COURSE CURRICULUM

This School of Health Sciences (SHS) curriculum is built around a structured mix of general education core requirements, foundational science prerequisites, and a highly specialized medical laboratory science (MLS) professional sequence totaling 76 major credits. At the core curriculum level, students are guided toward applied healthcare perspectives through required Tier 2 competencies such as HLTH 2230 Bioethics, HLTH 2200 Introduction to US Healthcare, and DIET 1175 Food Nutrition and Culture, reflecting an emphasis on ethical decision-making, healthcare systems literacy, and cultural understanding in nutrition and public health contexts. The major itself is heavily science-intensive and clinically oriented, beginning with foundational coursework in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, including Anatomy and Physiology II, Microbiology with lab, Organic Chemistry I with lab, and General Physics I, ensuring strong competency in the natural sciences. Students then progress into a dense sequence of medical laboratory science courses covering core diagnostic disciplines such as clinical chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, microbiology, immunology, parasitology, virology, and transfusion medicine, alongside laboratory operations, regulation, and compliance to prepare for real-world clinical standards. A significant portion of the program is devoted to hands-on training through multiple clinical practica (MLSC 4429–4432) that rotate across major diagnostic areas, ensuring applied skill development in real laboratory environments. Research and professional preparation are reinforced through HLTH 2250 Health Science Research Design and Writing I, MLSC 4410 Clinical Seminar (including comprehensive evaluation), and MLSC 4450 Capstone Project, which integrate scientific knowledge, critical analysis, and communication skills into a culminating professional experience. Overall, the program is designed to produce entry-level medical laboratory scientists capable of performing complex diagnostic testing, maintaining regulatory compliance, applying ethical healthcare practices, and contributing to patient care and clinical decision-making in hospitals, research labs, and diagnostic industries.