2021-2022 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Medical Laboratory Science, BS


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About the Program


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Medical Laboratory Sciences, also known as Clinical or Medical Technology, is a field in medicine where individuals perform laboratory tests on clinical specimens such as blood, microbial cultures, and tissue samples.  The test results are used by physicians for diagnosis as well as for determining appropriate treatments.  To become a medical laboratory scientist, students not only need a solid background in microbiology, molecular biology, immunology, and physiology but also must undergo clinical training with state-of-the-art analytical equipment used for pathogen, blood, fluid, and tissue assays. To be employed in a medical setting, graduates will have to pass the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) exam to become a certified medical laboratory scientist (MLS). Well-trained and certified medical laboratory scientists have career choices in clinical laboratory work, research, public health, forensic work, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. 

The B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science at Purdue University Northwest is a 3+1 program.  The first three year (88 Credits) of course work provides students with a solid foundation in science and math as well as all general education courses required for a bachelor degree.  The fourth year (32 Credits) consists of clinical training in one of four affiliated hospitals.

Degree Requirements


  • 120 Credit Hours
  • Minimum grade of C- required for BIOL 10100, BIOL 10200, and MA 16031
  • Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation

PNW General Education Core (30 Credits Minimum)


Other Required Courses (41 Credits)


Biology Elective (6 Credits)


Biology elective courses for Medical Technology majors range from 3 to 5 credits. Choose (2) courses from the following:

Clinical Training (32 Credits)


Two semesters of Clinical Training are completed in one of the four program affiliated hospitals - St. Margaret Mercy Health Care Centers, North Campus (Hammond, IN), OSF Saint Francis Medical Center (Peoria, IL), Community Hospital (Munster, IN) or Hines VA Hospital (Hines, IL). Students must be eligible to work legally in the US to participate in clinical training at the affiliated hospitals. For acceptance into a clinical program: students need an overall 2.5 GPA and a minimum of 2.5 GPA in the sciences. Completion of prerequisite courses at Purdue University Northwest does not guarantee admission to an affiliated hospital program. Consult your advisor for the application procedure.

Humanities or Social Science Elective (3 Credits)


This degree requires 3-credit hours of electives from the Humanities and Social Sciences, in addition to the 3-credits required from each of these areas that must be chosen from the approved General Education list (see General Education Core above). Three credit hours of foreign languages can be used towards this requirement.

Total 120 Credits Required


Degree Map


Requirements


Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA):  Minimum grade of C- required for BIOL 10100, 10200, and MA 16031; 2.0 GPA

Experiential Learning (EL):  One EL course required.  EL courses are noted by (e) next to the course title. Most students fulfill this requirement by taking ENGL 10500. Clinical hospital course work towards this degree can also be used to fulfill the EL requirement.

General Education Core:  General Education notations can be found within the course description.  Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study. 

Courses that are only offered on one campus will be noted by an (H) for Hammond, or (W) for Westville.

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Additional Information and Guidelines


Note 1: Additional GPA Requirement for BS Medical Technology Degree:

▪ Minimum 2.0 GPA for all required biology courses (BIOL 10700, 10100, 10200, 24300, 24400, 31600, 42600, and 56100).

▪ Minimum 2.0 GPA for all biology courses required for graduation.

Note 2: Humanities/ Social Sciences Electives

▪ This degree requires 3-credit hours of electives from Humanities and Social Sciences in addition to the 3-credits required from each of these areas that must be chosen from the approved General Education list (see General Education Core above).

Note 3: Biology Elective (minimum 6 credits):

▪ Biology elective courses for Medical Laboratory Science majors range from 3 to 5 credits.

▪ Choose courses from the following: BIOL 35700, 41800, 50700, 50800, 51601, 53300, BIOL 59500 Cell and Tissue Culture, BIOL 59500 Virology or courses approved by the department.

Note 4: Clinical Training (32 credits):

▪ Two semesters of Clinical Training are completed in one of the affiliated hospitals - St. Margaret Mercy Health Care Centers, North Campus (Hammond, IN), OSF Saint Francis Medical Center (Peoria, IL), Community Hospital (Munster, IN) or Hines VA Hospital (Hines, IL).

▪ An overall GPA of 2.5 as well as a GPA of 2.5 in the sciences is required for admission to this program.

▪ Completion of prerequisite courses at Purdue University Northwest does not guarantee admission to an affiliated hospital program.

▪ Consult your advisor for application procedure.

Note 5: Biological Science Practicum:

▪ One EL unit is required to graduate (0-3 credits). Most students fulfill this requirement by taking ENGL 10500. Clinical hospital course work towards this degree can also be used to fulfill the EL requirement.

Resources


The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four years.

Visit the 15 to Finish website for information and resources.

For career information, click here to visit the Careers and Employment Trends page.

For Financial Aid eligibility, click here. Annual FAFSA filing deadline is March 10. Financial Aid recipients are required to complete 30 credits per calendar year to stay eligible for the standard financial aid award.

Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester.  Certain exclusions apply. 

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