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 2026-2027
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university*
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Pre-requisite courses:
- 12 credit hours of chemistry (including one course in organic or biochemistry)
- 12 credit hours of biological sciences (including one course in microbiology)
- 3 credit hours of college algebra or higher
- Written statement of goals that clearly identifies how admission to the program will facilitate his/her professional goals
- Resume
- 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
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required. | ||
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all coursework. | ||
| PALM 412 | Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory | 1 |
| PALM 422 | Immunohematology Laboratory | 2 |
| PALM 432 | Clinical Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| PALM 442 | Clinical Hematology Laboratory | 2 |
| PALM 446 | Hemostasis Laboratory | 1 |
| PALM 452 | Clinical Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| PALM 462 | Urinalysis and Body Fluids Laboratory | 1 |
| PALM 465 | Medical Laboratory Management | 2 |
| PALM 510 | Molecular Diagnostics | 2 |
| PALM 520 | Immunohematology | 3 |
| PALM 525 | Immunohematology Practicum | 4 |
| PALM 530 | Clinical Chemistry | 3 |
| PALM 535 | Clinical Chemistry Practicum | 4 |
| PALM 540 | Clinical Hematology | 3 |
| PALM 544 | Hemostasis | 1 |
| PALM 545 | Clinical Hematology Practicum | 4 |
| PALM 550 | Clinical Microbiology | 3 |
| PALM 554 | Clinical Mycology & Parasitology | 2 |
| PALM 555 | Clinical Microbiology Practicum | 4 |
| PALM 560 | Urinalysis and Body Fluids | 1 |
| PALM 580 | Medical Immunology | 3 |
| PALM 602 | Leadership Theory | 1 |
| PALM 604 | Educational Theory | 1 |
| PALM 606 | Graduate Seminar | 1 |
| Total Hours | 53 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Semester | Hours | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PALM 554 | 2 | ||
| PALM 560 | 1 | ||
| PALM 462 | 1 | ||
| PALM 530 | 3 | ||
| PALM 432 | 2 | ||
| PALM 540 | 3 | ||
| PALM 442 | 2 | ||
| 14 | |||
| Second Semester | Hours | ||
| PALM 580 | 3 | ||
| PALM 544 | 1 | ||
| PALM 446 | 1 | ||
| PALM 604 | 1 | ||
| PALM 606 | 1 | ||
| 7 | |||
| Third Semester | Hours | ||
| PALM 510 | 2 | ||
| PALM 412 | 1 | ||
| PALM 520 | 3 | ||
| PALM 422 | 2 | ||
| PALM 550 | 3 | ||
| PALM 452 | 2 | ||
| PALM 465 | 2 | ||
| 15 | |||
| Fourth Semester | Hours | ||
| PALM 525 | 4 | ||
| PALM 535 | 4 | ||
| PALM 545 | 4 | ||
| PALM 555 | 4 | ||
| PALM 602 | 1 | ||
| 17 | |||
| Total credit hours: 53 | |||
Accelerated Program
Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree Requirements
A minimum grade of C- is required for students for the duration of the ABM, including both undergraduate and graduate study. In addition, students must maintain a minimal cumulative GPA of 2.75 to remain in the program. Students who fail to meet or maintain these minimal requirements will be eligible for dismissal. Students will also be subject to IMMB academic and professional standards while classified as undergraduate students and to MLS academic and professional standards while classified as graduate students.
ABM Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate IMMB Curriculum Requirements | 105 | |
| Shared Bachelor's/Master's Curriculum Requirements | 16 | |
| Graduate MLS Curriculum Requirements | 39 | |
| Total Hours | 160 | |
Shared Bachelor's/Master's Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| IMMB 527 | Medical Parasitology | 2 |
| IMMB 540 | Medical Mycology | 2 |
| PALM 432 | Clinical Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| PALM 442 | Clinical Hematology Laboratory | 2 |
| PALM 462 | Urinalysis and Body Fluids Laboratory | 1 |
| PALM 530 | Clinical Chemistry | 3 |
| PALM 540 | Clinical Hematology | 3 |
| PALM 560 | Urinalysis and Body Fluids | 1 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| IMMB 191 | 1 | IMMB 175 | 2 | ||
| IMMB 150 | 2 | BIOL 117 & 117L (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
| BIOL 115 & 115L (GEF 2) | 4 | CHEM 116 & 116L (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 8) | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | MATH 150 (GEF 3) | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| IMMB 201 & 201L | 4 | IMMB 275 | 2 | ||
| BIOL 219 & 219L | 4 | IMMB 276 | 3 | ||
| CHEM 233 & 233L | 4 | PHYS 101 & 101L | 4 | ||
| GEF 4, 5, 6, or 7 | 3 | GEF 4, 5, 6, or 7 | 3 | ||
| GEF 4, 5, 6, or 7 | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| IMMB 305 | 3 | IMMB 310 & 310L | 4 | ||
| IMMB 320 | 3 | IMMB 350 | 1 | ||
| BMM 339 | 4 | IMMB 375 | 2 | ||
| STAT 211 | 3 | IMMB 527 | 2 | ||
| GEF 4, 5, 6 or 7 | 3 | PALM 560 & PALM 462 | 2 | ||
| PHYS 102 & 102L | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| IMMB 405 | 2 | IMMB 460 | 3 | PALM 544 & PALM 446 | 2 |
| IMMB 420 & 420L | 5 | IMMB 470 | 3 | PALM 580 | 3 |
| IMMB 450 | 1 | PALM 530 & PALM 432 | 5 | PALM 604 | 1 |
| IMMB 484 | 3 | PALM 540 & PALM 442 | 5 | PALM 606 | 1 |
| IMMB 494 | 1 | ||||
| IMMB 540 | 2 | ||||
| 14 | 16 | 7 | |||
| Fifth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| PALM 465 | 2 | PALM 525 | 4 | ||
| PALM 510 & PALM 412 | 3 | PALM 535 | 4 | ||
| PALM 520 & PALM 422 | 5 | PALM 545 | 4 | ||
| PALM 550 & PALM 452 | 5 | PALM 555 | 4 | ||
| PALM 602 | 1 | ||||
| 15 | 17 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 160 | |||||
Major Learning Outcomes
Medical Laboratory Science
Upon graduation, students will:
- Demonstrate entry level knowledge for a laboratory medicine professional.
- Perform accurate and reliable qualitative and quantitative test procedures using sophisticated instrumentation.
- Model the professional traits of a laboratory medicine practitioner in a workplace setting (e.g., during clinical rotations).
- Communicate effectively in written and oral forms appropriate to a laboratory medicine professional.
- Apply fundamental principles of administration and leadership to clinical laboratory practice.
- 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).