Online Medical Laboratory Science Degree Programs

Medical science is never complete. Society will always be on the lookout for new technologies, new medications, new diagnostic strategies, and new understandings of diseases and medical conditions. People trained with an online medical laboratory science degree help advance healthcare through research and innovation. They may not be medical doctors or nurses, and their work is primarily done behind the scenes. Still, they fill one of the most critical roles in overall health and well-being.

Working in roles like clinical laboratory technicians, biologists, and medical scientists, these professionals make your healthcare better. If you want to join the essential ranks of medical science professionals, you need the proper education. In many cases, you’ll also need the appropriate licensing.

ARTICLE NAVIGATION:

• Online Medical Laboratory Science Degrees: The Different Levels: Certificate | Associate | Bachelor Completion | Graduate Certificate | Master’s
• Accreditation for Online Medical Laboratory Science Degrees
• Can an Online Medical Laboratory Science Degree Meet Licensing Requirements?
  
• Licensing in Medical Laboratory Careers
• Careers with an Online Medical Laboratory Science Degree
• Online Medical Laboratory Science Degree Graduate Salaries

Certificate

These programs are for students or working professionals who want to add to their current knowledge of medical science. For example, the Certificate in Biomedical Ethics from Idaho State University prepares healthcare professionals for ethical issues they may experience during their careers. It develops an understanding of patient choices, clinical actions, and the implications for people who may not be directly involved but are still impacted, such as family members.

Another certificate option is the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science from The George Washington University. (“Post-baccalaureate” means after a bachelor’s degree.) This program takes a deeper focus on the study of specimens and samples, such as blood and tissue samples.

These online medical laboratory science degrees are not a requirement for a specific career; they build upon your current knowledge and education. They receive accreditation from groups including the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and are available 100% online.

Associate

Aspiring students who want to begin a career in medical science should consider an associate’s degree first. These programs, which take roughly two to three years of study and encompass 60 to 70 credit hours, are highly technical in general. They focus almost exclusively on medical science, although you will complete a small section of general education requirements such as creative arts, humanities, and mathematics.

These online medical laboratory science degrees prepare you to work as a clinical laboratory technician. They can be completed entirely online. However, some, such as the Associate in Applied Science in Medical Laboratory Technology from Barton Community College, have in-person requirements. This program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. It will qualify you to test for licensing, which many states require.

Not all medical laboratory science programs online will be accredited by the NAACLS. Could not look up degree for "East Mississippi Community College" using "345092"!, for example, has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) as an institution but does not have programmatic accreditation for its Associate of Arts in Medical Laboratory Science.

Bachelor Completion

These are different from typical bachelor’s degrees that require four years of study. Instead, they are designed for students who already hold some form of education (an associate’s degree or previous college coursework) and want to finish a bachelor’s degree.

For example, the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Auburn University at Montgomery is an MLT to MLS program. It’s designed especially for students with an associate-level Medical Lab Technician (MLT) degree who want to build on this education to complete a Medical Lab Science (MLS) degree. To enroll, you need to be a certified lab technician or meet specific, detailed career requirements. In general, these online medical laboratory science degrees are for people currently working as Medical Laboratory Technicians.

Available as 100% online programs, these degrees can lead to employment as clinical laboratory technologists, a field that requires a bachelor’s degree. You can work for various employers in this profession, including clinics, blood banks, microbiology labs, etc.

Graduate Certificate

These programs are intended for people who have already graduated from a bachelor’s program. Graduate certificates specifically allow students to deepen their understanding of the medical lab profession, expand their job opportunities, and increase their potential pay. Furthermore, these certificates are available online and cover leadership in laboratory research, biomedical neuroscience, and regulatory science.

Graduate certificates are relatively short compared to other programs. Most consist of less than 15 credit hours. For instance, the University of Florida's Graduate Certificate in Biomedical Neuroscience takes only 12 credit hours and can be completed in less than a year.

These online laboratory medical science programs often help with advancement in a particular profession. For example, the Graduate Certificate in Managing Biomedical Laboratory Operations from Michigan State University is for people working in medical labs who want to take on more leadership responsibilities. Employers may not require these certificates, but they make students more desirable candidates.

Master’s

These online medical laboratory science degrees are for people who have completed a bachelor’s degree in a related field or are already working in a laboratory or science profession.

Some cover medical science and research as a whole, while others are more specific. For example, the Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science Leadership from the University of Cincinnati focuses on leadership theory and curriculum development, with the goal of teaching students to lead and educate in medical science.

