Medical Laboratory Science
BS

Major in medical laboratory science

Medical laboratory scientists are the medical detectives who strive to answer medical questions and solve medical mysteries. When you major in medical laboratory science, you'll learn to analyze blood, body fluids, cells, tissues, and other specimens to determine both the causes of diseases and their appropriate treatments.

The science behind the medicine

Medical laboratory scientists are essential members of the healthcare team who play a central role in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of disease with minimal direct patient interaction. Medical laboratory scientists perform and interpret laboratory testing. More than 70% of all medical decisions are based on data that medical laboratory scientists provide to the healthcare team.

Do you like biology or chemistry? Do you like problem solving? Have you thought of yourself as someone who wants to help others? If you said "yes" to any of these, then a career in medical laboratory science may be a great fit for you. If you are interested in a degree in biology, chemistry, health sciences, pre-med, or pre-dental, you can major in medical laboratory science and apply the knowledge and skills you learn to a range of careers in health care and medicine.

Our curriculum focuses on the standard medical laboratory disciplines of clinical chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, microbiology, immunology, and blood banking.

Our comprehensive program, one of the largest in the nation, is a university-based integrated clinical medical laboratory science program. Our program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, which makes our students eligible for national certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

100% job placement rate

Your education will prepare you to become an integral member of any healthcare team. Within six months of graduation, 100% of our alumni have begun their careers in these excellent positions or enrolled in graduate school. Many of our graduates have multiple job offers before graduation.

What can I do with a medical laboratory science degree?

Medical laboratory science alumni are qualified for professional and graduate studies in specialty areas of microbiology, hematology, immunohematology, and clinical chemistry. Our program also helps to prepare graduates for physician assistant, medical, and dental professional schools.

While the MLS program provides excellent preparation for medical school, there are many other fulfilling career options available to our graduates. Some of these include:

Clinical laboratory science
Forensic laboratory science
Research and product development
Public health
Research technology
Molecular biology
Immunology
Veterinary lab technology
Laboratory management
Education

Student success

Colin Soares '24

Medical laboratory science major Colin Soares '24 served as president of the MLS Club and a leader for STEP Up, a one-year bridge program for incoming College of Nursing & Health Sciences (CNHS) students. During his senior year, he interned at Boston Children’s Hospital where he received a job offer in their infectious disease lab.

Career placements

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Heart Diagnostics
Boston Medical Center
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Claritas Genomics
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Imugen
John Hopkins Hospital
Johnson & Johnson
Massachusetts General Hospital
MIT Medical
South Shore Hospital
Southcoast Hospitals Group
Tufts Medical Center

Graduate Schools

Long Island University Physician Assistant Program
New York Chiropractic College
New York College of Podiatric Medicine
Quinnipiac University
UMass Boston
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
University of Rhode Island

Affiliates

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Healthcare VA System, W. Roxbury
Boston Medical Center
Cape Cod Healthcare System, Hyannis
Care New England - Women & Infants Hospital, Providence
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
New England Baptist Hospital, Boston
Providence VA Medical Center, Providence
Southcoast Hospital Group (St. Luke's Hospital, New Bedford and Chalrton Memorial Hospital, Fall River
St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River
Tufts Medical Center, Boston

View the complete list of affiliates for the MLS Program

Medical laboratory science major mean starting salary:
$71,904

NACE Data Collection of Class of 2023 Undergraduate Alumni

UMassD advantages

Practicum: fulfill one semester of a senior-year practicum in one of our affiliated hospitals
Technology: learn to use state-of-the-art equipment including spectrophotometers, computer controlled semi-automated chemistry analyzers, urinalysis instruments, hematology cell counters, and rapid microorganism identification instruments
Community: participate in the Student Association for Medical Laboratory Science and the Pre-Health Club

Medical Laboratory Science faculty

Study online

Complete your degree: the online BS in Medical Laboratory (MLS) Science program is for students who hold an associate's degree in Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) from an NAACLS accredited institution.