Master of Science
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| Program options |
| The department offers three tracks in the master's degree program in
clinical laboratory sciences. |
| Advanced Master's Track in Clinical Laboratory Sciences |
| Students holding a baccalaureate degree in clinical laboratory
sciences/medical technology and generalist certification by the National Credentialing Agency for
Laboratory Personnel, Inc. or the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathologists are
eligible for the advanced master's track. Candidates may specialize and complete a project or thesis in
clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunohematology, immunology or molecular diagnostics. In
addition to the basic science requirement, each student will choose an area of secondary emphasis in
biomedical research, education, management or business. |
| Categorical Master's Track in Clinical Laboratory Sciences |
| The categorical master's track is designed for students with a
baccalaureate degree in biology or chemistry. This track provides specialized study, including a clinical
practicum, in one of the following areas: clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology or immunohematology.
A project or thesis is required. Upon completion of the curriculum, students are eligible to take a
national certification examination in the area in which they performed their concentrated study. |
| Application materials may be obtained from the School of Graduate
Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 843051 Richmond, VA 23284-3051; or via the Web:
www.sahp.vcu.edu/cls |
| Accelerated Master's Track in Clinical Laboratory Sciences |
| The accelerated master's track integrates undergraduate and graduate
coursework and leads to the awarding of a BS and a MS degree simultaneously. Upon completion of the
curriculum, students are eligible to take the national certification examinations for a CLS/MT generalist.
Students pursuing the Accelerated Master's track must initially qualify for admission to the Bachelor of
Science program in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. |
| Application materials may be obtained by writing to: |
Office of Undergraduate Admissions,
Medical College of Virginia Campus,
Virginia Commonwealth University,
P.O. Box980632,
Richmond, VA 23298-0632,
or
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences,
Virginia Commonwealth University,
P.O. Box 980583,
Richmond, VA 23298-0583
or
from the Web at www.sahp.vcu.edu/cls
|
Curriculum - for the ADVANCED or CATEGORICAL Master's Track
| Students are required to complete a minimum of 34 semester hours to include: |
| Topic |
Hours |
| Discipline-specific science |
15-18 |
| Seminar |
3 (4 Recommended) |
| Education, management or business |
3 |
| Computer applications or statistics 3 |
3 |
| Research methodolgy |
3 |
| Research |
4-6 |
Specific courses will depend on the individual candidate's choice of specialty.
The basic science requirement may be distributed among approved courses listed in the VCU Graduate and
Professional Programs bulletin.
Students with a secondary emphasis in education, management, or business may
elect to focus on courses in those areas in lieu of the discipline specific course work. No more than 14 credit
hours in the area of secondary emphasis may be applied toward the total minimum requirement.
Categorical master's candidates are required to complete the undergraduate
courses and a six-week clinical practicum in their specialty area.
A research study in the form of a thesis or project is required. Students
selecting the thesis option complete a minimum of 15 semester hours of discipline-specific sciences and six
hours of research; students selecting the project option complete 19 semester hours of discipline-specific
sciences and four hours of research.
Full-time candidates require a minimum of two academic years to complete the
program. There are no full-time residence requirements. Part-time students must complete all work requirements
within five years. An interruption in excess of one semester requires prior approval of the department.
