Courses are taught only during the semester they are listed. The lectures and labs for both semesters of the junior courses and the Fall semester senior courses are taught on the UB Main Street Campus/UB South Campus. Below is a listing of the curriculum for the upper level (300-400 level) two years in the Program in Medical Laboratory Science; additional courses for the UB Curriculum/SUNY General Education requirements are not listed, as the courses are often unique to a student’s BS program.
Senior courses may not be taken until all junior courses have been successfully completed. Academic courses must be successfully completed, and the student must be in “MT 300-400 level course academic good standing” (≥ 2.0) before clinical rotations/ laboratory hospital rotations can begin. All seniors must successfully complete all program courses before degree conferral. Additionally all UB Curriculum/ SUNY General Education requirements must be completed prior to a degree conferral.
The final semester of the senior year is the hospital rotation portion of the program. Clinical Rotation Assignments are made by the Clinical Education Coordinator, and students will know by mid-to-late December what clinical sites that the student will be rotating through in the upcoming Spring semester. During each of the five clinical rotation placements, students will be at the clinical rotation site on a full time basis for the first 14 days of the rotation; the 15th day (last day of each rotation) will be at the University at Buffalo. This last day, students will have competency examinations on campus which test the learning of the student in the specific rotation that was just completed; that is, each student will take the competency examination related to the specific rotation site. In addition to the competency examination, students will also take the MT 423 Lab Management courses. The clinical rotations will last the entire semester and will meet a 15 week rotation period, which may start earlier than the UB Academic Calendar.
Certain MT 300-400 level courses serve as prerequisite courses to other MT 300-400 level courses be taken in a later semester. Full-time students who take the courses in the order listed on the Program Curriculum: Full Time (on page 15) and successfully pass the courses will have fulfilled the prerequisites. MT program courses have the following prerequisites and concurrent registration restrictions are honored.
| Specific Course | Restriction By…. | Courses Affected |
|---|---|---|
| MT 302 Instrumental Analysis | Is a prerequisite for | MT 407 – Clinical Chemistry MT 421 – Clinical Urinalysis and Other Body Fluids MT 408 - Hospital Chemistry (clinical rotation) |
| MT 401 Clinical Biochemistry | Must be taken before or concurrently with | MT 302 - Instrumental Analysis MT 402 - Fundamentals of Immunology |
| MT 401 Clinical Biochemistry | Is a prerequisite for | MT 407 - Clinical Chemistry MT 409 - Clinical Microbiology MT 422 - Biomolecular Technology & Diagnostics MT 432 - Introduction to Medical Genetics MT 408 – Hospital Chemistry (clinical rotation) MT 410 – Hospital Microbiology (clinical rotation) MT 412 – Hospital Hematology (clinical rotation) MT 413 – Clinical Elective (clinical rotation) MT 414 – Hospital Blood Bank (clinical rotation) |
| MT 402 Clinical Immunology | Is a prerequisite for | MT 405 - Clinical Immunohematology MT 413 – Clinical Elective (clinical rotation) MT 414 – Hospital Blood Bank (clinical rotation) |
| MT 405 Clinical Immunohematology | Is a prerequisite for | MT 411 - Clinical Hematology MT 412 - Hospital Hematology (clinical rotation) MT 414 – Hospital Blood Bank (clinical rotation) |
| MT 407 Clinical Chemistry | Is a prerequisite for | MT 421 – Clinical Urinalysis and Other Body Fluids MT 408 – Hospital Chemistry (clinical rotation) |
| MT 409 Clinical Microbiology | Is a prerequisite for | MT 416 - Clinical Parasitology MT 429 - Clinical Mycology MT 410 – Hospital Microbiology (clinical rotation) |
| MT 411 Clinical Hematology | Is a prerequisite for | MT 431 - Clinical Hemostasis MT 412 – Hospital Hematology (clinical rotation) |
| MT 416 Clinical Parasitology | Is a prerequisite for | MT 410 – Hospital Microbiology (clinical rotation) |
| MT 417 Lab Education & Seminar | Is a prerequisite for | MT 413 – Clinical Elective (clinical rotation) |
| MT 421 Clinical Urinalysis & Other Body Fluids | Is a prerequisite for | MT 408 - Hospital Chemistry (clinical rotation) |
| MT 422 Biomolecular Diagnostics & Techniques | Is a prerequisite for | MT 413 – Clinical Elective (clinical rotation) |
| MT 422 Biomolecular Diagnostics & Techniques | Must be taken concurrently with | MT 432 – Introduction to Medical Genetics |
