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Undergraduate Medical Laboratory Science
Become a Medical Detective
Working with pathologists, medical lab techs and other lab specialists, medical laboratory scientists are integral members of the health care team.
Majors
Medical Laboratory Science: Bachelor of Science
You’ll complete a four-year program which consists of three years (a minimum of 82 hours) on campus and a three-semester clinical internship. Completion of this program provides eligibility to take the national certification exam and leads to in-demand health care careers.
Minors
* While the minor does not allow for graduates to practice as an MLS or MLT, it will aid in the preparation of practice-ready graduates who advocate for patients by enhancing quality healthcare and improving outcomes. A skillset especially important for healthcare professionals who interpret laboratory results such as nurses, physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and veterinarians
Four Year Program Guide
The Classroom & Beyond
Highly Qualified
The extensive training we provide prepares our students for careers as certified medical laboratory scientists. Our students maintain a pass rate well above the national average on the ASCP Board of Certification Exam, exceeding 98% since 2008. Additionally, we have a job placement rate of 100%. Our students are well-positioned for acceptance into advanced degree programs.
Intensive Internship
Our students participate in a clinical internship with a NAACLS-accredited MLS program where they enjoy hands-on experiences performing a wide variety of lab tests on body fluids and tissues, helping to determine the presence or absence of disease. While many students choose to remain in SD and the surrounding region, there are internship opportunities available to our students throughout the United States.
Interprofessional Training
USD MLS students have several opportunities to participate in interprofessional experiences throughout their curriculum. These range from interprofessional games, simulations including role-played patients or top-of-the-line, high-fidelity mannequins, international service-learning trips and more.
After Graduation
The demand for medical laboratory scientists continues to be high, with opportunities in a wide variety of settings throughout the nation. We maintain 100% employment rate for our graduates.
Potential Careers:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Public health and private labs
- Education
- Management
- Quality control
- Sales
- Product development
- Instrumentation development
- Traveling MLS
Recent Employers:
While many of our graduates serve SD and the region through local health care systems such as Avera Health, Huron Regional Medical Center, Monument Health, Sanford Health, and Yankton Medical Clinic, our alumni span the nation.
- Altru Health System, Grand Forks, ND
- CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE
- Covenant Health, Texas
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- MercyOne Siouxland, Sioux City, IA
- Nebraska Medicine, Omaha, NE
- Olmsted Medical Center, Rochester, MN
- Sanford Imagenetics, Sioux Falls, SD
- Shoshone Medical Center, Idaho
- Spooner Health, Wisconsin
- UnityPoint Health, Sioux City, IA
- UCHealth Memorial Hospital, Colorado
- University of Kansas Health System, Kansas
- Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System, Nebraska