Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Why Choose Nazareth for Clinical Laboratory Sciences?
Clinical laboratory scientists (also known as medical technologists or technicians) play essential roles in today's hospitals and medical practices. Whether identifying infections, delivering safe blood products for transfusions, or evaluating metabolic function, we help patients and their physicians make the best medical decisions possible. The field currently faces a shortage of qualified professionals, leading to excellent career prospects nationally and locally.
Our program builds a solid foundation in the sciences while providing hands-on experience with current medical technologies. Nazareth's Uncommon Core enriches this foundation, developing ethical professionals dedicated to offering the best health care.
Upon completion of our program, students are prepared for board exams leading to certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology and licensure by New York state. With this bachelor's degree and these credentials, graduates are ready for careers in health care and research settings or to pursue further studies at graduate or medical schools. We are accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for the Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 North River Road, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119; 773-714-8880; www.naacls.org.
Program Highlights
- Our program offers clinical rotations in partnership with area hospitals including the University of Rochester Medical Center, United Memorial Medical Center, and FF Thompson Hospital. No other area college offers that.
- Nazareth College is a regional leader in producing highly qualified graduates for the health and human service industry.
- Our program has dedicated laboratory space in Nazareth's state-of-the-art Peckham Hall, ranked among the top 20 science labs in the nation by The Princeton Review's 2017 college guide, The Best 381 Colleges. Among Peckham Hall's features:
- $1.2 million anatomy and physiology laboratory complete with a six-table human gross anatomy dissection suite and a human exercise performance (metabolic cart) system.
- Spaces designed for collaboration among math, chemistry, biology, and health and human services students.
- Reserved lab space for faculty and student research initiatives.
Program Options, Requirements, and Course Descriptions
Alumni Spotlight
"You will get a job. Strong Hospital asked me to apply and hired me. That's huge. You will be able to affect patient care in a very meaningful way. We (medical technologists) are finding out what's wrong. Reporting what kind of cancerous cells you see could save their life — but you also don't have to provide devastating news. You get to go to work after 4 years. You don't have to go through medical school, and a residency, to have that effect. I've talked to people in other programs that are quicker, but this 4-year degree allows you to focus on each subject in-depth. The board exams are so in-depth, it allows you to be more prepared."
— Mackenzie Kirkland '18, clinical lab sciences major, chemistry minor, who was offered a medical technologist position four months before graduating
Example Careers
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist/Medical Laboratory Technician
- Scientist at Reference Laboratories or Public Health Laboratories
- Biotechnology Industry
Rotations/Field Experiences
- University of Rochester Medical Center Laboratories
- Highland Hospital
- F.F. Thompson Hospital
- United Memorial Medical Center
Career Outlook
- Clinical rotations provide experience and job connections at area laboratories, which face a shortage of clinical laboratory scientists/medical technologists and technicians.
- Entry-level positions are abundant, and full-time positions generally start around $46,000 to $50,000 per year.
- Employment opportunities are projected to grow much faster than average, driven by retirements of current professionals.
- Certification by American Society for Clinical Pathology fulfills hiring requirements in many states. New York state licensure is transferrable to nearly every state with licensure.
- Additional career opportunities include employment in the biotechnology industry, public health and safety laboratories, and graduate medical or scientific education.
Student Handbook
Essential functions of the discipline are included in the CLS Student Handbook.