Master of Science In Medical Laboratory
Science

"The faculty, the university, and our healthcare affiliates are all invested in creating a learning environment that ensures the success of student in this program,” said Beth Rawson, program director. “It’s not just a degree; students are being prepared to walk into a clinical lab after graduation as professionals and colleagues."

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Become Qualified to Work in a Clinical Laboratory

Get the specialized training that opens doors to clinical labs everywhere. Gain a professional’s understanding of laboratory work and start making a contribution from your first day on the job, instead of requiring additional training. All while commanding a salary commensurate with your knowledge and skill. For those with undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or another general science — which don’t qualify you for clinical lab positions — our M.S. is the degree you need.

Gain the In-Depth Knowledge You Need to Succeed

Our program of study is essentially your passport to work in a diagnostic clinical lab, in research, or in industry. Over the span of two years, you will study clinical chemistry, hematology, immmunohematology, immunology, and microbiology. Your coursework will include didactic courses, laboratory instruction, and clinical experience rotations, during which you will spend two to four days a week at a local or area clinical lab. There you will engage in laboratory testing and have the opportunity to put your ever-increasing body of knowledge into action.

You will also complete a capstone course in which your knowledge and experience will be put to work on a research project, clinical project, or practical experience.

Prepared for Success

Our program fulfills the requirements for taking the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) exam to become a board-certified medical laboratory scientist. Although this certification is not required to work as a medical laboratory scientist in all states, with our degree in hand, you will always be ready to take that next step to certification if you desire.

Currently, the University of New Haven is the only university in Connecticut that offers a master’s degree in medical laboratory science.

View Program Handbook

  • Mission

    The mission of the Medical Laboratory Science program is to provide a rigorous, competitive undergraduate training program to prepare graduatesto become competent medical laboratory scientists who demonstrate ethical standards and promote patient-centered care.

    Vision

    The vision of the Medical Laboratory Science program is to become a destination program for medical laboratory science in the region recognized for quality faculty, strong industry partnerships, and successful graduates. All graduates from the MLS program will become competent, ethical, certified MLS professionals prepared to become an essential member of the healthcare team.

    Objectives

    Professional Communication: To interact and communicate effectively by presenting information in oral and written formats, collaborating with professionals, peers, and clients, expressing ideas clearly, and giving and receiving feedback to serve the needs of patients, the public and members of the health care team.

    Professional Competence: To possess knowledge, skills, and abilities to acquire an entry level position as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and to successfully complete the ASCP BOC MLS examination.

    Professional Ethics and Conduct: To learn to treat patients and colleagues with respect, care, and thoughtfulness, to perform duties in an accurate, precise, timely and responsible manner, to maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and test results and to exercise professional judgment, skill and care while meeting established standards of the MLS profession.

    Professional and Personal Development: To continuously improve and apply medical laboratory skills and knowledge and share such with colleagues, other members of the health care community and the public.

  • The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) requires that the MLS program publish the following list of essential program functions. These “Technical Standards/Essential Functions” make up the non-academic requirements of the profession that all students must demonstrate to succeed inthe UNewHaven MLS program. The essential professional, communication, and technical requirements for Medical Laboratory Sciences students are listed below. If there are changes in these essential requirements, those changes will be published, and students will have the opportunity to discuss any changes with the Program Director and instructors in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program.

    The Technical Standards/Essential Functions required for successful completion of the MLS program at the University of New Haven are listed below. In accordance with the university’s commitment to providing equal access for individuals with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA of 2008), students seeking reasonable accommodations to meet these requirements should contact the Accessibility Resources Center to ensure appropriate accommodations can be made in a timely manner.

