Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) is a Bachelor’s degree program that prepares students for an exciting and dynamic profession in a hospital laboratory, research facility, or clinic where they perform testing to analyze blood, urine, tissue, and other body fluids. These test results play an important role in the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases. Professionals in this field learn how to make decisions about the validity of data to be used by clinicians and are in high demand. Future growth of career opportunities is predicted to increase.

Graduates receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in MLS after spending five semesters completing their general education and core science courses, followed by three semesters of MLS professional courses. Pre-requisite science courses include chemistry, human anatomy and physiology, genetics, microbiology, immunology, and physics. After a secondary admission process and upon entering the MLS program, students complete professional coursework in the areas of hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, transfusion medicine, immunology, and molecular diagnostics. During this time, the student will also complete 18 weeks of clinical rotations at an affiliated hospital laboratory. Grand Valley State University medical laboratory science graduates are prepared to take the national certification examination that grants them the credentials of Medical Laboratory Scientist (formerly known as medical technologist and/or clinical laboratory scientist).