Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences
Website: https://twu.edu/biology/undergraduate-programs/bachelor-of-science-in-medical-laboratory-sciences/
The Medical Laboratory Sciences Program is offered through the Division of Biology. The medical laboratory scientist becomes increasingly important as new and more effective techniques of laboratory diagnosis are developed. In addition, positions are frequently available in medical research. Career opportunities are found throughout the country in large and small communities.
Our program is designed to prepare the student as a member of the health services team and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. The student completes the pre-clinical phase during the first three years in the program and begins the clinical sequence in the senior year. This clinical rotation consists of both formal classes (hematology, parasitology, etc.) and hands-on laboratory training. Clinical rotation sites are approved by TWU and the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). TWU currently has four affiliate sites for completion of clinical training:
- Tarleton State University, Fort Worth, TX
- United Regional, Wichita Falls, TX
- Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
- Baylor Scott & White, Temple, TX
Certification
Completion of the program qualifies the Medical Laboratory Sciences student to take the National Registry Examination for certification as MLS (ASCP).
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrate critical thinking by using logic and reasoning to interpret scientific results.
- Ability to design and conduct properly controlled experiments.
- Utilize modern scientific instruments and methods.
- Work collaboratively as part of a team to perform, analyze, interpret, and present research.
- Ability to understand and comply with laboratory safety guidelines.
Admissions
All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.
Admission to Clinical Rotations
In the third year of the program, Medical Laboratory Sciences students must submit an application and be accepted for clinical rotations at an affiliate site. TWU currently has four affiliate sites for completion of clinical training:
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 122-123
Major: 34 SCH; Required Minor: 20-21 SCH (Chemistry)
Program Code: MEDTECH.BS; CIP Code: 51.1005.00
Lecture and lab must be taken concurrently. A minimum grade of C is mandatory in all required courses for Medical Laboratory Sciences majors.
Texas Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | 3 |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Life & Physical Sciences | 6 | |
| Language, Philosophy, & Culture | 3 | |
| Creative Arts | 3 | |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | 3 |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | 3 |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| CAO: Women's Studies | 3 | |
| CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics | 3 | |
| Total SCHs | 42 | |
Courses Required for Major
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| BACT 3113 & BACT 3111 | General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
| BACT 4113 & BACT 4111 | Immunology and Immunology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 4813 & BIOL 4811 | Molecular and Cellular Biology: Gene Expression and Molecular and Cellular Biology: Gene Expression Laboratory | 4 |
| ZOOL 4243 & ZOOL 4241 | Medical Physiology and Medical Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 4681 | Biology Seminar | 1 |
| Biology Elective from BACT, BIOL, or ZOOL | 9 | |
| Total SCHs | 26 | |
Departmental Requirements
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1113 & BIOL 1111 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 1123 & BIOL 1121 | Principles of Biology II and Principles of Biology II Laboratory | 4 |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| CHEM 2213 & CHEM 2211 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 3223 & CHEM 3221 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| Choose one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Quantitative Chemical Analysis and Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory | ||
| Biochemistry I and Biochemistry I Laboratory | ||
| MATH 1303 | College Algebra | 3-4 |
| or MATH 2014 | Calculus I | |
| MATH 1703 | Elementary Statistics I | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Principles of Physics I and Principles of Physics Laboratory I | ||
| General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I | ||
| Total SCHs | 38-40 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Laboratory Sciences Clinical Rotation | 27 | |
| Total SCHs | 27 | |
Students must satisfy the 3 SCH global perspectives graduation requirement.
During the first three years of this program, students complete Core and degree requirements toward preparation for clinical training at an approved affiliate site. Students may need to complete some of this coursework during summer sessions in order to finish classes within a three year period. The senior year will be spent at an affiliate hospital with a contractual agreement with TWU.
General types of courses in the senior year include studies in the areas of microbiology, parasitology, clinical chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, mycology, and histology.
Clinical year arrangements are made with the Director of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program. Medical Laboratory Sciences majors must submit a cross-registration form to the Division of Biology for each semester of the clinical program. The clinical component semester credit hours will be transferred to Texas Woman's University as 30 or more advanced semester hours credit.
Minor
No minor is offered in Medical Laboratory Sciences. The minor in chemistry is incorporated within the medical technology curriculum.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CHEM 1113 & CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 1123 & CHEM 1121 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| CHEM 2213 & CHEM 2211 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 3223 & CHEM 3221 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| Choose one of the following | 4-5 | |
| Quantitative Chemical Analysis and Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory | ||
| Biochemistry I and Biochemistry I Laboratory | ||
| Total SCHs | 20-21 | |
Recommended Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | TCCN | SCHs | |
| BIOL 1113 & BIOL 1111 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory | BIOL 1406 & BIOL 1106 | 4 |
| CHEM 1113 & CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | CHEM 1311 & CHEM 1111 | 4 |
| MATH 1303 | College Algebra | MATH 1314 | 3 |
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | ENGL 1301 | 3 |
| UNIV 1231 | Learning Frameworks: First-Year Seminar | EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 1300 | 1 |
| SCHs | 15 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| BIOL 1123 & BIOL 1121 | Principles of Biology II and Principles of Biology II Laboratory | BIOL 1407 & BIOL 1107 | 4 |
| CHEM 1123 & CHEM 1121 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | CHEM 1312 & CHEM 1112 | 4 |
| MATH 1703 | Elementary Statistics I | MATH 1342 | 3 |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
| Multicultural Women's Studies CAO Core | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| BACT 3113 & BACT 3111 | General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | 4 | |
| CHEM 2213 & CHEM 2211 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | CHEM 2323 & CHEM 2123 | 4 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | GOVT 2305 | 3 |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | HIST 1301 | 3 |
| Biology Elective (in consultation with advisor) | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| ZOOL 4243 & ZOOL 4241 | Medical Physiology and Medical Physiology Laboratory | 4 | |
| CHEM 3223 & CHEM 3221 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 | |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | GOVT 2306 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | HIST 1302 | 3 |
| Creative Arts Core | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| BIOL 4813 & BIOL 4811 | Molecular and Cellular Biology: Gene Expression and Molecular and Cellular Biology: Gene Expression Laboratory | 4 | |
| PHYS 1133 & PHYS 1131 | Principles of Physics I and Principles of Physics Laboratory I | PHYS 1301 & PHYS 1101 | 4 |
| Biology Elective (in consulation with advisor) | 3 | ||
| Social/Behavioral Science Core | 3 | ||
| Language, Philosophy & Culture Core | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 17 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| BACT 4113 & BACT 4111 | Immunology and Immunology Laboratory | 4 | |
| Chose one of the following | 4-5 | ||
| Quantitative Chemical Analysis and Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory | |||
| Biochemistry I and Biochemistry I Laboratory | |||
| BIOL 4681 | Biology Seminar | 1 | |
| Biology Elective (in consultation with advisor) | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 12-13 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| Clinical Rotation - Upper Level | 14 | ||
| SCHs | 14 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| Clinical Rotation - Upper Level | 13 | ||
| SCHs | 13 | ||
| Total SCHs: | 122-123 | ||
