Program Information
The MLS Categorical Certificate Program from UND provides advanced skills to baccalaureate prepared students, enabling them to work in high complexity clinical laboratories. The program includes four certificate categories:
Clinical Chemistry / Urinalysis
Hematology / Hemostasis
Immunohematology
Microbiology
Upon successful completion of one categorical category, the student is eligible to take ther ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathologists) national certification exam in the specific categorical area. If the student completes all four categorical categories, they are eligible to take the ASCP national certification exam for a MLS.
Thus far, UND categorical students who completed a national certification exam did so with a 100% pass rate.
Gainful Employment Statistics - Categorical Certificate (PDF)
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the UND MLS Categorical Program, students must meet the following requirements:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- A minimum of 20 semester credit hours in the biological, chemical and/or medical sciences (These credits can be part of, or in addition to the B.S. degree)
- Submit application to the UND MLS Categorical Program (application at pathology.med.und.nodak.edu/cls/, "Misc. Forms and Handbooks", "Application to Categorical Program/Curriculum")
- Be accepted to the University of North Dakota (application at www.und.edu)
- Have the support of an accredited laboratory to sponsor your clinical rotations. This laboratory must meet the Medical Laboratory Science program's minimum competency requirements and sign an affiliation agreement with the University of North Dakota before you can begin categorical courework. Contact UND's categorical coordinator, Brooke Solberg (brooke.solberg@med.und.edu), for more information on this process.
Application Information
The application for UND's Medical Laboratory Science Categorical Program can be found on our website, pathology.med.und.nodak.edu/cls/. Choose "Misc. Forms and handbooks", "Application to Categorical Program/Curriculum".
Application deadlines are as follows:
Deadine / Start Date
March 15 / Summer Semester (Mid May)
July 1 / Fall Semester (End of August)
November 15 / Spring Semester (Early January)
Applications received after the established application deadlines may or may not be considered.
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Curriculum
Certificate in Chemitry / Urinalysis
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit |
| MLS 336 |
Lab Calculations |
1 |
| MLS 471 |
Clinical Chemistry I |
2 |
| MLS 474 |
Clinical Urinalysis I |
2 |
| MLS 489 |
Clinical Body Fluids |
1 |
| MLS 481 |
Clinical Chemistry II |
2 |
| MLS 485 |
Clinical Urinalysis II |
1 |
| MLS 491 |
Clinical Chemistry III |
2 |
| MLS 460 |
Laboratory Practice |
2 |
| MLS 465 |
Clinical Laboratory Management |
3 |
| |
Total Number of Courses |
9 |
| |
Total Number of Credits |
16 |
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Certificate in Hematology / Hemostasis
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit |
| MLS 325 |
Hematology |
3 |
| MLS 325L |
Hematology Laboratory |
1 |
| MLS 336 |
Laboratory Calculations |
1 |
| MLS 460 |
Laboratory Practice |
2 |
| MLS 465 |
Clinical Laboratory Management |
3 |
| MLS 473 |
Clinical Hemostasis |
2 |
| MLS 479 |
Clinical Hematology I |
2 |
| MLS 483 |
Clinical Hemostasis II |
1 |
| MLS 489 |
Clinical Body Fluids |
1 |
| MLS 488 |
Clinical Hematology II |
2 |
| MLS 498 |
Clinical Hematology III |
2 |
| |
Total Number of Courses |
11 |
| |
Total Number of Credits |
20 |
Certificate in Immunohematology
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit |
| MLS 301 |
Immunology |
3 |
| MLS 301L |
Immunotechniques Laboratory |
1 |
| MLS 336 |
Laboratory Calculations |
1 |
| MLS 460 |
Laboratory Practice |
2 |
| MLS 465 |
Clinical Laboratory Management |
3 |
| MLS 477 |
Clinical Immunohematology I |
1 |
| MLS 477L |
Clinical Immunohematology I Laboratory |
1 |
| MLS 480 |
Clinical Immunohematology II |
2 |
| MLS 492 |
Clinical Immunohematology III |
2 |
| |
Total Number of Courses |
10 |
| |
Total Number of Credits |
17 |
Certificate in Microbiology
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit |
| MLS 234 |
Human Parasitology |
2 |
| MLS 336 |
Laboratory Calculations |
1 |
| MLS 460 |
Laboratory Practice |
2 |
| MLS 465 |
Clinical Laboratory Management |
3 |
| MLS 478 |
Clinical Microbiology |
2 |
| MLS 487 |
Medical Mycology |
1 |
| MLS 484 |
Clinical Microbiology II |
2 |
| MLS 495 |
Clinical Microbiology III |
2 |
| |
Total Number of Courses |
9 |
| |
Total Number of Credits |
17 |
I. Admission:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required.
- Completion of twenty semester hours in biology, chemistry and/or medical sciences from an accredited four year institution.
- A sponsoring clinical site is required.
II. Additional General Policies:
FOR ANY STUDENT ACCEPTED INTO THE MLS CATEGORICAL PROGRAM: If a student receives a single D or F grade in a MLS course, the student:
- Will be placed on academic probation for the remainder of their time in the certificate program.
- Must retake the course in question and successfully complete it with a passing grade (A, B, or C) to be eligible for the certificate(s).
If a student receives a second grade of D or F in a CLS course, either during the same semester following the first failing grade, the student will be terminated from the program.
While on probation, the student must comply with the following stipulations.
- The student must maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) each semester.
- The student must receive a passing grade (A, B, or C) in all CLS courses.
- The student will only be allowed to retake one course.
- If a student is terminated from the program, the student will not be eligible for a certificate in any of the four categorical areas and will not be considered as a candidate for readmission to the categorical or any other MLS program.
Failure to comply with any stipulation (1-4) will result in termination from the program.
Policies pertaining to the final clinical year of the professional program also apply.
Contact the MLS Categorical Program Coordinator
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact us at:
Brooke Solberg, MS, MT (ASCP)
Categorical Coordinator, Department of Pathology
University of North Dakota
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
501 N. Columbia Road Stop 9037
Grand Forks, ND 58202.
p. (701) 777-2245
f. (701) 777-2404
brooke.solberg@med.und.edu
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