Medical Laboratory Science, BS

What you will study

UCM’s bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science program will train you to collect and analyze information with the appropriate techniques and scientific instruments. You’ll learn how biologists think and problem-solve while building your communication and collaboration skills. 

While Medical Laboratory Sciences programs with lab-based coursework are becoming hard to find, the University of Central Missouri firmly believes that face-to-face and hands-on lab courses are crucial for preparing you to work in the field. Our labs are primarily run by faculty with doctorates in their specialty areas.
Some of the rigorous, innovative courses you’ll take while earning your bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science include:

• A human anatomy course created through a grant from the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) that embraces the flipped classroom environment, using class time for active engagement instead of lectures.
• A course in human physiology in which you’ll observe and collect data from your own body one week, and then use that data to predict responses in diseased case studies the next week

 

Unique learning opportunities in medical laboratory sciences

Benefit from experiential learning throughout your entire course of study in the University of Central Missouri’s Medical Laboratory Sciences program. Your experience will enable you to step confidently into your new career, wherever in the world your international certification takes you.

• Final year on-the-job training: After three years of studying with leading professionals in the field, you’ll spend your entire final year of UCM’s undergraduate Medical Laboratory Science program on site with one of our hospital training affiliates. With continuous support from your UCM faculty and peers, you’ll be ready to excel at a clinical job or to continue your studies at the graduate level.
• Choose the right clinical fit: Take advantage of the University of Central Missouri’s many high-quality clinical affiliates, spread throughout the state, to select the clinical training opportunity that best suits your goals.
• Student leadership opportunities: Get involved with student groups such as the American Medical Student Association, Paramedico and Beta Beta Beta National Biology Honors Society. 
• Undergraduate research: While earning your bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in co-curricular research opportunities, which build job skills and add value to your undergraduate degree.

 

What can you do with a bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science from UCM?

Qualified candidates for medical laboratory sciences jobs are in strong demand. Whether you want to go to medical school or become a clinical lab scientist, your UCM degree in Medical Laboratory Science puts your future within reach. 

The University of Central Missouri’s hospital training affiliates praise our students’ level of preparedness. UCM graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science have gone on to work around Missouri, the country and the world in:

• Hospitals
• Research, diagnostic and clinical laboratories
• Medical and veterinary practices

National licensure and professional certification

Your bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science will also qualify you to take the licensure exam of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Scientists (NAACLS). Thanks to our program’s excellent preparatory work, all UCM students who have taken this exam have passed it. 

With this license, you just need a year-long clinical rotation at an affiliated hospital to become a certified Medical Laboratory Scientist (ASCP) or Clinical Laboratory Scientist (ASCP). Professional certification helps you qualify to apply for graduate or professional training in nearly all medical fields. 

Excellent employment prospects

UCM students placed at clinical sites through our Medical Laboratory Science program have a 100% graduation rate, 100% job placement rate and 100% pass rate on board exams. Use the interactive tool below to learn more about a career in medical laboratory sciences.

 

 

Financial assistance options for your bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science

University of Central Missouri graduates with a degree in Medical Laboratory Science are in high demand. Our affiliate training hospitals offer strong financial incentives for graduates to stay and work at their hospitals after their training ends. Many students are able to use these incentives to enter their careers debt-free.

UCM offers many options to finance your college education. Our already low tuition can be further reduced through a variety of scholarships, assistantships, grants and awards. As an undergraduate student in our Medical Laboratory Sciences program, you may be eligible for additional funding opportunities, including:

• The McNair Scholars Program: A federal program supporting first-generation or underrepresented undergraduate students as they prepare for doctoral studies.
• Carlos Kays Biology and Earth Science Scholarship
• John Hess Health Professions Scholarship
• Kathryn Eydt Payne Scholarship

You can learn more about program-specific scholarships at the UCM Scholarship Finder.