| MT 429 Clinical Mycology | Is a prerequisite for | MT 410 – Hospital Microbiology (clinical rotation) |
| MT 431 Clinical Hemostasis | Is a prerequisite for | MT 412 – Hospital Hematology (clinical rotation) |
| MT 432 Intro. to Medical Genetics | Is a prerequisite for | MT 413 – Clinical Elective (clinical rotation) |
| MT 413 Clinical Elective (a clinical rotation) specific request, by a student, for consideration of a placement at the Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory, Buffalo, NY | Has a prerequisite of | MT 428 Forensic Science, lecture, passing grade, taught Fall semester only. MT 428 is an elective and not required in the curriculum; it would be taken in addition to the MT 300-400 level required classes. MT 428 would be taken in advance of Clinical Rotation Placement. A student who takes MT 428 is not guaranteed a clinical rotation placement in a forensic lab. |
| MT 426 Technical Communications for the Scientific Professional | Has a prerequisite within the UB Curriculum of | UB English 101 or UB English 105 or Taurus approved transfer course, AP approved course, etc. |
Certain courses have a separate registration for the lecture and the lab. Students in the Medical Laboratory Science Program must take the lecture and the lab simultaneously. Students will be graded separately for the lecture and the lab. These courses are:
MT 401 - Clinical Biochemistry can be substituted by one of the following courses, provided the student earns a grade of "C" or better, and completes the course prior to the start of the MT or BTE program:
Students who possess the MLT associate's degree may not use courses taken to satisfy the MLT associates degree as substitutes for upper division medical laboratory science program courses. Similarly, students with prior work experience may not use this to substitute for the hospital rotation portion of the program. Some students who have attended vocational or trade schools, or international schools, may also not be able to apply their experience and training to the Medical Laboratory Science program courses.
Students who hold degrees in fields other than Medical Laboratory Science BS who have been working in laboratories and now seek to become NYS licensed professionals should meet individually with the program undergraduate advisor for applicability of previous coursework to a UB BS degree in Medical Laboratory Science.
The University at Buffalo has many exciting opportunities for research and learning, and BCLS students in Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology are urged to explore them to make the most of their undergraduate experience. Double majors or double degrees can be a wonderful opportunity to supplement the knowledge learned in the primary major, and can allow students to expand their skills and knowledge base in a different field of study. Some of the reasons that undergraduate students consider a double major or double degree include, but are not limited to:
The University at Buffalo Undergraduate Catalog has policies about double majors and double degrees; students are advised to review the information in the on-line UB Undergraduate Catalog.
A student should assume that a double degree or double major will extend the time to earn a degree. It is usually not possible to complete the academic requirements for Medical Laboratory Science or Biotechnology AND a second major within the same time period. However, advisement on the length of time to a degree is highly individualized and based on courses needed to complete the second major.
A student should assume that a double degree or double major will include classes at both the UB North and the UB South Campuses.
A student should assume that financial aid will be affected, and should carefully plan out and meet frequently with a UB Financial Aid Advisor to keep current on changes in federal and state eligibility requirements, so as to minimize changes to their anticipated financial aid packages.
A student should carefully plan out the request for an extension for the F-1 student visa. ISSS will need to approve and process the request for extension of the visa.
NYS licensure is required for careers in NYS labs for Medical Laboratory Science. Some non-licensed laboratory career positions may be available, but there is no guarantee.
A student who has completed the Medical Laboratory Science curriculum is eligible to take the ASCP Board of Certification, however, the release of an ASCP score is contingent upon a degree conferral.
ASCP will keep an examination score for a maximum of one year after the ASCP exam is taken. After that time, the ASCP Board of Certification Examination must be retaken/repeated.