A new program at Missouri S&T will allow those interested in the field of medical laboratory science to study in the Missouri S&T biological sciences department for three years and then finish their degree with a year of clinical professional study at one of three certified Missouri hospital programs.

This Missouri S&T partnership will allow students to be board certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists as a medical laboratory scientist by the time they graduate. The School of Medical Laboratory Science at North Kansas City Hospital, the School of Medical Laboratory Science at Mercy Hospital Joplin, and the School of Clinical Laboratory Science at Mercy Hospital St. Louis are partnering with S&T in the program.

“Certified medical lab scientists are in very high demand in the medical field right now,” says Dr. David Duvernell, chair and professor of biological sciences at S&T. “Most are employed in hospitals, but private laboratories, government agencies, and industrial and pharmaceutical laboratories offer alternative career opportunities for our students studying in this new emphasis area.”

S&T’s medical laboratory science emphasis area requires students to enroll in traditional biology and chemistry courses during their first three years, then complete 32 hours of clinical program coursework at one of the affiliated hospitals.

“All of our biological sciences students are required to take basic courses in biodiversity, cellular biology, evolution, genetics and ecology,” says Duvernell. “After that they gain a depth of knowledge by pursuing courses in one of our focus areas, and the faculty are excited to offer this new program of study for S&T students interested in a clinical laboratory career.”

For more information about Missouri S&T’s biological sciences program, visit biosci.mst.edu.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,600 students and part of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degree programs in 40 areas of study and is ranked by CollegeFactual as the best public university to study engineering. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.