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Chairperson: Linda J. Laatsch, Ph.D., MT(ASCP) SM

Department of Clinical Laboratory Science website

The Department of Clinical Laboratory Science educates persons who will be highly skilled in laboratory medicine and who will possess those professional qualities necessary for the practice of clinical laboratory science. It qualifies them to be employed as clinical laboratory scientists (medical technologists) in hospital laboratories, clinics, physicians’ offices, research and teaching laboratories, as well as in biological and pharmaceutical companies, industry and public health bureaus. The course work provides the foundations necessary for individuals to develop administrative and teaching skills, as well as qualify for medical and graduate schools.

The Clinical Laboratory Science major is an integrated four-year curriculum leading to a bachelor of science degree. The first three years are spent on campus. The first nine weeks of the fourth year are spent on campus while the remainder of the senior year is spent at a clinical site. Marquette University admits no more students in the major than can be accommodated during the senior year. Students are assigned to the clinical affiliation by a matching process using student preference, hospital preference and a ranking by lottery.

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Accreditation

The Clinical Laboratory Science Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences; 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720; Rosemont, IL 60631; (773) 714-8880. Upon successful completion of the course work, students are eligible for the appropriate certification and/or licensure examinations. The university assumes no responsibility for the success of its students in obtaining professional certification or other types of professional licensure.

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Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science are expected to fulfill the university admission requirements. In addition to these, they must have had two laboratory sciences, one of which must be chemistry. Three years of advanced high school mathematics and high school physics are recommended. Marquette University accepts freshman students for August and January enrollment, but students enrolling in clinical laboratory science are urged to begin college in the fall because of scheduling difficulties inherent in mid-year admission.

Certain essential functions represent the non-academic requirements of the program that a student must possess to successfully complete the program and become employable. These include the ability to distinguish colors, the ability to learn to perform and interpret highly complex testing methods, the ability to disseminate information in an accurate and confidential manner and the ability to become a competent phlebotomist. Students must have good tactile skills, possess adequate physical and emotional health to work under stress and demonstrate respect and care for others.

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Admission with Advanced Standing and Transfer within the University

For students applying for admission with advanced standing from another institution or as transfers from within the university, the general university regulations apply.

Ordinarily, the following courses are not accepted from other institutions:

CLLS 1010	Concepts in Clinical Laboratory Medicine	3
CLLS 3124	Medical Bacteriology	4
CLLS 3127	Medical Microbiology	4
CLLS 3140	Laboratory Instrumentation	3
CLLS 3173	Analytical and Clinical Chemistry	4
CLLS 3174	Clinical Hematology 1	4

Due to the nature of the content of the following courses, a student who has already completed these courses must repeat them if five or more years will have lapsed between the time the course was completed and the date of enrollment in the senior year.

BISC 2070	Biochemistry for the Health Professions	3
BISC 3213	Biochemistry	4
CLLS 3124	Medical Bacteriology	4
CLLS 3127	Medical Microbiology	4

Ordinarily, the following must be taken during the year immediately preceding the senior year:

CLLS 3124	Medical Bacteriology	4
CLLS 3127	Medical Microbiology	4
CLLS 3140	Laboratory Instrumentation	3
CLLS 3173	Analytical and Clinical Chemistry	4
CLLS 3174	Clinical Hematology 1	4

Applicants who are Certified Laboratory Assistants or Medical Laboratory Technicians are expected to complete all pre-senior course requirements or their equivalent. Credits can be transferred only if the institution from which the student received her/his training is accredited by appropriate accrediting agencies. Credits from junior colleges may not exceed one-half the number of credit hours required for graduation from the four-year curriculum at Marquette. Each individual applicant with previous laboratory training will be evaluated to determine whether or not any credit will be granted for clinical work completed in their previous training program.

The classification of advanced standing or transfer student does not depend upon the total number of credit hours the student has earned but rather upon the number of courses that a student must complete prior to the senior year. Only those courses that directly apply to the bachelor of science degree are used in determining the student’s classification. However, the student record in the computer database will reflect all course work transferred.

The number of students admitted with advanced standing or as transfers with any classification depends upon available openings in the class for which the applicant qualifies.

Advanced standing or transfer students are never accepted for admission to the senior year only.

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Admission as a Special Student in Clinical Laboratory Science

Students who are not in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science may be permitted to take clinical laboratory science courses. Clinical laboratory scientists who are certified and/or licensed by an appropriate agency may enroll in certain components of the senior year.

