Medical Laboratory Science (B.S.) - Upward Mobility Program

Program Goals

• Provide an educational program within the framework of the University setting in accordance with the Standards of Accredited Programs for the Medical Laboratory Scientist as established by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS).
• Provide adequate numbers of entry-level medical laboratory scientists to meet the workforce needs of the state of South Dakota and surrounding areas.
• Provide the health care community with quality individuals who are competent to conduct laboratory procedures in large medical facilities and small rural laboratories and who demonstrate positive professional attitudes, ethics and practices.

Enabling Objectives

• Provide a curriculum that includes a general or liberal education, content specific theory and applications, technical knowledge, professionalism and clinical competence to successfully complete a national certification exam.
• Assist students in career placement by providing academic and occupational advisement.
• Instill in students a sense of professionalism, commitment to lifelong learning and academic excellence.
• Prepare students to successfully enter the health care field as competent entry-level professionals that communicate well, appreciate social diversity and possess a genuine compassion and concern for others.

Student Learning Outcomes

In the Medical Laboratory Science Upward Mobility program, students will:

• Apply principles of management that include administrative methodologies and assessment to clinical laboratory practice.
• Apply principles of educational methodologies including objectives and learning outcomes, domains, and Bloom’s taxonomy to curriculum design, evaluation, and assessment in clinical laboratory practice and continuing professional development.
• Exercise independent judgement and critical thinking to correlate and recognize discrepancies associated with normal and abnormal test results using patient history, characteristics, and demographics.
• Evaluate, demonstrate and perform best laboratory practices as outlined in the standard operating procedures to correctly and independently follow procedures and policies to perform laboratory test procedures.
• Demonstrate effective oral or written communication with other students, faculty, patients, professional colleagues, physicians, other members of the health care team, and the public to effectively and efficiently transmit test results and instructions.
• Proficiently construct and devise written documents in accordance with quality management and quality assurance.
• Demonstrate and value professional conduct that includes compassion, concern, integrity and respect when dealing with patients, colleagues, faculty, students, physicians, other members of the health care team, and the public independent of race, sex, religion, ethnicity or diversity.
• Practice and demonstrate the use of appropriate ethical standards in all matters related to medical information and patient care including strict adherence to patient confidentiality rights as mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Medical Laboratory Science Upward Mobility Program

The Medical Laboratory Science Upward Mobility Program provides an educational experience for the development of responsible, competent entry-level professionals in medical laboratory science who want to further their training and education. The program accepts up to 24 in the on-line upward mobility program. Applicants will be notified of the decision regarding their application in writing.

MLS Upward Mobility Admission Requirements

All pre-MLS Upward Mobility students must submit an online application and all required documents for the professional program. (Applications by fax or email will not be accepted.) Selection is competitive. In order to be considered for admission a student must submit and complete the following:

• Completion of an associate degree and certification as a CLT/MLT or equivalent.
• Provision of a signed letter of support from employer, clinical facility fact sheet, and faculty fact sheet for clinical preceptor/liaison.
• Confirmation of ability to meet the non-academic Essential Functions of the program
• Completion of an interview with the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee.
• Completion of a writing assessment exercise.

*NOTE:  An additional background check may be required prior to clinical placement, dependent on clinical affiliate requirements.  Students are responsible for all costs associated with background checks.

Up to 41 MLS credits may be awarded for work completed in an approved program, as previously outlined.

MLS Progression and Remediation Policies

Medical Laboratory Science GPA Calculation

• Medical Laboratory Science GPA is calculated using all medical laboratory science MLS prefix courses. 
• MLS courses repeated at SDSU, only the repeated grade will be used to calculate the GPA.

Graduation

• A student must earn a minimum 2.0 grade point average within the medical laboratory science program to qualify for graduation with a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science.

Progression

• To progress in the MLS program a student cannot have more than 5 credits of “D” in MLS prefix courses.
• MLS students with 5 credits of “D” can continue in the MLS program but if a student receives 6 or more credits of “D”, the student would not be able to progress on to the next semester and would be removed from the program. The student would then have to follow the academic appeals if he/she would like to be readmitted to the program
• If a student receives an “F” in an MLS prefix course, the student would not be able to progress on to the next semester and would be removed from the program. The student would then have to follow the academic appeals if he/she would like to be readmitted to the program.
• The Pre-Clinical Assessment is a capstone activity that each student must take for completion of the MLS2 fall semester and progression into the MLS2 Clinical experience; it is administered during the fall semester of the MLS2 year. The assessment is administered at an alternate time for the Upward Mobility program and the Accelerated MLS program as determined by the MLS faculty and Program Director. The assessment is intended to determine competency in the general and professional student learning outcomes that are pertinent through the clinical experience (see Essential Functions and Curriculum Outcomes in the Student Handbook). The student will also be required to take a clinical post-test followed by a final comprehensive exit exam in the summer of the MLS2 year to complete the clinical experience.