    Professional skills
    • Maintain professional decorum and composure in a wide variety of situations
    • Maintain confidentiality and integrity
    • Follow directions, be able to make decisions, prioritize tasks, and work on multiple tasks simultaneously
    • Work independently and in cooperation with others
    • Apply acquired learned skills and knowledge to new situations
    • Work with potential biologic, chemical, radiologic, mechanical, and electrical hazards
    • Maintain personal hygiene and neatness appropriate to the professional workplace
    • Achieve regular, reliable, and punctual attendance at classes and regarding their clinical responsibilities
    Communication skills
    • Communicate effectively and efficiently with coworkers and members of the healthcare team
    • Read and comprehend written material
    • Record information accurately and clearly
    Technical skills
    • Complete fine repetitive movements such as pipetting
    • Manipulate lab instruments
    • Demonstrate proficiency to work with flammable and infectious materials, hazardous chemicals, and electrical equipment
    • Demonstrate proficiency in all areas of the clinical lab
    • Work in areas with distracting noises, unpleasant odors and in close proximity to fellow workers
    • Perform all diagnostic procedures in the clinical lab
    • Perform delicate manipulations of clinical specimens, clinical lab equipment, tools, and instruments
    • Perform diagnostic procedure and venipuncture safely and accurately
    • Adhere to standard precautions and meet safety standards applicable to the clinical laboratory
    • Accurately identify, describe, and record fine details of clinical specimens both macroscopically and microscopically
    • Read and interpret charts, graphs, and labels
    • Read and interpret instrument panels and printouts
    • Independently perform all aspects of diagnostic procedures in the clinical lab and report results accurately and timely
  • Rates Academic Year 2021-2022* Academic Year 2022-2023* Academic Year 2023-2024* 3-Year Averages
    CERTIFICATION RATES: For program graduates who took the ASCP BOC exam within one year following graduation 0% (ASCP BOC MLS certification) 100% pass rate (ASCP BOC MLS certification) 67% pass rate (ASCP BOC MLS certification) 67% pass rate (ASCP BOC MLS certification)
    ATTRITION/GRADUATION RATES: For students who began the last year of the program 100% graduation 100% graduation 100% graduation 100% graduation
    PLACEMENT RATES: Graduates who found employment (in MLS or a closely related field) and/or continued their education within six months of graduation 100% placement 100% placement 100% placement 100% placement

    *Class size information (number of graduates)
    2021-2022: 2; 1 of 2 students attempted exam, 0 of 1 students passed MLS certification exam
    2022-2023: 2; 2 of 2 students attempted and passed MLS certification exam
    2023-2024: 6; 6 of 6 attempted exam, 4 of 6 students passed MLS certification exam

Today’s — and Tomorrow’s — Job Outlook
130

Job openings for medical laboratory scientists

Survey of Connecticut hospital job boards

90%

The current job fill rate in the Northeast

ASCP Vacancy Survey (2020)

25K

Projected openings for clinical laboratory professionals each year over the next decade

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Envision Your Future

The information below shows a few of the positions you can hold and the annual salaries that are typical of them. The data is courtesy of the American Society of Clinical Pathology’s 2019 Wage Survey of Medical Laboratories in the U.S. Click here to view the full report.

$68K (staff)
$92K (manager)

Medical Laboratory Scientist/ Clinical Laboratory Scientist

$55K (staff)
$74K (manager)

Point of Care Testing Personnel

$80K (staff)

Laboratory Information System (LIS) Personnel

Current Clinical Affiliates

Yale New Haven Health logo.

Gain Real World Experience

All students in the MLS program must complete a series of clinical rotations to graduate. Clinical site placement is determined at the end of the second-to-last semester, and rotations occur during the final semester of the program. For more details on this process, please refer to the student handbook.

  • Yale New Haven Health System
    • Yale New Haven Hospital; New Haven, CT
    • Bridgeport Hospital; Bridgeport, CT
    • Greenwich Hospital; Greenwich, CT
    • Lawrence + Memorial Hospital; New London, CT
    • Westerly Hospital; Westerly, RI
  • VACT Healthcare – West Haven VA Medical Center
  • Hartford Healthcare
    • Hartford Hospital; Hartford, CT
    • MidState Medical Center; Meriden, CT
    • The Hospital of Central Connecticut at New Britain General and Bradley Memorial; New Britain, CT
    • The William W. Backus Hospital; Norwich, CT
    • Windham Community Memorial Hospital, Inc.; Willimantic, CT
    • St. Vincent’s Medical Center; Bridgeport, CT
  • Stamford Health
    • Stamford Hospital; Stamford, CT
  • Griffin Health
    • Griffin Hospital; Derby, CT
  • Nuvance Health
    • Danbury Hospital; Danbury, CT

Clinical Practicum Student Handbook

Planetree Partnership

Planetree logo.

