Loyola University Chicago

searchform

B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science

The B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science, offered in collaboration with the Loyola University Health System in Maywood, IL, prepares individuals for advanced careers in medical technology and allied health.  Loyola’s program is ideal for career changers with some clinical laboratory experience; those who hold a bachelor’s degree in the health sciences or sciences, but who lack clinical experience; and mid-level technicians possessing an associate’s degree.
 

About the B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science

Clinical laboratory technologists are in high demand, due to a workforce shortage and new, emerging technologies. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, clinical laboratory scientists can expect “faster than average employment growth.”

With only a small number of qualified candidates in the field, graduates of the clinical laboratory science program enjoy a wide array of career options. Careers include clinical laboratory technology positions in medical care facilities or diagnostic, pharmaceutical, or government laboratories, as well as positions in research and product development, insurance underwriting, forensic medicine and criminal justice, and veterinary medicine. The degree can also serve as a foundation for future master’s level training.
 
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science have been shown to enjoy significantly higher incomes than their counterparts with only an associate’s degree. The program is also open to Loyola undergraduates in the conventional B.S. in Biology program or any of the life sciences programs.
 
Much of the program can be pursued on either a full- or part-time basis. However, the final 40-week practicum requires a full-time commitment. Class locations vary but may involve Loyola’s Water Tower campus downtown, Lake Shore campus, or the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, depending upon the individual student’s course load and requirements. Upon completing the program, all students may apply to take the examination for certification as a medical technologist (MT) or as a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS).

Curriculum

The BS in Clinical Laboratory Science requires 129 credit hours for graduation. Students spend the first two years in prerequisite courses. The third year is spent on courses related to the basic sciences and the clinical laboratory sciences, with an introduction to work performed in clinical laboratories. The final year of the program consists solely of a 10-month practicum experience, with a mixture of classroom instruction and laboratory work.  In addition, students must spend the last 45 hours of instruction or a total of 64 hours in residence. 

The total credit hours for degree completion are divided according to the following plan:

I.  Prerequisite Courses:  University Core Curriculum, Science and Math prerequisites (99 credit hours)

University Core Curriculum (36 credit hours):  Students are to take the designated amount of credit hours in each Knowledge Area listed below.  These courses may be taken at any time prior to the Clinical Practicum at Loyola, and in certain cases, transfer courses taken prior to admission to Loyola may be eligible to fulfill this area.  For a listing of courses that fulfill each Knowledge Area, with course descriptions, see http://www.luc.edu/core/coreknowledge.shtml.

  • University Writing Requirement (3)                                  
  • Artistic Knowledge (3)                                                     
  • Historical Knowledge (6)                                                 
  • Literary Knowledge and Experience (6)                           
  • Quantitative Literacy -- fulfilled with Science and Math Prerequisites below                                           
  • Philosophical Knowledge (6)                                             
  • Scientific Literacy -- fulfilled with Science and Math Prerequisites below                                                        
  • Societal/Cultural Understanding (6)                                  
  • Theological/Religious Studies (6)                              
  • Ethics (to be met with either Philosophy or Theology credit) (3)                                                                            

Science and Math Prerequisites (63 credit hours):  Students must follow the normal course sequencing of these courses. Introduction to Laboratory Medicine (Fall term) and Advanced Laboratory Medicine (Spring term) must be taken in the academic year immediately prior to the student's enrollment in the Clinical Practicum. 

  • Introduction to Laboratory Medicine (4)    
  • Advanced Laboratory Medicine (4)                                  
  • BIOL 101/111 General Biology I /General Biology Laboratory I (4)
  • BIOL 102/112 General Biology II /General Biology Laboratory II (4)                             
  • BIOL 252 Human Structure and Function I (4)
  • BIOL 253 Human Structure and Function II (4)              
  • BIOL 251/252 Cell Biology/Cell Biology Lab (5)                  
  • BIOL 282 Genetics (3)                                     
  • BIOL 302 Microbiology (4)                                         
  • BIOL 315 Introductory Immunology (4)                                          
  • BIOL 366 Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry (without lab) (3)                     
  • CHEM 101/111 General Chemistry A /General Chemistry Laboratory A (4)
  • CHEM 102/112 General Chemistry B/General Chemistry Laboratory B (4)                        
  • CHEM 223 Organic Chemistry I (without lab) (3)
  • CHEM 224 Organic Chemistry II (without lab) (3)                                     
  • MATH 117 College Algebra (3)                             
  • STAT 103 Fundamentals of Statistics (3)                              

II. Clinical Practicum (30 credit hours): 

An intensive, hospital‑based curriculum, corresponding to the medical school model of clinical rotations, as opposed to discrete classroom‑based units of instruction. For that reason, the laboratory units described below are categorized in terms of length in weeks rather than in terms of per‑course credit.
 
Laboratory Units (in Weeks)                                                 
 
  • Chemistry - 9                                                                                   
  • Hematology - 9                                                                  
  • Blood Bank - 6                                                                
  • Microbiology - 9                                                                
  • Phlebotomy & Laboratory Safety - 1                                    
  • Immunology/Flow - 2                                 
  • Molecular Pathology - 3                                                      
  • Break - 1                                                   
 
Total:  40 weeks
  
While students may enroll as full‑time or part‑time students in all of the courses that lead up to the Clinical Practicum, the Clinical Practicum itself is a required capstone experience in a hospital setting that is structured as a full‑time commitment, lasting a total of 40 weeks. During the Clinical Practicum, laboratory instruction takes place only during the day, transpiring over the course of the summer followed by two consecutive (fall and spring) semesters. Any student who has been attending the program on a part‑time schedule until that point must commit full‑time to the Clinical Practicum unit by making appropriate arrangements. 

Certification

 
Upon completing the program, students will be eligible to take the following national certification examinations—the Medical Technologist (MT) exam offered by the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) exam administered by the National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel.

Faculty

 
Instructors for the B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science consist of faculty from the Stritch School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology—known for their expertise in hematology, immunology, microbiology, and biochemistry—along with clinical laboratory scientists employed in the Clinical Laboratory of Loyola University Health System, who supervise the clinical portion of the program.  

Location & Facilities

 
All courses are offered at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, IL. Students are provided with study space and storage in laboratories, as well as to computers within the Stritch School of Medicine and Loyola University Health System. 

Apply Now!

The B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science program begins in Fall 2008.  Applications are currently being accepted, with admission decisions begining June 1st.  For information on application procedures visit Apply to Clinical Laboratory Science.