• Skip to Content
  • AZ Index
  • Catalog Home
  • Institution Home
West Virginia University 2024-2025 Academic Catalog
WVU Home
Would you like to search this site specifically, or all WVU websites?
  • Catalog Home
  • WVU Morgantown
    • Undergraduate Catalog
    • Graduate/​Professional Catalog
  • WVU Potomac State College
    • Applied Sciences
    • Liberal Arts
    • STEM
    • Regents Bachelor of Arts
  • WVU Institute of Technology
    • School of Arts and Sciences
    • School of Business
    • School of Engineering-​Leonard C. Nelson
    • School of Nursing
  • Archived Catalogs
  • Catalog Home/
  • WVU Morgantown/
  • Graduate/Professional Catalog/
  • Medicine/
  • Medical Laboratory Science
WVU Morgantown

Medical Laboratory Science, M.S.

  • Overview
  • Administration
  • Faculty
  • Admissions Requirements
  • Masters
  • Learning Outcomes
  • Accreditation

Department website: http://medicine.wvu.edu/biomedical-laboratory-diagnostics/

Degree Offered

  • Master of Science

Nature of the Program

Medical laboratory scientists are healthcare professionals educated in all aspects of clinical laboratory analysis, including test development, performance, and evaluation. Medical laboratory scientists may work in many areas, including clinical chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, immunology, clinical microbiology, and molecular diagnostics.

Practice settings for medical laboratory scientists include hospital, clinic, public health, or private clinical laboratories; research, cytogenetic, pharmaceutical, or in-vitro fertilization laboratories; technical or sales representatives for medical manufacturers and suppliers; biotechnology; and state or federal forensics laboratories.

Students in the program receive both didactic instruction and practical experience at one or more of the affiliated hospital laboratories. Students must provide their own transportation and housing during the clinical rotations.


Administration

Vice Chair and Program Director, Medical Laboratory Science

  • Michelle Butina - PhD, MLS (ASCP) (University of Georgia)
    Associate Professor

Faculty

Associate Professors

  • Michelle Butina - PhD, MLS(ASCP) (University of Georgia)
    Vice Chair, Laboratory Sciences Division and Program Director, Medical Laboratory Science
  • Jason V. Evans - PhD, MLS(ASCP) (West Virginia University)
  • Michelle Herdman - PhD, MLS(ASCP) (Marshall University)

Assistant Professors

  • Amara Sugalski - MA, MLS(ASCP) (University of Michigan)

Associate Professors Emeriti

  • Barbara J. Gutman
  • Kerry Harbert
  • Beverly Kirby
  • Mary Ellen Koenn
  • Karen S. Long

Admissions for 2025-2026

  1.  Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university*
  2. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
  3. Pre-requisite courses:
    1. 12 credit hours of chemistry (including one course in organic or biochemistry)
    2. 12 credit hours of biological sciences (including one course in microbiology)
    3. 3 credit hours of college algebra or higher
  4. Written statement of goals that clearly identifies how admission to the program will facilitate his/her professional goals
  5. Resume
  6. Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the Medical Laboratory Science Admissions Committee.

*Disclaimer: Excluding those that have completed a NAACLS accredited medical laboratory science program.

Major Code: 8353

Degree Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required.
A minimum grade of C- is required in all coursework.
PALM 412Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory1
PALM 422Immunohematology Laboratory2
PALM 432Clinical Chemistry Laboratory2
PALM 442Clinical Hematology Laboratory2
PALM 446Hemostasis Laboratory1
PALM 452Clinical Microbiology Laboratory2
PALM 462Urinalysis and Body Fluids Laboratory1
PALM 465Medical Laboratory Management2
PALM 510Molecular Diagnostics2
PALM 520Immunohematology3
PALM 525Immunohematology Practicum4
PALM 530Clinical Chemistry3
PALM 535Clinical Chemistry Practicum4
PALM 540Clinical Hematology3
PALM 544Hemostasis1
PALM 545Clinical Hematology Practicum4
PALM 550Clinical Microbiology3
PALM 554Clinical Mycology & Parasitology2
PALM 555Clinical Microbiology Practicum4
PALM 560Urinalysis and Body Fluids1
PALM 580Medical Immunology3
PALM 602Leadership Theory1
PALM 604Educational Theory 1
PALM 606Graduate Seminar1
Total Hours53