A Person-Centered Care Approach

The University of New Haven’s School of Health Sciences is one of the first schools in the United States to pursue higher education certification from Planetree International. The partnership between the School of Health Sciences and Planetree International represents an unprecedented opportunity to develop and grow a health professions educational experience from the ground up, with a person-centered care approach in mind.

Our Partnership


Selected Courses and Programs

  • Immunohematology, also commonly referred to as "blood bank," covers the science and technology used to collect and prepare blood products and how to determine the suitability of blood products for transfusion.

  • The chemical analysis of blood and body fluids, focused on identification and quantification of various endogenous and exogenous compounds. This area may also include the sub-specialties of serology and immunology, focusing on identifying immune system function.

  • This course focuses on identification, treatment, and understanding of the fungi, parasites, and viruses known to cause infectious disease in humans.

  • The culture, identification, and susceptibility testing of infectious bacteria by traditional biochemical techniques and molecular methods.

  • This is the study of the cellular elements of the blood and the blood-forming tissues, including development, maturation, function, and destruction. This course also covers common hematological disease processes, such as anemia and leukemia.

  • The process of coagulation (clotting) and blood vessel repair and the major disorders of hemostasis are addressed in this course. Also covered is analysis of other body fluids, including urine, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and serous and synovial fluids.

  • The M.S. in Medical Laboratory Science graduate program is designed for individuals holding a bachelor of science in biology, chemistry, or a related major and who are not certified medical technologists or medical laboratory scientists but who desire a career in the clinical laboratory sciences. To view the complete list of courses you'll take while pursuing your master's degree in Medical Laboratory Science, check out the Academic Catalog:

    Medical Laboratory Science, M.S.

The Benefits of Our Degree Over a Certificate

Although earning a post-baccalaureate certificate in medical laboratory science (not to be confused with ASCP certification) is another route to a clinical laboratory position, there are a number of advantages to a degree that outweigh those of a certificate:

  • A degree simply has more cachet than a certificate. It will make a bigger impact on your résume.
  • A certificate is generally not eligible for financial aid or tuition reimbursement.
  • The amount of time you would invest in earning a certificate is roughly the same as for the M.S. because it has to cover all of the same program-specific content areas.

This program is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), awarded in April 2023 for a period of 5 years.

NAACLS logo

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
5600 N. River Rd, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
Phone: (773) 714-8880
Fax: (773) 714-8886
Email: info@naacls.org

Learn From Professors Who Are Dedicated to Your Success

Our faculty are leaders and innovators in their fields, bringing both deep professional experience and academic rigor to the classroom.

Meet Our Faculty
Nationally Recognized Center for Career Development

All University of New Haven students have access to the many resources available through the University’s Career Development Center, which has been named one of the best in the nation by The Princeton Review.

From career assessments, networking, and job shadowing to on-campus interviews and salary negotiation, the Career Development Center provides the skills and connections to identify a meaningful career and an opportunity to pursue your passion.

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Next Steps

  • An advanced degree from the University of New Haven will help you take your career to the next level. Each program offers convenient scheduling, personalized attention, and state-of-the-art facilities.

    View Application Requirements

  • The University of New Haven Graduate School is an excellent value with reasonable tuition. Of course, you will still have bills to pay and the Financial Aid office can help.

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Licensure and Certification Information

In the University’s M.S. Medical Laboratory Science program students can start the path towards becoming a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). Students that complete this program are eligible to sit for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) examination.

  • Our curriculum meets the educational requirements for MLS certification or licensure in CT and NJ.
  • Our curriculum does not meet the educational requirements for MSL licensure in CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MT, NV, NY, ND, PR, RI, TN, and WV.
  • We have not yet made a determination if our curriculum meets the MLS licensure requirements in AS, GU, MP, and VI.

The following states do not regulate Medical Lab Science certification/licensure: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, DE, DC, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NH, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, and, WY.


Click the link below for contact information on State licensure boards.

Licensure Information

Click here for more information on Licensure & Professional Certification Disclosures.