Program Overview

Bachelor of Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences

The Bachelor of Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences program at Oakland University equips students for a wide variety of health science careers. This program combines high-tech knowledge with a human touch, reflecting the health care industry's growing emphasis on compassionate, patient-centered care.

Program Overview

The clinical and diagnostic sciences degree program prepares students for immediate employment in clinical laboratories, imaging clinics, and treatment centers. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree is also an excellent first step toward becoming a doctor, pharmacist, physician assistant, or other clinical professional. Students in this program gain hands-on experience that is rare in an undergraduate laboratory science degree program, learning advanced techniques and technologies used by clinical laboratory scientists and health care providers.

Academic Flexibility

The program offers seven specialized tracks that align with specific career pathways. These tracks include:

• Pre-clinical professions concentration for students seeking future admission to medical, dentistry, physician assistant, or veterinary school
• Pre-pharmacy sciences concentration for students interested in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs
• Pre-physician assistant track for students interested in physician assistant (PA) programs
• Histotechnology track for students interested in lab careers
• Nuclear medicine track for students interested in working directly with patients for specialized diagnostic procedures and treatments
• Radiologic technology track for students interested in working directly with patients for specialized diagnostic procedures and treatments
• Medical laboratory science track for students interested in lab careers

Career Opportunities

The health sciences workforce is rapidly expanding, and Oakland University has a reputation for educating well-prepared professionals. Clinical and diagnostic sciences graduates enjoy high rates of job placement and graduate school admissions. Many students have job offers waiting for them at graduation.

Clinical and Research Experience

Health sciences students participate in scientific research at a deep level that is usually reserved for graduate students. This is a particular benefit for students planning to apply to medical or dental school. Students also gain hands-on experience in diagnostic labs and imaging clinics, gaining valuable workplace experience that stands out in the job market.

Pathway to Postgraduate Schools

Oakland University's School of Health Sciences students excel in graduate school acceptance because they are exceptionally well-rounded. In addition to high levels of academic achievement, they have real-world experience, professional polish, and maturity that stands out.

Supportive Faculty

Students receive extensive faculty attention in the clinical and diagnostic sciences program. Most classes are taught by full-time instructors, and small class sizes allow students to form strong relationships with professors. Faculty share knowledge that goes far beyond the classroom, offering career guidance and mentorship that can have an impact long after graduation.

Career Paths

The clinical and diagnostic sciences degree program prepares students for a wide variety of health science careers. Students may choose to pursue a career path as a:

• Clinical pathologist
• Dentist
• Forensic laboratory scientist
• Genetic technologist
• Histotechnologist
• Medical laboratory scientist
• Nuclear medicine technologist
• Optometrist
• Pharmacist
• Physician
• Physician assistant
• Radiologic technologist
• Veterinarian

Top Courses

The clinical and diagnostic sciences degree offers seven distinct pathways. While each track has distinct course content, all incorporate core diagnostic and clinical science coursework in:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Contemporary issues in health care
• Health care law and values
• Health science careers
• Human anatomy
• Medical terminology
• Physiology
• Statistics

Program Resources

• Major Requirements
• Interdisciplinary health sciences
• About the School of Health Sciences
• Noteworthy graduates

Related Programs

Not sure if the Bachelor of Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences degree is right for you? Consider these other undergraduate programs at Oakland University:

• Applied Health Sciences, B.S.
• Environmental Health and Safety, B.S.
• Health Sciences, B.S.
• Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies, B.S.

Current Internships

A variety of internships are available to students in the clinical and diagnostic sciences program, including:

• Marketing & Public Relations (PR) Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Sustainability Consulting Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Website & Technology Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Climate Action & Advocacy Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Marine Science & Education Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Global Patient Safety Intern at AbbVie
• Intern, Project Manager, Clinical Development at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc
• Intern, Clinical Pharmacology at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc
• Intern, Global Study Operations at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc
• Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
• Grant Writing, Research, and Administration Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness Summer Internship Program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Pharmacy Technician Intern at Wisconsin Department of Health Services
• Student Researcher at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
• SRTI Summer Research Internship at Scripps Research
• Bilingual Dietetic Intern - on-Site Houston, Tx at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston)
• INSIGHT Research Intern - Summer 2026 at University of Washington, Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center
• Assistant Summer Program Coordinator - Summer 2026 at Northwestern Medicine
• Paid Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunity at UB - University at Buffalo - The State University of New York
• 2026 Pharm Fellow Internship General Application at Calcium
• Psychology Internship (Great Pay!) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Artificial Intelligence Internship (Great Pay!) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Software Development Internship (Great Pay!) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Data Science Internship (Great Pay!) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• INSPIRE-US: Intensive Summer Education Program in Translational Research for Undergraduate Students at Case Western Reserve University
• Research Intern - Health and Wellbeing Innovations at Academic Programs International
• Summer Equity Research Internship at Oregon Health & Science University
• 2026 Biomedical & Bioinformatics Research Internship and Training Experience (B-BRITE) at the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University
• Sports and Physical Activity Research Intern at Academic Programs International
• Biosciences and Materials Research Assistant at Academic Programs International
• Vermont EPSCoR SOCKS: Summer Research Internship for Undergraduates 2026 at Vermont State University
• PROMISE Summer Internship in Cancer Biology at Penn State College of Medicine
• Undergraduate Research Program - Summer Intern at Mayo Clinic
• 2026 Intern: Summer Nutrition Graduate - Medical and Scientific Affairs (12 weeks, June 2026 Start) at Haleon
• 2026 Intern: Formulation Product Development (12 weeks, June 2026 start) at Haleon
• Health and Safety Intern at Arconic Corp
• Interior Design Intern at RS&H
• Data Science Internship (Great Pay) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Software Development Internship (Great Pay) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Neuroscience Internship (Great Pay) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Product Management Intern (Great Pay) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• Artificial Intelligence Internship (Great Pay) at CareYaya Health Technologies Inc.
• School Internship at Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists
• Application of AI/ML to Advance Catalyst Development Efforts for Waste Methane Valorization at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
• Health Science Writer at TRISPHERE APPS
• Clinical/Technical Specialist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston)
• Dielectric Property Database for Microwave Materials at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
• Internship in Cancer Rehabilitation at UNC Cancer Rehabilitation Institute
• Marine Science & Education Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Climate Action & Advocacy Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Website & Technology Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Sustainability Consulting Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Marketing & Public Relations (PR) Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.
• Marine Science & Education Virtual/Remote Internship at Seaside Sustainability, Inc.