** | 4 |
| CHEM 203 | Principles of Organic Chemistry*** | 4 |
| Total | 31-38 |
*Recommended Courses
** may be substituted for BIOL 211 General Physiology if the possibility of pursuing medical school or PA programs exists
*** may be substituted for CHEM 205 and 206, substitution not recommended for those pursuing medical school or PA.
Medical Laboratory Science Courses
| Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| MLSC 301 | Phlebotomy/Safety | 2 |
| MLSC 310 | Intro to Hematology/Coagulation/Body Fluids | 2 |
| MLSC 310L | Introduction to Hematology/Coagulation/Body Fluids | 1 |
| MLSC 311 | Intro to Clinical Chemistry | 2 |
| MLSC 314 | Intro to Immunohematology | 2 |
| MLSC 317 | Mycology/Parasite/Virology | 4 |
| MLSC 320 | Preclinical Seminar | 1 |
| MLSC 321 | Clinical Seminar I Education | 1 |
| MLSC 322 | Clinical Seminar II Mgmt | 1 |
| MLSC 332 | Medical Bacteriology | 3 |
| MLSC 332L | 1 | |
| MLSC 341 | Immunology | 4 |
| MLSC 350 | Advanced Hematology | 3 |
| MLSC 354 | Advanced Immunohematology | 2 |
| MLSC 355 | Advanced Clinical Chemistry | 2 |
| MLSC 380 | Phlebotomy Rotation | 2 |
| MLSC 382 | Clinical Hematology Lab Rotation | 4 |
| MLSC 384 | Clinical Chem Lab Rotation | 5 |
| MLSC 385 | Clinical Micro Lab Rotation | 4 |
| MLSC 386 | Clinical Immunohematology Lab Rotation | 3 |
| MLSC 388 | Clinical Correlations (Clinical) | 2 |
| MLSC 399A | Senior Project (Optional) | 1-6 |
| BIOL 345 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 380 | Physiological Chemistry | 3 |
| BIO 343 | Medical Genomics | 3 |
| Total | 60-66 |
Total: 122-130 credits
Medical Laboratory Science Career Opportunities
The Clinical Laboratory Scientist has one of the most marketable science careers. Our graduates have found jobs in the hospital, private, reference, public health and physician office laboratories. Graduates are also hired for instrument and reagent sales, laboratory information technology, research and pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology and education and laboratory management.
"As a former laboratory administrator, our relationship with the University of Bridgeport Medical Laboratory Science Program provided our laboratory with a steady stream of students which were hired as employees after graduation. The opportunity to provide clinical rotations kept our laboratory staff up to date and allowed us to vet prospective employees. This provided a win for both the laboratory and the program! I am a graduate of this program from the 70's and it has provided me with a career for life, from phlebotomist, to technologist, to educator and administrator."
- Patricia Clark, former UB MLS student
"The program prepared me for the job market through the clinical internship. I was introduced to the clinical laboratory and the great people who work there. My advisor at UB helped open doors for me that led to a job and a career."
- Matt, clinical microbiologist
Students may also choose to continue their education in programs such as Physician Assistant, Medical School, MBA, and other advanced degrees. The program of study offers flexibility which makes it relevant to other fields.
The job market is wide open, with opportunities at entry level as well as supervisory and management positions. Come and explore your science career options in the Medical Laboratory Science Program.
