Jacen Moore, PhD., Program Director
Alex Ryder, M.D., Medical Advisor
Program Description
The Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (MS CLS) degree is designed for students who desire to enter a career in the medical laboratory that have earned at least 90 hours or greater of undergraduate credit or have completed a Bachelor’s degree in a natural science 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 medical 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 MS CLS program is a full-time, 24-month advanced practice course of study in medical laboratory sciences that begins in August each year. Students complete the program on the Memphis campus of the UT Health Science Center. The master’s level courses are taken concurrently with the Bachelor’s of Science in Medical Laboratory Science students but have higher level 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 and requirements while in these combined courses and on clinical rotations. These assignments will include activities such as additional reading assignments, essay test questions, journal critiques, case study presentations, research papers, and independent learning assignments. Students are required to successfully complete either a comprehensive examination covering all courses in the curriculum upon completion of the program, or comprehensive examinations at intervals as specified by faculty. Examinations may be written or oral, practical, or both. The course curriculum must be completed in the prescribed sequence. Students must successfully complete each course of the sequence with a passing grade to be promoted to the next term, allowed to enter subsequent courses, or to graduate.
During the spring term of the second year, graduate students will begin their mentored research experience. Over the next four months, students will complete an independent research project and write a capstone paper about their work. At the culmination of their project, students will give a public presentation describing their experience at a symposium consisting of faculty, staff, mentors, and students.
Accreditation
The UT Health Science Center program in medical laboratory science is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018- 5119, (773) 714-8880; http://www.naacls.org.
Admissions
To be considered for admission to the MS CLS program, students must:
- Have completed at least 90 undergraduate credit hours or greater or have an earned BS degree in a natural science from an accredited academic institution
- Successfully complete the prerequisite courses required for medical laboratory science with a grade of C or better. All science courses should be completed within 5 years of application
- Submit a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) completed within 5 years of application. Applicants needing to schedule an exam can visit the TOEFL test website at ets.org
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- International applicants must submit the results of the TOEFL exam with a minimum score of 213 on the computer version or 80 on the iBT version of the exam. English prerequisite courses can be waived for international students who submit an acceptable TOEFL score
- Submit a completed application including two letters of recommendation and all official transcripts from colleges or universities attended, GRE test scores, and the Master’s Program Acknowledgement of Expectations form to the MS CLS Admissions Committee. International students must also submit a transcript evaluation from an acceptable organization such as WES. Please see additional details regarding UT Health Science Center requirements on the International Student Website at https://uthsc.edu/admissions/international-students.php
- Must meet the technical competencies of the program as described on the MLS program website
Course Prerequisites
Prerequisite courses that must be completed prior to entering the program include:
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English Composition
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8 |
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General Chemistry (Lecture and Lab)
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8 |
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Organic Chemistry (Lecture and Lab)
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4 |
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General Biology or Zoology (Lecture and Lab)
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8 |
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Human Physiology or Anatomy/Physiology (Lecture and Lab)
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4 |
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Microbiology
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4 |
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Natural Science/Mathematics (College Algebra or Statistics)
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3 |
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Upper Division Science in Chemistry or Biology
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8 |
Suggested courses that could be applied toward upper division electives include molecular biology, advanced microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, and genetics. Courses from other professional MLS programs will not be accepted to meet UT Health Science Center MS CLS graduation requirements.
Admissions Deadlines
Early deadline: December 1
Regular deadline: March 1
Late deadline: June 1
Applications for the MS CLS program are accepted online at https://www.uthsc.edu/health-professions/diagnostic-health-sciences/mls/index.php.
Health Requirements
All medical laboratory science students are required to undergo annual skin tests for tuberculosis and demonstrate compliance with immunization and drug screening requirements for the UT Health Science Center and at all sites where the student will perform their clinical rotations. Documentation that these requirements have been met must be uploaded to Verified Credentials and EXXAT for verification. Students who do not meet these screening requirements will not be allowed to register for courses at UT Health Science Center or rotate at clinical sites. Students must have valid health insurance while enrolled at UT Health Science Center.
