College of Sciences and Humanities
Department of Biological Sciences
www.kent.edu/biology

About This Program

Turn your passion for science into a career that saves lives. Through hands-on lab work and clinical training, you will learn to analyze blood, tissue and other samples, generating the critical data that drives up to 70 percent of medical decisions and supports accurate diagnosis and treatment. Build in-demand technical skills and join a vital healthcare team working at the forefront of modern medicine in hospitals, clinics and research labs. Read more...

Contact Information

• Devin Mueller | dmuell10@kent.edu | 330-672-2934
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

²

Students who complete the required in-hospital clinical experience fulfill the experiential learning requirement.

Graduation Requirements

• Students are expected to consult with a medical technology advisor before registering for courses each semester.
• The fourth year clinical training is NOT guaranteed, but it is required to graduate with this major. Acceptance to clinical training is at the discretion of the clinical affiliates, is highly competitive and is based on multiple criteria. Typically, clinical affiliates will interview students with a minimum 3.000 major GPA and hospital experience.
• Students declared in the Medical Laboratory Science major are not required to meet the College of Arts and Sciences' foreign language requirement.

The following Biological Sciences (BSCI) courses may NOT be used in the elective category for majors or minors in the Department of Biological Sciences:

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Be certified as professional medical laboratory scientists.
2. Perform assays of clinical samples in a hospital or laboratory setting.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of human physiology and familiarity with human health issues.
4. Interpret chemical and molecular data for clinical diagnosis.

Program Policies

Mandatory Outcomes Assessment

In addition to the other General Requirements of the college, candidates for an undergraduate degree in the College of Sciences and Humanities are required, as a condition of graduation, to participate in an outcomes assessment. These outcomes assessments are conducted by each undergraduate degree program in the College of Sciences and Humanities.

Three-Plus-One Programs

Students who choose to pursue Three-Plus-One programs take three years of preprofessional study at Kent State University, followed by a year or more of intensive professional training at an accredited professional school or clinical facility. Upon the satisfactory completion of this professional training, the B.S. degree from the College of Sciences and Humanities at Kent State University is awarded. Students must earn 97 credit hours in a university. Appropriate transfer credit from other institutions may be included in these 97 credit hours, but the students must complete at least 42 credit hours in-residence at Kent State University, including the last 32 credit hours of the 97 credit hours requirement.

Students must have a minimum 2.000 GPA in all work taken at Kent State University. They must also complete with at least a 2.000 average all off-campus work taken to fulfill fourth-year requirements. In some fields, students may also be required to present other evidence of the satisfactory completion of the off-campus professional training.

Students must satisfy all degree requirements, including the B.S. General Requirements and field of concentration requirements, by a combination of credits earned at Kent State University and the professional school. The only exception is that the college’s foreign language requirement is waived for students who successfully complete a Three-Plus-One program.

Three-Plus-One programs are designed for students with a well-defined, specific, professional career goal. Currently, the College of Sciences and Humanities offers a Three-Plus-One program in Medical Laboratory Science. Because of the intensive, professional focus of these programs, students pursuing them should work closely with their faculty advisors. Students who are interested in this program should consult the Department of Biological Sciences, 256 Cunningham Hall, for further information.

Please see the program requirements for the Medical Laboratory Science program offered under the College of Sciences and Humanities.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science allows students to combine three years of study at Kent State with 12 months of professional training at an approved hospital. Medical laboratory scientists are trained to perform complex chemical, microscopic and microbiological procedures. Graduates are eligible to sit for the Board of Registry of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists Exam.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.