Jacen Moore, PhD., Program Director
Alex Ryder, M.D., Medical Advisor
Program Objectives
The College of Health Professions offers a Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (MSCLS) degree designed for students who have earned a Bachelor of Science in a natural science who desire to enter a career in the clinical laboratory. The program provides the necessary educational experiences for the student to qualify for certification as a medical laboratory scientist (MLS) by national examination to practice as a clinical laboratory professional and to apply for Tennessee licensure. Graduates achieve entry-level competency in laboratory sciences as well as acquire additional, graduate-level skills in critical thinking, problem solving, management, communication, and clinical correlation.
Curriculum Description
The program is a full-time 24 month advanced practice course of study offered on the Memphis campus beginning in August each year. Students who have completed a BS degree in natural sciences at other accredited academic institutions will complete a two-year professional program in medical laboratory sciences at UT Health Science Center. Master’s level courses, taken with the BS in Medical Laboratory Science students, have higher level course learning objectives designed to improve the learner’s critical thinking and problem solving skills. To achieve these objectives, graduate students are required to complete additional assignments in these combined courses and on clinical rotations. These assignments will include, but are not limited to, additional reading assignments, essay test questions, journal critiques, case study presentations, research papers and independent learning assignments.
During the spring term of the second year, graduate students will mentored work on a Master’s Level Research Project, create a manuscript written in a format suitable for publication, and present their work to faculty, staff, mentors, and students at a symposium upon completion of the project.
Admissions
Advance Practice Track
- An earned BS degree in biology, chemistry, microbiology or other natural science from an accredited academic institution.
- In addition to the BSMLS degree requirements, qualified students interested in admission to the advanced track of the program must have successfully completed the specific prerequisite courses required for medical laboratory science with a “C” or better.
- Submit a score of 300 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Interested students who do not meet this requirement may be admitted to the MSCLS program on a case-by-case basis.
- Meet faculty expectations on all student professional and technical performance evaluations.
- Students must complete the first year of the undergraduate professional BSMLS program consisting of thirty-nine (39) credit hours of the courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must submit the results of TOEFL, with a minimum score of 550 on the written test or 213 on the computer test.
- To be considered for admission to the MSCLS program, students must submit an application, GRE test scores completed within 5 years of application, and the Master’s Program Acknowledgement of Expectations form to the MSCLS Admissions Committee of the MLS program in the Spring of the first year of the BSMLS program.
- Students will be notified of MSCLS program admissions decisions by the MLS program director in June following completion of the Spring term.
- Courses from other professional programs will not be accepted to meet UTHSC MSCLS graduation requirements.
Applications for the BSMLS program are accepted online at http://www.uthsc.edu/admissions/.
Health Requirements
In addition to meeting general University of Tennessee Health Science Center requirements, laboratory science students are required to have an annual skin test for tuberculosis and to submit records demonstrating compliance with UT Health Science Center and clinical rotation site immunization and drug screen requirements. Students who do not meet clinical site immunization or drug screen requirements may not be allowed to rotate at that site.
Technical Standards
For admission to the BSMLS and MSCLS degree programs at the UT Health Science Center, students are expected to meet the Technical Standards outlined below with or without accommodations (for persons with documented disabilities) and are required to sign the Technical Standards Commitment form indicating that they understand and can meet these standards. Any questions about the MLS technical standards should be directed to the MLS program director.
UTHSC receives applications from a diverse body of potential students, including those with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to help students meet program requirements and technical standards when appropriate, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Any student desiring accommodations should contact Keri Snyder, the Associate Director of Assessibility and Accommodations, in Disability Services for further information at ksnyde21@uthsc.edu. Information regarding accommodations can be found on the Disability Services website page:
https://uthsc.edu/tlc/disability-services.php or by calling 901-448-1218.
In addition to ensuring that students can meet the intellectual, emotional and physical criteria for medical laboratory science, students must be able to provide for the welfare and safety of their patients and others. Students who are unable to meet the Technical Standards at the time of admission are ineligible to matriculate into the BSMLS program. Students no longer able to meet the Technical Standards at any time during the program with or without reasonable accommodations will lose their eligibily for continued program enrollment.
Once enrolled in the BSMLS or MSCLS Programs, students must meet all cognitive, affective, and technical curricular requirements described herein for the Program in order to progress and graduate.
