Medical Laboratory Option
This option is for students interested the performance of medical laboratory tests, which provide data used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Because their work may deal with life and death situations, it requires people who are precise, dependable and have a strong sense of responsibility.
What courses would I take in the MLS curriculum?
Plan A (3+1)
Students complete three years of coursework at MSU and enter clinical training in their senior year. This clinical training for Plan A students is offered through the following affiliate schools:
- Montana Medical Laboratory Science Professional Program (MMLS), MSU, Bozeman, MT.
Students apply to these programs in their junior year. If accepted, students attend the program for one full year (3 semesters). Following completion of the training, students are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from MSU and become eligible to take a certification exam to become Medical Laboratory Scientists.
Plan B (4+1)
Students take four years of coursework at MSU to complete a Bachelor of Science degree, then enter professional training in their fifth year. Students can apply for clinical training during their senior year. Programs are associated with many universities and hospitals. After successful completion of this training and a certification examination, they become registered Medical Laboratory Scientists.
What does a career in MLS look like?
In either plan A or plan B, students take a certification exam administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathologists (ASCP- BOC) or the American Medical Technologists (AMT). This certifies them to work in clinical labs throughout the nation.
Medical Laboratory Scientists have diverse career opportunities, and they can combine skills and interests to create a career suited to their goals. Most laboratory professionals work in hospitals, but many are employed in physicians’ offices, commercial laboratories, research facilities, veterinary clinics, public health centers, criminology laboratories, the Armed Forces and the Peace Corps. Some become laboratory administrators or marketing specialists with medical supply companies.