Requirements for Medical Laboratory Science Major: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements

• Goal #1 Written Communication: SGR #1 Elective Credits: 6  
• Goal #2 Oral Communication: SGR #2 Elective Credits: 3   
• Goal #3 Social Sciences:
  SGR #3 Electives Credits: 6
    
• Goal #4 Arts and Humanities:
  SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
    
• Goal #5 Mathematics: 
  MATH 114 - College Algebra (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 3
    
• Goal #6 Natural Sciences: 
  CHEM 106 - Chemistry Survey (COM) [SGR #6, HSDC] Credits: 3
   **, CHEM 106L - Chemistry Survey Lab (COM) [SGR #6, HSDC] Credits: 1 **, 
  CHEM 108 - Organic and Biochemistry (COM) [SGR #6, HSDC] Credits: 4
   **, and CHEM 108L - Organic and Biochemistry Lab (COM) [SGR #6, HSDC] Credits: 1 ** 

Major Requirements

• BIOL 221 - Human Anatomy (COM) Credits: 4 **
• BIOL 221L - Human Anatomy Lab (COM) Credits: 0 **
• BIOL 325 - Physiology (COM) Credits: 4 **
• BIOL 325L - Physiology Lab (COM) Credits: 0 **
• STAT 281 - Introduction to Statistics (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 3
• MLS 201 - Understanding Medical Laboratory Science Credits: 2
• MLS 301 - Hematology I Credits: 2 **
• MLS 301L - Hematology I Lab Credits: 1 **
• MLS 311 - Clinical Chemistry I Credits: 4 **
• MLS 312 - MLT to MLS Transitional Experience Credits: 3
• MLS 341 - Diagnostic Microbiology I Credits: 3
• MLS 341L - Diagnostic Microbiology I Lab Credits: 2 **
• MLS 401 - Hematology II and Hemostasis Credits: 3
• MLS 401L - Hematology II and Hemostasis Lab Credits: 1 **
• MLS 403 - Diagnostic Immunology Credits: 3
• MLS 403L - Diagnostic Immunology Lab Credits: 1 **
• MLS 411 - Clinical Chemistry II Credits: 3 **
• MLS 411L - Clinical Chemistry II Lab Credits: 1 **
• MLS 412 - Laboratory Methods Credits: 3 **
• MLS 412L - Laboratory Methods Lab Credits: 1 **
• MLS 431 - Principles of Immunohematology Credits: 2
• MLS 431L - Immunohematology Laboratory Credits: 1 **
• MLS 441 - Diagnostic Microbiology II Credits: 3
• MLS 441L - Diagnostic Microbiology II Lab Credits: 2 **
• MLS 451 - Immunohematology II Credits: 2
• MLS 451L - Immunohematology II Lab Credits: 1 **
• MLS 461 - Introduction to Management and Education Credits: 3
• MLS 468 - Advanced Supervised Clinical Experience I Credits: 1-5 (5 credits required)
• MLS 469 - Advanced Supervised Clinical Experience II Credits: 1-5 (5 credits required)
• MLS 471 - Advanced Medical Diagnostics Credits: 2
• MLS 471L - Advanced Medical Diagnostics Lab Credits: 2 **
• MLS 483 - Senior Capstone Clinical Experience Credits: 3

• 
  Transfer of 18-41 Credit Satisfying Requirements Above

• MLS 368 - Medical Laboratory Science Transfer Credit Credits: 18-41

• **Courses that may be met in this way include: up to 19 credits in MLS 201, MLS 301-301L, MLS 311, MLS 341L, MLS 402L, MLS 403L, MLS 411L, MLS 412-412L, MLS 441L, MLS 431L, MLS 451L, MLS 471L; 5 clinical course credits; 12 credits of CHEM 106-106L, CHEM 108-108L, BIOL 221-221L and BIOL 325-325L. MLS 368 (transfer credits) may account for 10 of 18 required credits of clinicals courses include MLS 472, MLS 473, MLS 474, MLS 475, MLS 489.

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Total Required Credits: 120

Summary of Program Requirements

*System General Education Requirements for students pursuing a baccalaureate degree shall include a minimum of 30 credit hours. Some general education coursework may be counted for Major Requirements and Supporting Coursework.
**Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.

• Medical Laboratory Science (B.S.) - Upward Mobility Program