Technical Standards
For admission to the MS CLS 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 that requires accommodations should contact Ms. Keri Snyder, the Associate Director of Assessibility and Accommodations, in Disability Services at ksnyde21@uthsc.edu for further information. 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 program. Students no longer able to meet the Technical Standards at any time during the program with or without reasonable accommodations will lose their eligibility for continued program enrollment.
Once enrolled in the MS CLS Program, students must meet all cognitive, affective, and psychomotor curricular program requirements described below in order to progress through the program and graduate.
General Skills
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.
Psychomotor and Sensory 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.
- 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/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.
General Education Competencies
General education competencies include:
- Critical Thinking - Students will demonstrate their ability to solve problems, construct, and present cogent arguments in support of their views, and understand and evaluate arguments presented by others.
- Communication - Students will demonstrate appropriate skills in planning, preparing, and presenting effective oral and written presentations.
- Interprofessionalism - Students will be able to explain interprofessional practice to patients, clients, families, and/or other professionals, describe the areas of practice of other health professions, and express professional opinions competently, confidently, and respectfully while avoiding discipline specific language.
General education competencies will be measured through multiple tools and strategies such as student performance on oral presentations and written assessments including critiques of research papers and papers written in capstone courses.
Scholarships
Students entering the MS CLS program are eligible to apply for the following scholarships:
- UT Health Science Center Scholarships
- Ann Bell Scholarship
- Elam Scholarship
- Elizabeth Club Scholarship
- Loretta Cox Stuckey Scholarship
Additional information about these scholarships is available in the general college section of the bulletin. All students receive a scholarship application during the admissions process.
Clinical Affiliations
Clinical affiliation sites are located in Memphis, throughout Tennessee, and in surrounding states. To accommodate all students at clinical rotations, students may be required 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.
Clinical Affiliate sites include the following locations:
American Esoteric Laboratory, Memphis
1701 Century Center Cove
Memphis, TN 38134
American Esoteric Laboratory, Knoxville
7501 Strawberry Plains Pike
Knoxville, TN 37924
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville
1500 West Poplar Avenue
Collierville, TN 38017
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto
7601 Southcrest Parkway
Southaven, MS 38671
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis
6019 Walnut Grove
Memphis, TN 38120
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Co
1995 Highway 51 South
Covington, TN 38019
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Union City
1201 Bishop Street
Union City, TN 38261
Baptist Women’s Hospital
6225 Humphreys Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38120
Erlanger Health System
975 E. Third Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
620 Skyline Drive
Jackson, TN 38301
Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
Maury Regional Medical Center
1224 Trotwood Avenue
Columbia, TN 38401
Memphis VA Medical Center
1030 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Methodist Hospital-Germantown
7691 Poplar Avenue
Germantown, TN 38138
Methodist Hospital-North
3960 New Covington Pike
Memphis, TN 38125
Methodist Hospital, Olive Branch
4250 Bethel Road
Olive Branch, MS 38564
Methodist Hospital, South
1300 Wesley Drive
Memphis, TN 38116
Methodist University Hospital
1265 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Regional One Health
877 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105
St. Francis Hospital
5959 Park Avenue
Memphis, TN 38119
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place MS 250
Memphis, TN 38105
Program Specific Policies
Attendance Requirement
Medical 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 their respective course director and/or the MLS program director as soon as possible. In the case of clinical rotations, students are required to notify the course director and the clinical site no later than 8:30 AM on the day missed. For other absences, prior arrangements must be made to reschedule makeup exams or laboratory sessions with the course directors involved. While emergencies do occur, every effort should be made to avoid making appointments for services or other non-programmatic events during scheduled class time.
Grading Policy
Written, practical, and technical performance evaluations are embedded throughout the curriculum and are a vital part of the educational program. Students must successfully pass all courses in a term before being allowed to progress. MS CLS students are required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. No credit will be awarded for any course until the end of term grades have been submitted by the course director.
The point-grade conversion scale used by the MS CLS program for all courses is as follows:
93-100 = A
90-92 = A-
87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B-
77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C-
60-69 = D
Below 60 = F
Rotation courses may be graded using Pass/Fail criteria if indicated in the course syllabus. Pass/Fail grades are not included in calculating the term or overall 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.
