Upon graduation, the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) certification program prepares students to become nationally registered medical laboratory scientists and work in clinical laboratory positions. Graduates are eligible to sit for the ASCP national examination. The program includes six weeks of clinical rotations in the final semester of enrollment.

APPLICATION

The Medical Laboratory Science application for the certification track is available online and must be completed and submitted with all required supplemental documents, if applicable. Although a personal interview will not be offered, applicants will be asked to outline their knowledge of the profession and personal career goals on the application. The program will consider individual courses taken and applicant experiences in the admission assessment. The Graduate and Professional Admissions Application Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to start the online application.

Deadline

The Medical Laboratory Science program admits students once per year, with students beginning the program in the Autumn semester. The application deadline for Autumn 2026 is January 31, 2026. The professional program will begin on August 25, 2026.

GPA of 2.50 or higher

A minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA is required in all coursework taken at any accredited institution.

Prerequisite Courses

Before starting the professional program, all prerequisite courses or their equivalents must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. Ohio State course numbers are shown below.

Biology 1111 and 1112 or 1113.0x
Chemistry (CHEM) 1210
Chemistry (CHEM) 1220
Mathematics (MATH) 1148 or higher
Medical Terminology for the Health Professions Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) Health and Rehabilitation Sciences 2500
Microbiology (MICRBIO) 4000.0x or 4100
Organic Chemistry Sequence (choose one sequence):

• Organic Chemistry (CHEM) 2510 and Biochemistry (BIOCHEM) 4511
• Biological Chem & Pharmacology (BIOPHRM) 3311 and 3312

Statistics (STAT) 1350.0x, 1450.0x or 2450.0x

Although taking the full organic chemistry sequence can make an application stronger, applicants do not need to complete both courses before being admitted. However, admitted students must finish both courses before the start of the Autumn semester in the second year of the professional program.

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Ohio State, students must meet the following key requirements:

Minimum Credit Hours:
Ohio State requires at least 120 total credit hours to graduate.
The MLS program specifically requires 120 credit hours (excluding HTHRHSC 1100).

Courses That Do Not Count Toward the 120 Credits:
English 1109
EDUTL 1001–1007, 1010
Math 1040, 1050, 1073, 1074, 1075

Additional Graduation Requirements:
At least 30 credit hours must be completed at Ohio State through regular course enrollment.
Students must be enrolled in regular courses during their final semester in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS).
Must have a minimum 2.0 Ohio State GPA overall and in the major.

A graduation application must be submitted by the posted deadline. Instructions and the application are available on the HRS Academic Support Services Site.

Planning Tools and Important Information:
Use your degree audit regularly to track progress and ensure completion of all degree components, including:
General Education (GE)
Program Prerequisites
Professional Curriculum

Students must enroll in courses for the semester in which they are admitted; failure to do so will result in revocation of admission.

The plan demonstrates how students, as freshmen, may complete the Medical Laboratory Science program certification track in eight (8) semesters.

Students following this plan are expected to begin professional coursework in the autumn semester of their third year. There is flexibility in course selection during the first two years. However, the curriculum in years three and four is more structured, with limited opportunities to adjust the course sequence. Students may take non-professional such as general education courses during the summer if desired.

It is strongly recommended that all GE (General Education) requirements be completed before entering the professional portion of the program. The professional curriculum must be taken in sequence and students may complete the program part-time with program approval. However, there is no provision for evening-only enrollment.

Students planning to transfer credits to Ohio State can check how those credits will be accepted by visiting Transferology.com.

Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information for online programs and professional licensure & certification disclosures for on-campus programs.

Program Participation Requirements:

All applicants to the program must acknowledge and agree to meet the following requirements in order to successfully progress through and complete the curriculum:

Students must pass an annual background check for the duration of the program. Compliance with immunization and health screening protocols, as defined by the program, academic institution, and affiliated clinical partners, is also required. In addition, students must meet the technical standards essential for the professional discipline for which they are preparing.

A drug screening may be required, and successful completion is a condition of participation in clinical components of the program. Clinical education experiences are an integral part of the curriculum and may take place at off-campus sites. Students are responsible for securing and maintaining reliable transportation to and from these clinical locations and should anticipate associated costs related to travel and other clinical requirements.

Autumn, Year 1

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 1100 Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Survey (1 credit)
CHEM 1210 General Chemistry I (5 credits)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
General Education (GENED) GE Launch Seminar 1201 (1 credit)
MATH 1148 or higher (4 credits)
14 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 1

Biology Prerequisite (varied credits)
CHEM1220 General Chemistry II (5 credits)
GE Foundation (6 credits)
15 Credits Total    

Autumn, Year 2

BIOPHRM 3311 or CHEM 2510 (3 or 4 credits)
MICRBIO 4000.0x or 4100 (4 or 5 credits)
GE Theme Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World theme course (4 credits)
STATS 1350.0x, 1450.0x or 2450.0x (3 credits)
14-16 Credits Total  

Spring, Year 2

BIOPHRM 3312 or BIOCHEM 4511 (3 or 4 credits)
GE Foundation (6 credits)
GE Theme Choice theme course (4 credits)
HTHRHSC 2500 (3 credits)
16-17 Credits Total

Begin Professional Coursework

Autumn, Year 3

MEDLBS 4400 Introduction to the Medical Laboratory Environment (1 credit)
MEDLBS 4405 Introduction to the Medical Laboratory Environment Laboratory (1 credit)
MEDLBS 4500 Phlebotomy (1 credit)
MEDLBS 4505 Phlebotomy Laboratory (1 credit)
MEDLBS 5050 Medical Laboratory Hematology (5 credits)
MEDLBS 5055 Medical Laboratory Hematology Laboratory (2 credits)
MEDLBS 5100 Medical Laboratory Microbiology I (3 credits)
MEDLBS 5105 Medical Laboratory Microbiology I Laboratory (1 credit)
15 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 3

HTHRHSC 4200 Analytical Scientific Writing in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (3 credits)
MEDLBS 5000 Medical Laboratory Microbiology II (3 credits)
MEDLBS 5005 Medical Laboratory Microbiology II Laboratory (2 credits)
MEDLBS 5150 Medical Laboratory Microscopy (2 credits)
MEDLBS 5155 Medical Laboratory Microscopy Laboratory (1 credit)
MEDLBS 5200 Medical Laboratory Immunology (3 credits)
MEDLBS 5205 Medical Laboratory Immunology Laboratory (1 credit)
15 Credits Total 

Autumn, Year 4

MEDLBS 5250 Medical Laboratory Immunohematology (4 credits)
MEDLBS 5255 Medical Laboratory Immunohematology Laboratory (2 credits)
MEDLBS 5300 Medical Laboratory Science Clinical Chemistry (5 credits)
MEDLBS 5305 Medical Laboratory Chemistry Laboratory (2 credits)
MEDLBS 5400 Molecular Techniques in Medical Laboratory Science (2 credits)
Elective, if needed to reach 120 credits (0-3 credits)
15-18 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 4

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) 4001 General Education Reflection Seminar in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (1 credit)
HTHRHSC 5300 Management Principles and Human Resources for Health Care Professionals (3 credits)
MEDLBS 5089 Clinical Practice in Medical Laboratory Science (5 credits)
MEDLBS 5350 Professional Issues in Medical Laboratory Science (3 credits)
MEDLBS 5600 Interdisciplinary Studies in Medical Laboratory Science (1 credit)
Elective, if needed to reach 120 credits (0-3 credits)
13-16 Credits Total