Health professionals in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences, formerly known as medical technologists, perform various analytical tests in clinical laboratory settings. The type of work ranges from the routine to the complicated and involves medical technologists in a wide variety of disciplines, such as chemistry, blood banking, immunology and serology, microbiology, and others. Test results are used by physicians to diagnose, monitor, and treat disease. The work of the technologist requires maturity, responsibility, efficiency, accuracy, and precision.

Academic Program

The Clinical Laboratory Sciences program at Missouri State University is a baccalaureate program requiring a minimum of 95 semester hours of college credit obtained on campus plus a 12-month internship at an affiliated hospital in a NAACLS approved school of clinical laboratory sciences-medical technology for which the student receives an additional 30-39 hours of upper division credit. The university has affiliation agreements with Cox Medical Center, St. John's Medical Center in Joplin and North Kansas City Hospital in Kansas City. Under these agreements, the student must meet the requirements for admission to one of the above clinical internship programs. Courses taken at one of the above schools are entered directly on the Missouri State University academic record and grades earned in those courses will be calculated into the cumulative grade point average. Students receive Bachelor of Science degrees in Clinical Laboratory Science from Missouri State University upon successful completion of the program. University residency requirements and a letter from the Records Office indicating completion of all requirements for the degree must be met before matriculation into one of these programs. Neither admission nor completion of the program will insure admission to a school of clinical laboratory sciences-medical technology. Students must then pass the registry examination in order to gain employment as registered medical technologists.

High school students planning for careers in medical technology should take courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics.

Students are assisted in the selection of classes by academic advisors in the BMS Department. Each student's schedule is prepared individually, and based on the student's ACT scores, high school preparation, and other factors.

General Education Requirements

Specific general education requirements include: BMS 110 (4) or BIO 121 (4); and CHM 160 (4).

For remaining general education requirements, see the General Education section of the catalog.

Major Requirements

1. Additional Science Courses Required: BMS 231 (4) or BIO 235 (4); and BMS 307 (4) and BMS 308 (4); and BIO 310 (5) and BIO 511 (3); CHM 170 (3) and CHM 175 (2); and CHM 200 (5) (preferred) or CHM 342 (5); and BMS 321 (4) or CHM 352 (3) and CHM 353 (2); and statistics (BIO 550 or ECO 308 or MTH 340 or PSY 200 or QBA 237 or SOC 302 or equivalent).

2. Required Emphasis: Select one of the following emphases:

Microbiology Emphasis: BIO 520 (3) and BMS 524 (3)

Molecular Diagnostics Emphasis: BMS 321 (4) and BMS 521 (4) and BMS 525 (4). Note: BMS 321 may also count as one of the required science courses.

Management Emphasis: MGT 286 (3) and MGT 340 (3)

3. Additional Electives: With advisor approval, choose at least one additional course from the following that is not taken in the required courses or emphasis: BMS 321 (4), or BIO 520 (3), or BMS 521 (4), or BMS 524 (3), or CHM 302 (5), or CHM 352 (3) and CHM 353 (2), or MGT 286 (3), or MGT 340 (3)

4. Clinical Course Requrements: MTC 401 (10-12), MTC 402 (1-3), MTC 403 (4-6), MTC 404 (3-4), MTC 405 (7), MTC 406 (3-5), MTC 407 (2). See Biomedical Sciences Department section in the Missouri State University Catalog for descriptions of these clinical courses.

NOTE: The specific scheduling for this comprehensive major is tight. The student should meet with an advisor from the Biomedical Sciences department before or during the first semester of enrollment at Missouri State University.

Declaration of the Major and Admission to the Program

Admission to the Clinical Laboratory Sciences (Medical Technology) major is a two step process:

(1) Declaration of Clinical Laboratory Sciences major and meeting with one of the departmental advisors for this program, Dr. Chris Field or Dr. Rich Garrad.

• Students with undeclared majors may declare the major at the Advisement Center located in Room 109 of University College Hall or in the Biomedical Sciences Department office in the Professional Building, Room 400.
• Students with other declared majors may change their major to clinical laboratory sciences at the University Academic Advisement Center located in Room 109 of University College Hall. One of the two clinical laboratory sciences advisors may be indicated at this time.

(2) Formal admission to the program upon approval and filing of an Application to a Degree Program.

• Formal admission to the major requires completion of the following General Education basic courses: IDS110/UHC110, CIS/CSC 101 or CSC 111, COM 115, ENG 110, MTH 135 or higher, and PED 100. As soon as the student is eligible, it is recommended that the student make application to the degree program.
• The student obtains a complete copy of their own Degree Audit that can be conveniently downloaded and printed by the student from the student's records.
• The student arranges an appointment with his/her advisor for purposes of determining eligibility for admission into the major, determining the strategy for completing all requirements for graduation, discussing the various required emphases within the major, and completing the Application to a Degree Program. Applications for the Degree Program forms are available in the BMS Department Office, Prof 400 or your assigned advisor.
• A packet consisting of the Application to the Degree Program with recommendations for "admit, pending, or denied" and the student's Degree Audit are submitted to the department head for checking and signatures. After approval, the student picks up the packet from the BMS Department Office, Prof. 400, and files the packet at the Degree Check Office in Carrington Hall, Room 304. Clinical Laboratory Sciences is a comprehensive major and does not require an academic minor. If the student desires to have an academic minor listed on their records, signatures and approvals for the minor must be obtained on the Application to a Degree Program from the department sponsoring the minor before filing the packet in the Degree Check Office. Additionally, academic minors can be specified at a later time by completing, obtaining approval and signatures, and filing the minor code portion on the Application to a Degree Program form.

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For More Information

Dr. Christopher Field
Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program Coordinator
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Missouri State University
Springfield, MO 65897
(417) 836-5478

or

Dr. Rich Garrad
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Missouri State University
Springfield, MO 65897
(417) 836-5372