BS in Medical Laboratory Science

With the aging of our population, it is estimated that health care will be a major service industry in our country. An important part of health care is Medical Laboratory Science, formally known as Medical Technology, a profession that includes well-trained, highly educated individuals who are the fact-finders of the medical world. Medical Laboratory Scientists typically analyze body fluids, examine tissues, and identify specific microorganisms to find evidence for and the cause of specific diseases such as AIDS, Diabetes, and Cancer. Some of the exciting new demands of the profession include tissue typing for organ transplantation, chromosomal studies as a basis for genetic counseling, identification of environmental pollutants, and screening tests for accidental poisoning and drug abuse. The demand for graduates in this field is very high. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to project a need for new Medical Laboratory Scientists to meet medical demands of an aging population.

Although two-thirds of Medical Laboratory Scientists work in hospital laboratories, new sources of employment include laboratories in physician’s offices, research facilities in universities and industries, public health centers, and veterinary clinics.

The Medical Laboratory Science program combines a minimum of three years (96 semester hours) of college courses at Western Kentucky University with a minimum of 12 calendar months (36 semester hours) of satisfactory clinical training in a school of Medical Laboratory Science (Medical Technology). This school must be approved by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association and by the medical technology coordinator at Western Kentucky University.

Coursework for this major requires a minimum of 82 hours (36 of which are completed at a Medical Laboratory Science school and transferred back to the Department of Biology) and leads to a B.S. degree in Medical Laboratory Science. No minor, second major, or certificate is required. A student must meet all of the Colonnade Requirements for the bachelor’s degree at Western Kentucky University before admission to the clinical year at the affiliated school of Medical Laboratory Science (Medical Technology). Upon satisfactory completion of the course requirements in medical laboratory science, the Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded by Western Kentucky University. Graduates of the medical laboratory science program are eligible to take national credentialing examinations for medical technologists which result in membership in the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (A.S.C.P.). The program is affiliated with the following schools of medical technology: Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY; Owensboro Medical Health System, Owensboro, KY; Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN; and St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Covington, KY.