Nov 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Medical Laboratory Science, B.S.


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The Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) major provides students with the necessary science and medical background to earn certification as a beginning professional in the medical laboratory setting. A Medical Laboratory Scientist performs tests under the direction of pathologists, physicians, and scientists in the areas of clinical chemistry, microbiology, hematology, and other clinically related fields. MLS students complete three years of study on the College campus followed by an 11-12 month clinical experience at a hospital-based education program accredited by NAACLS, the National Accrediting Agency for Medical Laboratory Science.  Applicants to the Medical Laboratory Science program, must be eligible for admission to the College, as well as, have earned a minimum of 2.0 average in high school biology, chemistry, and algebra.  A score of 1050 or higher on the SAT, with a minimum of 450 on each section of the critical reading and math components.  Transfer students are accepted for admission to the Program.

Acceptance into hospital MLS programs is based on a competitive application process. A required minimum GPA of a 2.0 in each of the required courses with a required overall GPA of a 2.5. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended for application to clinical rotation. Students must apply to a hospital medical laboratory science or medical technology school (NAACLS accreditation required) in the summer before the junior year, for admission to the senior clinical year program. Acceptance is dependent on several factors such as:

  • Student science GPA and overall GPA (GPA higher than 3.0 strongly recommended)
  • Personal essay
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Interview
  • College affiliation

All General Education Requirements and all required courses for the major (except MLS401-6) must be completed prior to starting the clinical year.

The Clinical Program Director will assist the students throughout the application process. While strong applicants are normally accepted into MLS clinical rotation, the College cannot guarantee acceptance. When attending the MLS clinical rotation, students maintain full time enrollment status with York College. Tuition costs are paid directly to the clinical site by the student. Students pay off-campus fees to the college and will continue to have access to all College facilities and offices. Although students may apply to any NAACLS accredited program, York College must have an established affiliate agreement, or an affiliate agreement must be initiated and signed, prior to the clinical rotation being approved.  Please not that this process can take six months or more to complete.  Current Affiliation Agreements include:

  • Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences - Lancaster, PA
  • Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences - Reading, PA
  • Sentara RMH Medical Center - Harrisonburg, VA
  • Wellspan York Hospital - York, PA

Additional programs can be found through the National Accrediting Agency for Medical Lab Science (NAACLS).

Degree Requirements

Institutional Degree Requirements 

Program-Specific Degree Requirements: To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Medical Laboratory Science must complete a minimum of 122 credits.

General Education Requirement


First Year Seminar


Foundations Requirement


Communication course:


Advanced Communication course:


Quantitative Fluency course:


Choose 3 credits of the following Global Citizenship courses or students have the option to complete this requirement by successfully completing 6 credits of the same foreign language:


Disciplinary Perspectives Requirement


Choose 3 credits of the following Arts courses:


Choose 3 credits of the following Social and Behavioral Sciences courses:


Natural and Physical Sciences course:


Constellation Requirement


The Constellation requirement is met when a student completes four courses from a minimum of three disciplines within the Constellation requirements. Students who transfer in 60 credits or more at the time of admission to the college will be waived from the Constellation requirement, except for Education majors. The waiver applies to the requirement for graduation but does not waive the credits to graduate; students need to meet the overall bachelor’s degree credit requirement.

Required Courses


General Elective Courses


Students must complete 4 credits of free elective courses. Suggested electives include Medical Terminology (HSC 105 ), Biochemistry II (BIO 352 ), and Virology (BIO 364 ).

Suggested Course Sequence


Science courses should be taken as suggested.

Freshman Year (31 credits)


Spring Semester


Students must apply for to clinical rotations at the end of this semester.

Sophomore Year (31 credits)


Fall Semester


Spring Semester


Junior Year (28 credits)


Should a student elect to not continue in the MLS major, or not be admitted into a hospital program, the student can change majors to qualify for graduation, or the student can wait and apply again for a clinical site the following year.

Fall Semester


Spring Semester


Senior Year (32 credits)


Clinical year of study in an NAACLS-approved hospital program. Credits for individual courses may vary with program. Courses include:

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