Transfer Students
Transfer students’ needs are considered on an individual basis by the Program Director. Students are encouraged to contact the Director of Medical Laboratory Science for further information prior to applying for admission to the program.
Students with current medical laboratory credentials may be given advance placement credit for a portion of the professional curriculum, as determined by the Program Director. Certification must be documented.
Transportation and Fees
The student is responsible for providing transportation to and from all courses and/or clinical learning experiences associated with the program. Clinical education may include observation and interactive opportunities in clinical and community settings under the supervision of a medical laboratory scientist or other health professional. The student is responsible for fees related to classroom and clinical materials, as well as clinical placement requirements, such as health insurance, immunizations, and a certified background check.
Progression and Retention Policies
Following admission to the professional phase of the program, three semesters of full-time academic medical laboratory science course work with integrated field experiences are required. The field experience of the medical laboratory science program is an integral component of the student’s education and a minimum of 840 hours of supervised practice or educational sessions is required. Placements are subject to faculty approval and assignment at a specific facility cannot be guaranteed.
Once admitted to the MLS Professional Phase, students must:
- Achieve a “C” or better in all MLS courses
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 in the MLS courses
- Demonstrate the ability to meet the MLS Essential Functions
Students who fail to meet the minimum GPA (3.0) requirement will be placed on MLS program probation and must meet the requirement in the subsequent semester. Two semesters below the 3.0 GPA minimum will result in dismissal from the program.
Students who earn a grad less than a “C” in a MLS course will not progress in the major until the failed course has been repeated successfully. A MLS course may be repeated one time. If a grade of “C” or better is not achieved after repeating the course, the student will be dismissed from the program.
Students who earn a grade less than a “C” in two or more MLS courses at any time during the professional sequence will be dismissed from the program.
Students demonstrating a failure to meet any of the MLS Essential Functions may be dismissed from the program at any time.
Minimum exam and lab scores may be defined for the successful completion of each professional course.
MLS courses are offered once during each academic year, following a sequential design. Therefore, part-time and probationary students will have to continue under an adjusted curriculum plan. This will result in extending the time for achievement of all program requirements.
To be eligible for placement in a clinical fieldwork experience, students must have completed all prerequisite courses and must have met the criteria for the professional phase of the program. Placement slots are divided between two semesters in the year; one starting in Winter semester and one starting in Summer semester. The student’s placement slot will be determined by the Program Director. Students placed in a clinical field experience must provide proof of health insurance, immunization history, and results of a certified background check, as required by the clinical affiliates. The program admits only the number of students for which there is an adequate number of clinical placement slots annually; however should a situation exist where there are more students than available clinical places in the year, the following criteria will be used to rank the students for placement. Those students who were denied placement for that period will be offered a placement slot in the following year as long as they continue to meet all necessary criteria.
- Completion of all prerequisite course
- GPA in MLS professional courses
- Performance and Attendance in MLS laboratory sessions
- Overall SVSU GPA
MLS students are continuously reviewed for initial and continued placement at a clinical facility. Students may be withheld from initial placement if the following conditions exist: documented unprofessional conduct or behavior, academic standing, health status that would hinder performance in the clinical setting, unacceptable lab/clinical practice or other documented reasons that indicate that the student may not succeed in a practicum. Additionally, a student may be removed from a practicum at any time for the conditions listed above, as well as failure to comply with university or facility policies and procedures, excessive absence, or a final grade less than a B- in any department rotation. Failure to complete a practicum will result in dismissal from the program. Eligibility for National Certification Exam Current eligibility requirements for the National Certification Exam may be reviewed on the American Society for Clinical Pathology website: www.ascp.org. Granting of the degree in Medical Laboratory Science is not contingent on passing the national MLS certification exam. Program Director recommendation for the national certification exam shall be contingent on successful completion of the clinical field experience with a final grade of no less than a B-.
Suggested Sequence for Prerequisite Courses for Admission
Students are also responsible for completing General Education Categories 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Insert those requirements into the semester outline as schedules permit. Student may also use Spring or Summer sessions to complete course work.
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