Clinical Laboratory Science Certificate
Our Program How and When to Apply Selection Process Background Preparation Clinical Laboratory Experience Faculty Job Outlook
Become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.
A clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) performs a full range of laboratory tests from simple cholesterol screenings to more complex tests to uncover diseases such as AIDS, diabetes and cancer. As a clinical laboratory scientist you will be responsible for confirming the accuracy of test results and reporting laboratory findings to the pathologist and the patient's physician.
You will work quickly and carefully. As a clinical laboratory scientist you hold life and death in your hands because the information you give to the doctor influences the medical treatment that a patient receives.
The clinical laboratory scientist works with microscopes, complex electronic equipment, computers and precision instruments.
Our Program
Our 47-week certificate program includes intensive classroom instruction and clinical laboratory experience. You will gain the intellectual tools to understand disease processes and the corresponding laboratory skills needed to assist physicians with diagnosis and treatment of their patients. You will learn to perform a wide variety of laboratory tests ranging from simple one step to complex multiple step procedures. You will also learn to operate complex equipment, computers, microscopes and precision instruments, and how to use equipment such as pipettes, inoculating loops and other equipment used in manual testing methods.
The CLS program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
How and When to Apply
We accept eight student into the CLS program each year. Your admission into this program is on a competitive basis, so early application is encouraged. Meeting the minimum criteria or being admitted into Mercy College does not guarantee admission into the program.
The application deadline is November 1. All application materials must be received in the Mercy College Admissions Department by November 1 to be considered for admission. Applicants meeting the admission requirements will be invited to interview with program officials. All interviews must be completed before December 1.
The CLS program is affiliated with several institutions of higher learning. Accepted students from affiliated institutions complete their senior year at Mercy College, earning up to 45 semester hours of upper level science credits. Click here to view the list of affiliated institutions.
Students from affiliated institutions must complete all other affiliated institution graduation requirements to qualify for a B.A. or B.S. degree upon completion of the CLS certificate at Mercy College.
Students from non-affiliated colleges and universities are eligible to apply if they have completed or will have completed a B.A. or B.S. degree before the program begins and meet all academic requirements.
Prospective students who are interested in the CLS Certificate may want to also consider admission to the Bachelor of Science in Health Science - Track Three at Mercy College.
Selection Process
Following the November 1 application deadline, the process to select students begins. Each qualified applicant is invited to interview with program officials and tour the laboratory. Complete applications are reviewed by the selection committee, which considers the following:
- Types and difficulty of courses taken
- Evidence of well-rounded education, such as better than average grade in English composition
- Courses taken that are not required but are recommended
- Work experience
- Volunteer and extra-curricular activities
- Letters of recommendation
- Activities that indicate social consciousness and involvement
- Essay
- Background Checks
- Cumulative and science GPA
Additionally:
- The interview is not used as one of the selection criteria.
- Acceptance letters are sent to accepted students on December 1.
- Accepted students must reply to Mercy College to accept or decline the offered position by December 15.
- Application eligibility does not guarantee acceptance.
Background Preparation
Students must complete the following undergraduate coursework with a "C" (not "C-") or higher prior to beginning the CLS program: sixteen (16) semester hours of Chemistry, including Biochemistry and/or Organic Chemistry that are part of a science major curriculum; sixteen (16) semester hours of Biology, including Immunology and Microbiology that are part of a science major curriculum; and three (3) semester hours of college level mathematics at the algebra level or above.
Clinical Laboratory Experience
Students experience direct lab instruction in Mercy Medical Center’s clinical laboratory. Mercy Medical Center’s progressive, modern clinical laboratory performs an average of 200,000 analytical procedures each month to help diagnose and treat patients throughout the community. Students work one-on-one with clinical laboratory scientists throughout the curriculum. Working alongside Mercy’s experts in clinical laboratory science and other health professions will be a valuable resource in your academic and professional development.
Faculty
The CLS program includes a full-time program chair, two part-time CLS Instructors and one full-time CLS Instructor as well clinical laboratory scientists in the clinical laboratory assuring you an exceptional level of personalized instruction.
Job Outlook
Once you have completed your CLS certificate, you will have the knowledge and clinical laboratory experience needed to become a nationally certified medical laboratory scientist. You will be eligible to sit for the Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification.
There is currently a shortage of Clinical Laboratory Scientists/Medical Technologists, and they are in demand across the country. Graduates of the CLS program at Mercy College will find career opportunities in hospitals, independent clinical laboratories, blood centers, industry, universities, government laboratories, and research facilities. Faster-than-average job growth is expected to arise as our population ages and experiences an increased need for diagnosing and treating diseases. For more details and statistics about specific roles and job opportunities go the the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