Most master’s degrees require roughly two years of study and encompass 30 to 40 credit hours. Part-time students may need as long as three years to complete. Some of these programs can be completed faster than a typical master’s degree. For example, the Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Idaho State University only takes one year.

When complete, these degrees qualify students for licensing tests, including the ASCP Board of Certification MLS examination. These online medical laboratory science degrees help you become eligible for leadership careers like a natural science manager.

Accreditation is the process of reviewing and verifying a school and a program. There are many accrediting bodies across the county, including bodies that provide programmatic accreditation to a specific degree.

The most essential accrediting body for online medical laboratory science degrees is the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). This group accredits numerous programs in our database, including the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Cincinnati and the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Auburn University at Montgomery.

Students deciding on an online medical laboratory science degree should verify that their chosen program holds accreditation from the NAACLS. This accreditation is essential, as it helps ensure you receive a high-quality degree. It’s also vital for licensing, as NAACLS programs prepare you for licensing as a clinical laboratory technician or technologist.

Various industry certifications are available to graduates of online medical laboratory science programs. For example, you could complete testing for MLS certification through the American Medical Technologists organization. For MLS certification, you must graduate from a program or institution accredited by an agency approved by the US Department of Education.

Resource:

• AMT - Medical Laboratory Scientist certification

Yes. Licensing is not always required, but medical laboratory science degrees online that are accredited by the most respected organizations will qualify students for licensing tests. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences / Medical Laboratory Sciences from The George Washington University, accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), will qualify you to test for credentialing as a medical laboratory technologist or technician.

While these careers involve the healthcare industry, they do not prepare you for medical professions like a doctor or nurse practitioner. Licensing for medical careers is universal, as everyone in virtually any job involving hands-on care will need licensing. However, these degrees and the subsequent careers are different. Licensing requirements are more inconsistent and largely depend on where you live and work. For example, only some states require clinical laboratory technicians to be licensed, and licensing requirements vary among those states.

For example, clinical laboratory technologists need to be licensed to work in New York. Specifically, you must meet education requirements, including graduation from a license-qualifying clinical laboratory technologist bachelor’s program or higher. For licensure in New York, you will pass the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification’s examination for Medical Laboratory Scientists. The cost for these exams will vary. In New York, the fee for the first registration is $371.

The process for passing this exam includes the following:

1. Apply for the exam.
2. Gather documentation, including transcripts and training documents.
3. Schedule a test and review study materials.
4. Take the test, consisting of 80 questions. You have 2.5 hours to complete the test.
5. Immediately after finishing the test, you will get an unofficial pass or fail result.
6. You will be notified of your official score within four business days. A passing score is typically 400 out of a possible 999.

Resource:

• New York State Education Department - Clinical Laboratory Technologist certification

After completing an online medical laboratory science program, students will be eligible for work in various careers. Clinical laboratory technicians and technologists are the most common, however, and these degrees most directly prepare and qualify you for these positions.

In 2021, there were already over 329,000 technicians and technologists. However, these careers are still expected to grow by 7%, slightly above the expected national average of 5%. All in all, this will result in 351,000 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians by 2031.

There are certain areas where you will find large numbers of laboratory technicians and technologists. Of course, the most populous states, such as California, Texas, and Florida, have the most people in this profession, but Massachusetts has the highest concentration. For every 1,000 jobs in the state, there are 3.58 clinical technicians and technologists. The top five include Utah (3.55), North Dakota (3.29), Alabama (3.20), and Missouri (3.13). As you can see, jobs in this field are plentiful across all regions.

Resource:

• US Bureau of Labor Statistics - Clinical Laboratory Technologists & Technicians

This education field and the resulting careers may not bring the highest possible salaries. Still, there is undoubtedly an opportunity for excellent pay.

Clinical technicians and technologists have a median annual pay of $57,800. This is roughly $12,000 more than the median salary for all American professions. While the lowest 10% earn less than $30,280, the top 10% earn over $79,000 annually.

Technicians and technologists working in various areas will earn different salaries. The state with the best pay is New York, where the median salary is $72,500. Rhode Island and Connecticut are next, both with median wages of $70,580. Accordingly, the northeast region is a suitable place for technicians and technologists to earn a solid living.

Other careers in this profession bring substantial salaries as well. Here are the median wages, as well as the required education level, for medical-science related occupations:

Resource:

• BLS - Occupational Outlook Handbook

Medical science needs motivated, educated professionals like you. Whether you are just starting your college studies or want to advance your career with an MLT to MLS program, submit your information and start your journey today!