Become an Integral Part of the Healthcare Team
What is a Medical Laboratory Scientist?
Using microscopes, specialized staining techniques, chemical analyses and highly sophisticated precision instruments, medical laboratory scientists are vital healthcare detectives that perform tests on the fluids, cells and tissues of the human body. They uncover medical mysteries and provide data to physicians that is used for important medical decisions including interpreting the patient's symptoms, monitoring treatment, researching the causes of diseases and developing new methods for treatment and diagnosis.
VCU Program Offerings
- Can be completed in just over two years
- Start in the fall, spring or summer semester
- Financial Aid available
- Prepares students for ASCP MLS certification exam
Student Success Stories
"The professors were extremely dedicated to ensuring that we were learning what was needed in order to make us competitive for our job market. I would absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend the College of Health Professions to potential students. It is the foundation of who I am and how I was able to obtain the accomplishments that I have currently."
Career Opportunities
- Clinical supervisor
- Forensics
- Medical laboratory management
- Technical specialist
- Laboratory information specialist
- Research and development
- Pharmaceutical representative
3-year average ASCP Board Certification pass rate
median annual salary for medical laboratory scientists
of students graduate with a job in healthcare
Featured news
MLS students explore microbes and the larger human body
Maiya Picott fondly recalls the impact a semester in Switzerland had on her as an undergraduate. Enrolled in an interdisciplinary program, she traveled throughout Europe but missed visiting a microbe museum in Amsterdam – an experience she promised herself she’d return for.
Laboratory manager’s career comes full circle
On any given weekday afternoon, you’ll likely find Colin Thibodeau, M.S., carefully pipetting reagents, arranging lab benches or chatting with a group of Medical Laboratory Sciences students gearing up for their next hands-on experiment.
VCU researchers pioneer rapid test for rare, often-fatal amoebic meningitis
Identifying why a patient is suffering from meningitis must be fast – and a new test pioneered by a team at VCU’s Medical Laboratory Sciences promises a breakthrough in pinpointing when a brain-invading amoeba is the cause.