Requests for permission to take these courses must be made to the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science chair. If permission is granted, the student must then make application to the university as a special student in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science. The regular tuition is charged for these courses.

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Degree Requirements

Students in Clinical Laboratory Science must fulfill the non-science requirements, which are stated in the bulletin issued for the year they entered the university. They must fulfill the current science, mathematics and pre-senior clinical laboratory science course requirements in effect as prerequisites for their senior year. Candidates for the baccalaureate degree in Clinical Laboratory Science must complete a minimum of 128 credit hours including the following requirements:

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Core Curriculum Requirements

Students majoring in Clinical Laboratory Science must complete a minimum of 37 semester hours of core curriculum requirements. The University Core of Common Studies (UCCS) curriculum is included in the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Core Curriculum requirements.

Core and Department Curriculum Requirements:

Rhetoric (R)

Any approved UCCS Rhetoric courses*		6
Total Credit Hours		6

*ENGL 1001 Rhetoric and Composition 1 and ENGL 1002 Rhetoric and Composition 2 are recommended for pre-professional students.

Mathematical Reasoning (MR)

MATH 1700	Modern Elementary Statistics	3
Total Credit Hours		3

Diverse Cultures (DC)

Any approved UCCS DC course		3
Total Credit Hours		3

Histories of Cultures and Societies (HCS)

Any approved UCCS HSC course		3
Total Credit Hours		3

Individual and Social Behavior (ISB)

Any approved UCCS ISB course		3
Total Credit Hours		3

Literature and Performing Arts (LPA)

Any approved UCCS LPA course		3
Total Credit Hours		3

Science and Nature (SN)

BIOL 1001	General Biology 1	3
Total Credit Hours		3

Human Nature and Ethics (HNE)

PHIL 1001	Philosophy of Human Nature	3
PHIL 2310	Theory of Ethics	3
PHIL 4336	Applied Ethics for the Health Sciences	1
or other medical ethics course
Total Credit Hours		7

Theology (T)

THEO 1001	Introduction to Theology	3
One additional approved UCCS Theology course		3
Total Credit Hours		6

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General Degree Regulations

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Academic Regulations

Students in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science are expected to comply with the academic requirements and regulations listed in the University section of this bulletin. Amplifications and additions to these requirements are detailed herein and govern only those students enrolled in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science. Course requirements and regulations are subject to change on an annual basis and depend upon the demands of the profession. Students are subject to these changes regardless of the date of their matriculation in the major.

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Residency Requirement

Clinical laboratory science students must spend the term immediately preceding the senior year in residency (attend as a full-time student). Ordinarily this is the second term of the junior year during which the student must take:

CLLS 3127	Medical Microbiology	4
CLLS 3140	Laboratory Instrumentation	3
CLLS 3174	Clinical Hematology 1	4

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Professional Regulations

In addition to being evaluated through the use of written examinations and assignments, class participation and practical examinations, clinical laboratory science students are also evaluated with respect to their professional qualities. The instructors in most clinical laboratory science courses complete a written evaluation of each student.

During the senior year students are subject to the rules and regulations of the affiliating unit to which they are assigned.

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Scholastic Regulations

Essential Courses

There are certain cognate courses, the subject matter of which is deemed essential to the understanding of clinical laboratory science course work. Successful completion of subsequent courses is dependent upon the information learned in the prerequisite course(s). Therefore, grades of less than C in these “essential” courses are considered unacceptable to the fulfillment of the requirement. The following courses are included in this regulation:

CHEM 1002	General Chemistry 2	4
BISC 2070	Biochemistry for the Health Professions	3
BISC 3213	Biochemistry	4
BISC 1015	Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology	5
BISC 4145	Human Physiology	4

Students must also achieve a grade of C or better in all the courses in their major.

To fulfill the degree requirements, major and essential courses (or their equivalent) in which unacceptable grades have been earned must be repeated or the student must demonstrate proficiency in the discipline by some other method as assigned by the promotions committee. Students who complete guided study (CLLS 1100 Guided Study in Clinical Laboratory Science) to establish proficiency are issued a grade of CR. A student will not normally be permitted to repeat more than two of these courses.

Junior and Senior Criteria

To be classified as a junior in clinical laboratory science, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Completion of all lower division science, mathematics, and clinical laboratory science courses and at least 30 credit hours of humanities.
2. Attainment of a cumulative grade point average of 2.200 as well as a 2.000 in science, mathematics, and clinical laboratory science courses.

