PROGRAM OVERVIEW

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 REQUIREMENTS

GPA of 2.50 or higher

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

Prerequisite Courses

All prerequisite courses or equivalents must be completed with a C – or higher by the start of the professional program. Ohio State course numbers are shown below.

Biology 1113
Chemistry (CHEM) 1210
Chemistry (CHEM) 1220
Mathematics (MATH) 1148 & 1149 or 1150 or higher
Medical Terminology for the Health Professions Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HTHRHSC) Health and Rehabilitation Sciences 2500
Microbiology (MICRBIO) 4000.01
Organic Chemistry Sequence (choose one sequence)
Organic Chemistry (CHEM) 2510 and Biochemistry (BIOCHEM) 4511
Biological Chem & Pharmacology (BIOPHRM) 3311 and 3312
Statistics (STAT) 1450.01

Although completing the organic chemistry sequence strengthens an application, students may be admitted before completing both courses. Both courses must be completed before the Autumn semester of the second year in the professional program.

APPLICATION

The Medical Laboratory Science application for the certification track is available online and must be completed and submitted along 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 2025 is January 31, 2025. The professional program will begin on August 26, 2025.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The minimum credit hours to graduate from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences are 120. The Medical Laboratory Science certification track requires 120 credit hours, not including HTHRHSC 1100, to graduate from the program. English 1109; Education Teaching and Learning (EDUTL) 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1010, and Mathematics 1040, 1050, 1073, 1074, 1075 do not count toward the 120-credit minimum requirement for the degree. Other graduation requirements include a minimum of thirty semester hours of credit earned through regular course enrollment at Ohio State, regular course enrollment in the last semester in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS), a cumulative Ohio State GPA of at least 2.0 on all coursework complete at Ohio State as well as at least a 2.0 GPA in the major and an application for degree must be submitted online at least one semester before the intended graduation term. The graduation application and instructions are on the HRS Academic Support Services Site.  Students should reference their degree audit to understand the course and credit requirements and to ensure they complete all required degree components, including general education (GE), program prerequisites, and professional curriculum.

The plan demonstrates how students, as freshmen, may complete the Medical Laboratory Science program certification track in eight semesters. It is assumed that students following this plan who are admitted to the program will begin professional coursework in the autumn semester of year three. There is flexibility in when a student may take courses in years one and two. However, in years three and four, the curriculum is more structured with limited ability to change. Students may choose to take non-professional courses over summer terms. It is highly recommended that students take all GE courses before starting the professional program. The professional curriculum is completed in sequence, and students may complete the program part-time. However, there is no provision for evening-only enrollment. Students who intend to transfer credit to Ohio State may view how credit is accepted on 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.

Autumn, Year 1

HTHRHSC 1100 Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Survey (1 credit)
CHEM 1210 General Chemistry I (5 credits)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
GENED 1201 (1 credit)
MATH 1150 or higher (5 credits)
15 Credits Total 

Spring, Year 1

Biology 1113 (4 credits)
CHEM1220 General Chemistry II (5 credits)
English 1110.01 (3 credits)
GE Foundation (3 credits)
15 Credits Total    

Autumn, Year 2

BIOPHRM 3311 or CHEM 2510 (3 or 4 credits)
MICRBIO 4000.01 (4 credits)
GE Theme (4 credits)
STATS 1450.01 (3 credits)
14-15 Credits Total  

Spring, Year 2

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

Begin Professional Coursework in Medical Laboratory Science (MEDLBS)

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

HTHRHSC 4001 Reflection Seminar (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

Questions?

Contact the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at 614-292-1706 or HRSStudentServices@osumc.edu
Degree requirements and course offerings are subject to changes.
Last updated on: July 1, 2024