Curriculum - for the ACCELERATED Master's Track
Pre-requisite requirement: 60 semester hours - refer to the undergraduate
admission requirements for details
Professional studies requirement - Undergraduate: 52.5 credits
| Junior Year |
| Course |
Title |
Hours |
| CLLS 301 - 302 |
Hemtology |
7.5 |
| CLLS 304 |
Urine and Body Fluid Analysis |
2.0 |
| CLLS 306 |
Immunohematology |
4.5 |
| CLLS 307 |
Introduction to Pathogenic Microbiology |
3.0 |
| CLLS 308 |
Pathogenic Bacteriology |
5.0 |
| CLLS 310 |
Clinical Immunology |
4.5 |
| CLLS 311-312 |
Clinical Chemistry and Instrumentation I and II |
5.0 |
| See Bachelors Program for Course descriptions. |
| |
|
|
| Summer Session |
| Course |
Title |
Hours |
| CLLS 337 |
Clinical Education |
1.0 |
| See Bachelors Program for Course descriptions. |
| |
|
|
| Second year - Fall semester |
| Course |
Title |
Hours |
| CLLS 483 |
Biochemistry Practicum |
3.0 |
| CLLS 485 |
Hematology Practicum |
3.0 |
| CLLS 493 |
Clinical Microbiology Practicum |
3.0 |
| CLLS 494 |
Miscellaneous Clinical Practicum |
3.0 |
| CLLS 496 |
Blood Bank Practicum |
3.0 |
| See Bachelors Program for Course descriptions. |
| |
|
|
| Professional studies requirement - Graduate: 40 credits |
| CLLS 580 |
Education/Management |
3.0 |
| ACCT 507 |
Fundamentals of Accounting |
3.0 |
| CLLS 690 |
Clinical Laboratory Sciences Seminar |
1.0 |
| BIOS 543 |
Statistical Methods I |
3.0 |
| OCCT 710 |
Research Process |
3.0 |
| CLLS 790 |
Research in Clinical Laboratory Sciences |
3.0 |
| Education / Management / Business Electives |
3.0 |
| Discipline Specific Sciences |
9.0 |
| Electives |
12.0 |
Full-time candidates require a minimum of five academic years (two years of
pre-requisites and three years in the professional program) to complete the program. There are no full-time
residence requirements. Part-time students must complete all graduate level requirements within five years. An
interruption in registration in excess of one semester requires prior approval of the department.
Course Descriptions
| CLLS 201 Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Science |
| Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Open to students on the
Academic Campus who are interested in clinical laboratory science/medical technology as a career.
Presentation and discussion of clinical laboratory science including an introduction to each of the
specific areas of concentration, job opportunities in the profession and a tour of a hospital laboratory.
Graded as pass/fail. |
| CLLS 301-302 Hematology |
| Continuous course; 4.5 lecture and 6 laboratory hours. 2-7.5 credits. A
study of the blood and blood-forming tissues. Emphasis is placed on hematologic techniques, accurate
identification of normal and abnormal cells and their correlation with normal or pathologic conditions. An
introduction to the hemostatic mechanism also is presented. |
| CLLS 304 Urine and Body Fluid Analysis |
| Semester course; 1.5 lecture and 1 laboratory hour. 1-2 credits. A study
of the principles and practices of urinalysis, kidney function, cerebrospinal fluid and other body fluids. |
| CLLS 306 Immunohematology |
| Semester course; 2.5 lecture and 4 laboratory hours. 2-5 credits.
Prerequisite: CLLS 310. A study of the theory and principles of blood banking with an emphasis on methods
and techniques used in the laboratory for cell typing, cross-matching and antibody identification. |
| CLLS 307 Introduction to Pathogenic Microbiology |
| Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Includes fundamentals of
parasites, fungi, and viruses as potentially pathogenic microorganisms. May be taken as 1 credit each for
study of basic parasitology, mycology or virology. |
| CLLS 308 Pathogenic Bacteriology |
| Semester course; 3 lecture and 4 laboratory hours. 3-5 credits. Emphasis
is placed on pathogenic bacteria, techniques, pathogenesis, epidemiology, isolation and identification,
and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. |
| CLLS 310 Clinical Immunology |
| Semester course; 3.5 lecture and 2 laboratory hours. 3- 4.5 credits.