To be classified as a senior in clinical laboratory science, the following criteria must be met:

1. Completion of all requirements through junior year which are in effect for the particular class beginning the senior year regardless of when the student matriculated in the major.
2. Attainment of a cumulative grade point average of 2.200 as well as a grade point average of 2.000 in the required science, mathematics, and clinical laboratory science courses.

Students who fail to meet the criteria for junior and/or senior classification due to serious reasons but whose deficiencies are minimal and who have shown potential for success may appeal. If the promotions committee, upon review of the written appeal, grant admission with PROBATION status, the student must make up his/her deficiencies. These students do not necessarily participate in the matching process but are accepted by an affiliation through individual negotiation between the university department chair and the affiliation’s program director.

Academic Actions

Students who fail to maintain a C or a 2.000 cumulative grade point average are automatically warned on their grade reports. Their grade point average deficiency is calculated along with the grade point required in all future work to achieve the 2.000 required for graduation. For clinical laboratory science students, this action refers only to eligibility to continue at the university, rather than their eligibility to continue in the clinical laboratory science major. For requirements specific to students in clinical laboratory science, refer to the section on Scholastic Regulations.

Students who fail to comply with the rules and regulations of the department with respect to immunizations, health insurance, safety, honesty or whose conduct or health is unsatisfactory may be required to withdraw.

Students in the senior year who are in violation of the rules and regulations of the clinical facility are subject to dismissal from that facility. This action is under the jurisdiction of the authorities of that institution in consultation with the university department chair.

Students who fail to maintain progress necessary to meet the minimum requirements because of grade point average or excessive failure (F or U) grades are subject to review by the Academic Standards Committee, and they may be required to withdraw from the college.

During the senior year the academic actions taken are varied in severity dependent upon the scholastic and/or professional deficiency. These actions are the following: clinical censure, clinical warning and required to withdraw. The method of making up unacceptable grades during the senior year which have resulted in the issuing of an action of clinical censure or clinical warning will be determined by mutual agreement between the university department chair and the affiliation clinical program director. The Academic Standards Committee will prescribe, in writing, conditions under which these students will be allowed to continue. Students who do not meet the conditions thus stipulated will be required to withdraw.

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Attendance

In addition to the College of Health Sciences Absence Policy, the attendance policy for senior year is stipulated by the rules and regulations of each of the affiliations.

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Rules and Regulations

Employment During the Senior Year

The rigors of the program are such that it is highly recommended that senior students not be employed except on weekends. Eight hours of employment on the weekends are considered to be the maximum that a senior student can be employed.

Immunizations and Health Insurance

Prior to enrollment in the courses in medical microbiology, students are required to have appropriate immunizations and/or have tests to determine immune status. Students are not permitted to begin the senior year until they have presented evidence of adequate health insurance coverage.

Study Abroad

Refer to the university Academic Programs section of the bulletin.

Clinical laboratory science students qualify for these programs. Usually science courses may not be taken during their studies abroad. Generally, study abroad will require additional time spent at the university beyond the usual four-year sequence.

Special Regulations

Students who withdraw during the senior year, must, if readmitted, repeat the entire senior year. Due to the nature of clinical laboratory work, students may be required to attend sessions scheduled outside of the regularly scheduled class times. These sessions are scheduled with advance notice to the students.

In clinical laboratory science courses, a student who in any way acts dishonestly in class assignments or examinations shall be liable to dismissal from the department and being issued a grade of F.

For the safety of patients, peers and themselves, students are required to dress appropriately while attending clinical laboratory science sessions for all courses.

Senior students who wish to be excused from class for participation in athletics, band or chorus must have a grade point average of 2.600 to qualify for this privilege.

Senior students must have a criminal background check prior to beginning their clinical assignments. Some clinical sites may have requirements beyond those of the University (e.g. physical examination, drug testing, etc.). Seniors are expected to participate in the state clinical laboratory science conference.

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Facilities and Laboratories

The teaching laboratories on the university campus are structured to simulate a clinical setting and students have opportunities to experiment with modern technologies and diagnostic instrumentation.

The affiliating clinical laboratory sites are: ACL Laboratories, Blood Center of Wisconsin, Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Dynacare Laboratories, Froedtert Health Medical Group, Moreland Medical Center Laboratory, and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Inc. All affiliations are located in the Milwaukee area.

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