Program Overview

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Science, Allied Health Science Concentration, B.S.

The Science major, Allied Health Science concentration, is designed for students who expect to enter a professional school for cytotechnology, chiropractic medicine, pharmacy, or medical laboratory science. While the Allied Health Science concentration may also be used by students interested in dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, or physical therapy, students are encouraged to speak to their advisors about other major options better suited to their needs.

Program Overview

For some programs, the Allied Health Science concentration leads to an MTSU degree through completion of at least 90 credit hours at MTSU, acceptance into a professional school, and either successful completion of one year or completion of the professional program (3+1). A four-year major in a standard science major such as chemistry or biochemistry is encouraged for students considering highly competitive health fields such as medicine or laboratory-intensive work. Admission to the MTSU pre-professional program does not assure admission to a professional program. However, MTSU committees and advisors support students in their application. Selection for admission is competitive and is made by the admissions committee of the respective program according to its selection standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is medical laboratory science?

Medical laboratory science professionals are highly skilled scientists who discover the presence or absence of disease and provide data that help physicians determine the best treatment for the patient. Although they are not often personally involved with patients, medical laboratory scientists and technicians play a crucial role in the process of providing personalized care. They generate vitally important data for identifying and treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many other health conditions.

What can you do with a medical laboratory science degree?

Using sophisticated biomedical instrumentation and technology, as well as highly skilled manual techniques, clinical laboratory professionals examine and analyze body fluids, tissues, and cells, analyze the chemical constituents of body fluids, cross-match donor blood for transfusions, test blood for drug levels to measure the efficacy of particular treatments, and evaluate test results for accuracy and help interpret them for the physician.

What jobs can you get with a medical laboratory science degree?

Medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory scientists can find challenging employment in a wide range of arenas, including:

• Hospital clinical laboratories
• Commercial or reference laboratories
• Public health laboratories
• Pharmaceutical or chemical industries
• Biotechnology companies
• Forensic and law enforcement laboratories
• Veterinary clinics
• Research and teaching institutions
• Transplant and blood donor centers
• Fertility clinics
• The cosmetics or food industry

Career Opportunities

MTSU offers a variety of Pre-Professional Health Science tracks to help put students on a path to a rewarding career.

• Pre-Chiropractic
• Pre-Cytotechnology
• Pre-Dentistry
• Pre-Medical Technology
• Pre-Medicine
• Pre-Occupational Therapy
• Pre-Pharmacy
• Pre-Physical Therapy

Academic Requirements

True Blue Core (41 hours)

The True Blue Core (TBC) requirements include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

Major Requirements (44 hours)

• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab
• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab
• CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab
• CHEM 3020 - Organic Chemistry II
• CHEM 3021 - Organic Chemistry II Lab
• CHEM 3530 - Principles of Biochemistry
• CHEM 3531 - Principles of Biochemistry Lab
• OR
• CHEM 4500 - Biochemistry I
• CHEM 4510 - Biochemistry II
• BIOL 1110 - General Biology I
• BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab
• BIOL 1120 - General Biology II
• BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab
• BIOL 2230 - Microbiology
• BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab
• BIOL 3250 - Genetics
• BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab
• BIOL 4300 - Immunology
• BIOL 4301 - Immunology Lab
• PHYS 2010 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics I
• PHYS 2011 - Physics Problems Laboratory I

Supporting Courses (20-21 hours)

• MATH 1530 - Applied Statistics
• MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus
• BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
• OR
• BIOL 4110 - General Physiology
• BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab
• BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
• OR
• BIOL 3340 - Human Pathophysiology
• MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• OR
• Pre-professional-approved elective
• BIOL 2000 - Orientation to the Medical Lab
• BIOL 2001 - Orientation to the Medical Lab Field Experience Lab
• OR
• Pre-professional-approved elective

General/Upper Division Electives (14-25 hours)

See advisor for recommendations.

Curriculum

Freshman Fall

• Written Communication
• MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus
• BIOL 1110 - General Biology I
• BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab
• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab

Freshman Spring

• Information Literacy
• Human Society and Social Relationships
• MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• OR
• Pre-professional-approved elective
• BIOL 1120 - General Biology II
• BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab
• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab

Sophomore Fall

• Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature
• BIOL 3250 - Genetics
• BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab
• CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab
• PHYS 2010 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics I
• PHYS 2011 - Physics Problems Laboratory I
• BIOL 2000 - Orientation to the Medical Lab
• BIOL 2001 - Orientation to the Medical Lab Field Experience Lab
• OR
• Pre-professional-approved elective

Sophomore Spring

• Non-Written Communication
• Creativity and Cultural Expression
• History and Civic Learning
• BIOL 2230 - Microbiology
• BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab
• CHEM 3020 - Organic Chemistry II
• CHEM 3021 - Organic Chemistry II Lab

Junior Fall

• BIOL 4110 - General Physiology
• BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab
• OR
• BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
• CHEM 3530 - Principles of Biochemistry
• CHEM 3531 - Principles of Biochemistry Lab
• OR
• CHEM 4500 - Biochemistry I
• MATH 1530 - Applied Statistics
• History and Civic Learning
• Human Society and Social Relationships or pre-professional elective

Junior Spring

• BIOL 3340 - Human Pathophysiology
• OR
• BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
• BIOL 4300 - Immunology
• BIOL 4301 - Immunology Lab
• CHEM 4510 - Biochemistry II
• OR
• Pre-professional-approved elective
• Creativity and Cultural Expression
• Human Society and Social Relationships

Senior Fall and Spring

3+1 students will earn the B.S. degree after completion of their professional program. Four-year students will need to complete an appropriate number of upper-division and elective credit to earn degree. See advisor for details.