Medical Laboratory Scientist
Medical Laboratory personnel perform tests and procedures ordered by physicians and surgeons. They analyze bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, and tissue samples. They are solely responsible for both qualitative and quantitative data collection, cell morphology, and blood type of their samples. More than 80% of the information used by a physician to diagnose a patient comes from the clinical lab.
CAREER DESCRIPTION*
- National median salary: $61,890
- National projected career growth:11%
- Many work in hospital clinical laboratories
- Utilize automated equipment and computerized instruments
TYPICAL EDUCATION**
- Years of School (including undergraduate): 4-5
- Average Entering GPA: 3.37
COMPETITIVE STUDENTS ALWAYS...
- Maintain a competitive academic record
- Display strong academics in math and science courses
- Shadow professionals in the field
- Gain medical experience through volunteer or work
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
- Immunohematology technologist (blood bank tech)
- Clinical chemistry technologist
- Immunology technologist
- Microbiology technologist
- Molecular biology technologist
NEARBY SCHOOLS
Prerequisites vary by program. Students are responsible for ensuring all entrance requirements are met.
Most schools prefer science classes to be taken in-person versus online.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER’S (UNMC) PREREQUISITES
Need a total of 77 credit hours
Biological Sciences (minimum credits: 16)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| BIOL 1450 Biology I & Lab | 5 | F, S, M | High school Biology and Chemistry |
|
BIOL 1750 Biology II & Lab |
5 | F, S, M | BIOL 1450 |
|
BIOL 2440 The Biology of Microorganisms & Lab |
4 | F, S, M | High school Biology and Chemistry |
|
BIOL 2140 Genetics & Discussion |
4 | F, S, M | BIOL 1450 and 1750 and CHEM 1140 or 1180 |
|
BIOL 3240 Introduction to Immunology |
3 | F, S | BIOL 1450, 1750, and 2140, (BIOL 3020 recommended) |
|
Strongly Recommended Courses: |
|||
| BIOL 2740 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & Lab | 4 | F, S, M | High school Biology and Chemistry |
| BIOL 2840 Human Anatomy & Physiology II & Lab | 4 | F, S, M | BIOL 2740 |
| BIOL 3020 Molecular Biology of the Cell | 3 | F, S, M | BIOL 2140 and CHEM 1140 or 1180 |
| BIOL 3830 Biology of Pathogenic Microorganisms | 3 | S | BIOL 2140 or 2440 or 3240 |
| BIOL 4140 Cellular Biology & Lab | 4 | F, S | BIOL 2140, 3020 and CHEM 2210 or 2250 |
Chemistry (minimum credits: 14)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| CHEM 1140 & 1144 Fund of College Chemistry & Lab | 5 | F, S, M | MATH 1300 or 1320 |
| CHEM 2210 & 2214 Fund of Organic Chemistry & Lab | 5 | F, S | CHEM 1140 and 1144 or CHEM 1190 and 1194 |
| CHEM 3650 & 3654 Fund of Biochemistry & Lab | 4 | F, S | CHEM 2210 and 2214 or CHEM 2260 and 2274 |
|
OR CHEM 1180 & 1184 General Chemistry I & Lab |
4 | F, S, M | MATH 1300 or 1320 or CHEM 1140 and 1144 |
| CHEM 1190 & 1194 General Chemistry II & Lab | 4 | F, S, M | MATH 1300 or 1320 and CHEM 1180 and 1184 |
|
CHEM 2210 & 2214 Fund of Organic Chemistry & Lab |
5 | F, S | CHEM 1140 and 1144 or CHEM 1190 and 1194 |
| CHEM 3650 & 3654 Fund of Biochemistry & Lab | 4 | F, S | CHEM 2210 and 2214 or CHEM 2260 and 2274 |
Advanced Biochemistry is also acceptable
Statistics (minimum credits: 3)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| BIOL 2020 Statistics for Life and Environ. Science | 3 | F, S | MATH 1120, 1130, 1300, or 1320 |
| PSYC 3130 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences | 3 | F, S, M | MATH 1120, 1300, 1320, or STAT 1530 |
| SOC 2130 Social Statistics | 3 | F, S, M | MATH 1120, 1300, 1320, or STAT 1530 |
| STAT 1530 Elementary Statistics | 3 | F, S | ACT 19 or ALEKS 4 |
| STAT 3000 Statistical Methods I | 3 | F, S | MATH 1300 or 1320 |
English Composition (minimum credits: 3)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
|
ENGL 1140 English Composition I with Support |
4 | F, S | ACT Composite score <13, SAT Composite score <760, High School GPA <2.3, or Last Known College GPA <2.0 |
|
OR ENGL 1150 English Composition I |
3 | F, S, M | AP Score 3, ACT 14-26, HS GPA 2.3+ |
| ENGL 1160 English Composition II | 3 | F, S, M | AP Score 4, ENGL 1140 or 1150, or ACT 27+ or Reading or English ACT score of 29+ |
Additional Information
- Need an additional 41 credits of electives to meet the minimum requirement; 18 credits of recommended Biology electives listed above.
- CLEP and AP credit will be accepted except for science courses.
- UNO offers a Bachelor of Science in General Science with a Concentration in MLS – to learn more, talk to an HCRC Pre-Health Advisor.
*Data and information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
**Data and information from UNMC
Last update: 9.2025