Medical Laboratory Science - Co-op
Co-op track
The Medical Laboratory Science program at the University of Cincinnati has a co-op track option if you would like to receive paid cooperative employment as a part of your education.
In order to be admitted to the co-op program, you will first need to be accepted into the clinical (senior) year of the Medical Laboratory Science program. Then you will be able to indicate your interest in the co-op program.
First, you will complete the first three years of undergraduate work before entering the clinical co-op portion of the program. Then you will complete the clinical work in six semesters (two years), with three semesters of coursework alternating with three semesters of cooperative employment. This option will take longer than the traditional program; however you will gain experience and confidence in a lab prior to graduation.
If you wish to explore less-traditional areas of the laboratory, such as research, forensics and environmental, the co-op program is a great option for you.
Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Science co-op program are graduating from a NAACLS* accredited MLS program and will be prepared for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam sponsored by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) for the Medical Laboratory, MLS (ASCP) credential.
The most recent program outcomes can be found on the Program Outcomes page.
The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science (BS - MLS) program at the University of Cincinnati (UC) includes courses in science foundations and content specific to the medical laboratory. Courses are taught through a variety of means including traditional lectures, demonstrations and collaborative learning, as well as student laboratory exercises. Some courses will be offered online or in a hybrid format.
The MLS co-op program turns the one-year, three-semester (fall-summer) clinical year into two years/six semesters. You will alternate full-time work co-op semesters with mostly part-time semesters consisting of senior courses and clinical rotations.
Core competencies, as defined by National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS*), are stressed and reinforced during the clinical year of the program to prepare students for one of the national certification exams.
Review the program outline to access program curriculum(s) and more.
The University of Cincinnati Medical Laboratory Science program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS). Contact for accreditation inquiries: NAACLS; 5600 N. River Rd Suite 720; Rosemont, IL 60018-5119; Phone: 773-714-8880; Email: info@naacls.org.