Undergraduate Course Catalog 2006-2007
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
» http://www.colsa.unh.edu/
Medical Laboratory Science (MLS)
» Click to view course offerings
Program Director: Adele Marone
Affiliate Assistant Professor: Sylvia Countway
Clinical Assistant Professor: Barry Corriveau, Adele Marone, Joyce Stone, Elise R. Sullivan
The Medical Laboratory Science program provides students with a quality
education in the fundamentals of biomedical laboratory science and
laboratory skills in addition to a broad-based university general
education. The curriculum enables students to determine the presence,
extent, or absence of human disease and to provide the valuable data
needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment of human disease.
The program also provides an excellent background for students
intending to pursue careers in the medical field and upon completion of
a clinical internship qualifies them to become certified medical
technologists.
Baccalaureate degree holders in Medical Laboratory Science are not only
highly sought after by hospitals but also by biotechnology companies,
biomedical research facilities, and in the fields of forensic medicine,
public health, and biological and chemical industry sales, service and
education. Graduates of the program are also uniquely qualified to
continue a post-baccalaureate education in a wide variety of
disciplines and professional fields including Medicine, Health
Management and Policy, Business Administration, Education,
Microbiology, Biochemistry and in Physician Assistant Programs.
Students may pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in MLS in one of two
tracks, the clinical track or the research track. A decision to pursue
a specific MLS track is not required until the middle of the student’s
junior year. Students obtain detailed information concerning the two
MLS tracks in the Introduction to Medical Laboratory Science course
(MLS 401) and in consultation with their academic advisors.
MLS-Clinical Track
The
Medical Laboratory Science-Clinical Track is accredited by the National
Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). NAACLS
requires students in this program to have the following essential
functions: a sound intellect; good motor skills; eye-hand coordination
and dexterity; effective communication skills; visual acuity to perform
microsoptic analyses, or read procedures, graphs, etc.; professional
skills such as the ability to work independently, manage time
efficiently, and comprehend, analyze, and synthesize various materials,
as well as have sound psychological health and stability. Additional
information regarding these essential functions may be obtained by
contacting the MLS Program Director.
Students selecting the MLS-Clinical Track spend their freshman,
sophomore, and junior years and the fall semester of their senior year
at UNH. During the spring semester of the senior year, these students
take a clinical internship at one of the clinical affiliates. Clinical
internship positions are filled based on established criteria published
in the MLS student handbook, including professionalism, academic
performance, interviews, and references.
Students enrolled in the MLS-Clinical Track may choose one of two
options, the generalist option or the categorical specialist option.
Students choosing the generalist option will spend 24-26 weeks
participating in an internship at a clinical site where they will
complete courses in Advanced Clinical Microbiology (MLS 751), Advanced
Hematology (MLS 752), Advanced Immunohematology (MLS 753), and Advanced
Clinical Chemistry (MLS 754). Upon successful completion of this option,
students are awarded the B.S. degree and are eligible to take a
national certification exam offered by the American Society of Clinical
Pathologists (ASCP) or the National Certification Agency (NCA) in their categorical specialty area.
MLS-Clinical Track: Academic Requirements
Students pursuing a degree in the MLS-Clinical Track must obtain a
grade of C or better in all MLS courses. These students must also have
achieved a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) at the
time of application for their clinical internship (junior year), and
must maintain that minimum until the internship begins. A personal
interview at the clinical affiliate is required. This interview
evaluates a student’s understanding of the profession, communication
skills, maturity, self-confidence, and supervisory potential. Students
must demonstrate these attributes to participate in the clinical
courses.
MLS-Research Track
Students pursuing a degree in the MLS-Research Track follow the same
curriculum as the curriculum required for the MLS-Clinical Track.
However, instead of taking a clinical internship in the spring semester
of their senior year they participate in a senior research project that
must be presented at a UNH undergraduate research conference. In
addition, they take four or five additional courses related to their
area of research. These courses may be chosen from the list below.
Other courses may be approved by their adviser. Upon successful
completion of the MLS-Research Track students are awarded the B.S.
degree. While they are not eligible to take a national certification
exam upon graduation, they are qualified to seek a post-graduation
clinical internship if they wish to attain certification as a medical
technologist or a specialist.
MLS-Research Track: Academic Requirements
Students pursuing a degree in the MLS-Research Track must meet the UNH requirements for the bachelor of science degree.
Additional Course Selection List for MLS-Research Track
ANSC 702, Endocrinology
ANSC 704, Principles of Pathobiology
ANSC 706, Human Genetics
ANSC 714, Research Methods/Endocrinology
ANSC 718, Mammalian Physiology
ANSC 751, Cell Culture
BCHM 711, Genomics and Bioinformatics
BCHM 754, Lab Mol Biol Nucleic Acids
BCHM 755, Lab Biochem & Molecular Biol
BCHM 763, Biochemistry of Cancer
BCHM 771, Molecular Genetics
BCHM 794, Protein Structure and Function
MICR 704, Genetics Prokaryotic Microbes
MICR 705, Immunology
MICR 706, Virology
MICR 714, Public Health and Waterborne Diseases
MICR 717, Microbial Physiology
MLS 796, Biomedical Research Internship
Career Mobility Program
This option is designed to make the B.S. degree in MLS available to
certified laboratory assistants, medical laboratory technicians,
military-trained laboratory personnel, and other individuals with at
least two years of full-time recent experience in a clinical
laboratory. This may be done on a full- or part-time basis by taking
required courses at UNH or other accredited institutions. Students may
challenge MLS clinical course requirements through credit by
examination. Written and practical examinations are available in the
areas of clinical microbiology, clinical hematology, clinical
immunohematology, clinical chemistry, and urinalysis/body fluids.
Students interested in the option should contact the MLS Program
director.
MLS Minor
Students may obtain a minor in MLS by successfully completing three MLS
core courses and two additional approved electives for a minimum of 20
credits. Students interested in the MLS minor should consult the MLS
Program director.
MLS Fast Track
This program is designed for students with a B.S. degree in a life
science who wish to become eligible for certification as a medical
technologist. The student must have a clinical sponsor to provide the
clinical training. Students will take MLS theory classes in hematology,
medical biochemistry, immunohematology, body fluids, mycology,
parasitology and virology, laboratory management, and molecular
diagnostics, as well as any prerequisites or background courses
required for the program. Courses are taken through Continuing Education
and Summer Session, and no degree is conferred at completion. Contact
the MLS Program director for more information.
Required Courses
ANSC 512, Anatomy and Physiology
ANSC 754, Molecular Diagnostics
BIOL 411/412, Principles of Biology I and II
BIOL 604, Principles of Genetics
CHEM 403-404, General Chemistry
CHEM 545/6 Organic Chemistry
BCHM 658/9 General Biochemistry
MICR 503, General Microbiology
MICR 602, Pathogenic Microbiology
BIOL 528, Applied Biostatistics I, or PSYC 402, Statistics
or SOC 502, Statistics
MLS 602, Seminar
MLS 610, Biomedical Laboratory Management
MLS 640, Phlebotomy Theory
MLS 641, Phlebotomy Clinical Internship
MLS 642/643, Basic Immunology & Serology/Serology Lab
MLS 644/645, Hematology/Clinical Hematology Lab
MLS 656/657, Immunohematology & Transfusion Science/Blood Banking Lab
MLS 658/659, Medical Biochemistry/Clinical Chemistry Lab
MLS 660/661, Body Fluids/Body Fluids Lab
MLS 720/721, Mycology, Parasitology, & Virology/MVP Lab