Suggested Plan of Study

First SemesterHours
PALM 5542
PALM 5601
PALM 4621
PALM 5303
PALM 4322
PALM 5403
PALM 4422
 14
Second SemesterHours
PALM 5803
PALM 5441
PALM 4461
PALM 6041
PALM 6061
 7
Third SemesterHours
PALM 5102
PALM 4121
PALM 5203
PALM 4222
PALM 5503
PALM 4522
PALM 4652
 15
Fourth SemesterHours
PALM 5254
PALM 5354
PALM 5454
PALM 5554
PALM 6021
 17
Total credit hours: 53

Major Learning Outcomes

Medical Laboratory Science

 Upon graduation, students will:

  1. Demonstrate entry level knowledge for a laboratory medicine professional.
  2. Perform accurate and reliable qualitative and quantitative test procedures using sophisticated instrumentation.
  3. Model the professional traits of a laboratory medicine practitioner in a workplace setting (e.g., during clinical rotations).
  4. Communicate effectively in written and oral forms appropriate to a laboratory medicine professional.
  5. Apply fundamental principles of administration and leadership to clinical laboratory practice.
  6. Use educational principles and methodologies to teach and/or inform students, colleagues, patients, members of patient care team, and public on clinical laboratory topics or general healthcare topics.

Accreditation

The WVU Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics tracks in Medical Laboratory Science and Histotechnology are accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, and (773) 714-8880. Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Science and Histotechnology programs are eligible for certification by the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

  • Athletic Training
  • Audiology
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Cancer Cell Biology
  • Cellular and Integrative Physiology
  • Clinical and Translational Science
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Health Sciences
  • Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis
  • Medical Laboratory Science
  • Medicine
  • Neuroscience
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Pathologists' Assistant
  • Pathophysiology, Rehabilitation &​ Performance
  • Physician Assistant
  • Physical Therapy
  • Speech-​Language Pathology

WVU Morgantown

Graduate/Professional Catalog Information

  • Academic and Professional Standards
  • Admissions
  • Advising, Enrollment and Evaluation
  • Calendar
  • Courses
  • Degree Regulations
  • FERPA
  • Financial Aid
  • Graduate Certificates
  • Programs, Courses and Credits
  • Tuition, Fees and Residency
  • Veterans

Office of the University Registrar
P.O. Box 6878
Morgantown, WV 26506
Email: registrar@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: 304-293-5355

  • Accreditations
  • Web Standards
  • Questions or Comments?

© 2024-2025 West Virginia University. WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer — Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran.

  • A-Z Site Index
  • Campus Map
  • WVU Careers
  • Directory
  • Give
  • Handshake Login
  • WVU Alert
  • WVU Today
  • WVU Portal
  • WVU on Facebook
  • WVU on Twitter
  • WVU on YouTube

The information on this page is subject to change without notice. Disclaimer

Print Options

  • Send Page to Printer

    Print this page.

  • Download Page (PDF)

    The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

  • Download Complete 2024-25 PDF Catalogs

    • WVU Morgantown - Graduate/Professional
    • WVU Morgantown - Undergraduate
    • WVU Keyser - Potomac State College
    • WVU Beckley - WVU Tech
    • WVU Morgantown - Law

    Download 2024-25 PDF Courses Catalogs

    • WVU Morgantown - Graduate/Professional Courses
    • WVU Morgantown - Undergraduate Courses
    • WVU Keyser - Potomac State College Courses
    • WVU Beckley - WVU Tech Courses

Print Options

  • Send Page to Printer

    Print this page.

  • Download PDF of this page

    The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

  • Download Complete 2020-21 PDF Catalogs

    • WVU Morgantown - Graduate/Professional
    • WVU Morgantown - Undergraduate
    • WVU Keyser - Potomac State College
    • WVU Beckley - WVU Tech
    • WVU Morgantown - Law

    Download 2020-21 PDF Courses Catalogs

    • WVU Morgantown - Graduate/Professional Courses
    • WVU Morgantown - Undergraduate Courses
    • WVU Keyser - Potomac State College Courses
    • WVU Beckley - WVU Tech Courses