General Standards
The students must have the ability to:
- Assess and make appropriate judgements regarding lab services and patient outcomes.
- Prioritize and perform laboratory testing.
- Adapt to a variety of patient care situations, including crisis.
- Communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing.
- Participate in discussion in the classroom, the clinical arena and with colleagues and patients.
- Acquire information developed through didactic instruction and clinical experiences.
- Comprehend reading assignments and to search and evaluate literature.
- Prepare written assignments and maintain written records.
- Perform duties and assignments in a timely fashion while under stress and in a variety of settings.
- Meet deadlines and manage time.
- Utilize the computer for instructional assignments and patient care activities.
Physical and Motor Skills
The student must possess:
- Dexterity with both wrists, hands and arms, and dexterity with al fingers.
- Motor skills to grasp, pinch, push, pull, finger, hold, extend, rotate, cut.
- Ability to obtain and/or verify patient samples.
- Sufficient stamina to tolerate physically taxing workloads.
- Ability to operate/manipulate and effectively evaluate the status of laboratory instruments and equipment.
Sensory Skills
The student must possess:
- Visual acuity (corrected to 20/40); visual perception with respect to depth and color.
Cognitive, Integrative, Quantitative Skills
The student must possess the:
- Ability to measure, calculate, analyze, interpret, synthesize and evaluate as applicable to clinical practice.
- Ability to solve one or more problems within specific time frames, which are often short.
- Ability to comprehend spatial relationships.
Affective, Behavioral and Social Skills
The student must be able to:
- Function as part of a team (communicate effectively in English, consult, negotiate, share, delegate).
- Delegate to and supervise others.
- Adhere to safety guidelines for self and others.
- Comply with standards and regulations required by external agencies.
- Follow instructions/procedures with accuracy and precision.
- Maintain intellectual and emotional stability and maturity under stress, while also maintaining appropriate performance standards.
- Learn and exhibit professional attributes.
Scholarships and Expenses
The following scholarships are available to students entering BSMLS and MSCLS programs:
- UT Health Science Center Scholarships
- Ann Bell Scholarship
- Elam Scholarship
- Elizabeth Club Scholarship
- Loretta Cox Stuckey Scholarship
Information about these scholarships is available in the general college section of the bulletin. Students receive a scholarship application during the admission process.
Clinical Affiliations
Clinical affiliation sites are located in Memphis, throughout Tennessee, and in surrounding states. Due to the limited number of clinical sites available in Memphis, students may have to accept the financial impact of traveling and living out of town for a portion of their clinical assignments. The Medical Laboratory Science program will make every effort to place all students on clinical rotations. Occasionally, a scheduled clinical experience at an external site is unavailable due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. In these cases, to ensure timely graduation, the Medical Laboratory Science program may exercise alternative options for clinical experiences including simulated on-campus laboratory experiences in place of an external rotation or a clinical placement outside of Memphis.
Program Specific Policies
Attendance Requirement
Laboratory science students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, student labs, and clinical rotation assignments. In the case of absence due to illness or emergency, the student must notify the Medical Laboratory Science course director or program director and the clinical site no later than 8:30 AM of the day missed. For any other absences, prior arrangements must be made with the specific instructor(s) involved. Makeup exams, missed lectures, or laboratory sessions should be coordinated with the course director. Every effort should be made to avoid making appointments for services or other non-programmatic events during scheduled class time.
Grading Policy
Written and practical examinations and technical performance evaluations are a part of the educational program throughout the curriculum. All courses in each term must be passed before the student is allowed to progress to the next term. No credit for any course is awarded until the end of the term.
The point-grade conversion scale used by the BSMLS program for all courses is as follows:
93-100 = A
90-92 = A-
86-89 = B+
83-85 = B
80-82 = B-
76-79 = C+
73-75 = C
70-72 = C-
60-69 = D
Below 60 = F
The point-grade conversion scale used by the MSCLS program for all courses is as follows:
93-100 = A
90-92.99 = A-
87-89.99 = B+
83-86.99 = B
80-82.99 = B-
77-79.99 = C+
73-76.99 = C
70-72.99 = C-
Below 70 = F
Practicum courses may be graded on Pass/Fail criteria as indicated in course syllabi. These grades are not included in calculating the grade point average (GPA).
Information about grading for incompletes and withdrawals is covered in the general college section of the bulletin. Students should reference this information about grade assignments in these situations.