Introduces the basic principles of immunology, serology and molecular diagnostics. Emphasis is placed on
laboratory evaluation of the immune response including both cellular and humoral aspects. Serologic
techniques are practiced in the laboratory sessions. |
| CLLS 311 Clinical Chemistry and Instrumentation I |
| 3 lecture and 4 laboratory hours. 3-5 credits. A study of human physiology
and metabolism in health and various disease states. Topics include energy and nitrogen metabolism and
proteins in body fluids. Emphasis is placed on the application of quantitative analytical methods and
instrumentation for the chemical characterization of body fluids to provide clinically useful information
for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. |
| CLLS 312 Clinical Chemistry and Instrumentation II |
| 4 lecture and 2 laboratory hours. 4-5 credits. Prerequisite: CLLS 311 or
permission of the instructor. A study of human physiology and metabolism in health and various disease
states. Topics include water and ion balance, clinical enzymology, therapeutic drug monitoring, and
toxicology. Emphasis is placed on the application of quantitative analytical methods and instrumentation
for the chemical characterization of body fluids to provide clinically useful information for the diagnosis
and treatment of diseases. |
| CLLS 337 Clinical Education |
| Semester course; 120 clock hours. 1 credit. Offered: S. Supervised
clinical experience in hospitals across the state is designed to give the student a broader clinical
education and to provide venipuncture experience. In addition to the application of academically acquired
knowledge, this affiliation provides an opportunity for the student to correlate each area of study into
one composite picture for final laboratory diagnosis. Closer working relationships with other allied health
personnel is an important aspect of this affiliation. Graded as pass/fail. |
| CLLS 407 Interpretive Immunohematology |
| Semester course; 2.5 lecture hours. 2-2.5 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS
306 and 310, or permission of instructor. Advanced study of the principles of immunohematology and
immunology with major emphasis on blood group systems and blood components. Includes the application of
laboratory data and techniques to solve problems in blood banking and immunology. |
| CLLS 408 Advanced Microbiology |
| Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS 307 and
308, or permission of instructor. Advanced study of the principles of pathogenic microbiology. Includes the
application of laboratory data and techniques to solve problems in the clinical microbiology laboratory. |
| CLLS 409 Interpretive Hematology |
| Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS 301-302
and 485, or permission of instructor. Advanced study of the principles of hematopoiesis and their
pathophysiological correlation to hematological disorders. Interpretation of morphological findings are
correlated with case histories. Includes homeostatic problems. |
| CLLS 410 Advanced Clinical Chemistry and Instrumentation |
| Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS 311 and
312, or permission of instructor. Presents an advanced study of (1) the principles of clinical chemistry
as related to intermediary metabolism and pathology and (2) laboratory and hospital information systems.
Includes the application of laboratory data and technologies to solve problems in analytical methods and
instruments. |
| CLLS 411 Principles of Education/Management |
| Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 2.5-3.5 credits. Introduces fundamental
educational theories and practice, principles of management and employee relations and health-care issues
from a global perspective with an emphasis on multicultural diversity. Stresses the application of these
theories in the clinical laboratory. |
| CLLS 412 Senior Seminar |
| Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Seminars are presented on
various aspects of professionalism, experimental design and critical evaluation of scientific literature.
A simulated registry exam is given at the conclusion. Graded as pass/fail. |
| CLLS 415 Special Topics in Clinical Laboratory Sciences |
| Semester course; 1-6 credits. Course provides for tutorial studies,
laboratory experience and/or library assignments in specialized areas for those students who have previous
course work or laboratory experience in a specific subject. |
| CLLS 438/HONR 492 Research Paper |
| Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. This course is designed to
introduce the student to the fundamentals of scientific writing. |
| CLLS 483 Biochemistry Practicum |
| Semester course; 40-180 clock hours. 1-4.5 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS
311-312. Individual participation in hospital chemistry laboratories. Students gain practical experience
in the use of procedures and instruments by working with the staff. After gaining competence, students are
expected to perform and sign out routine laboratory work under supervision. Graded as pass/fail. |
| CLLS 485 Hematology Practicum |
| Semester course; 40-180 clock hours. 1-4.5 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS
301-302. Individual participation in hospital hematology laboratories. Students gain practical experience
in the use of procedures and instruments by working with the staff. After gaining competence, the students
are expected to perform and sign out routine laboratory work under supervision. Graded as pass/fail. |
| CLLS 493 Clinical Microbiology Practicum |
| Semester course; 40-180 clock hours. 1-4.5 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS
307-308. Individual participation in hospital bacteriology laboratories. Students gain practical experience
in the performance and use of procedures by working with the clinical staff. After gaining competence, the
students are expected to properly perform and sign out routine laboratory work under supervision. Graded as
pass/fail. |
| CLLS 494 Miscellaneous Clinical Practicum |
| Semester course; 40-180 clock hours. 1-4.5 credits. Prerequisites: CLLS
301-302, 308, 310, 311-312 or permission of instructor. Students gain practical experience in the use of
instruments and the performance of procedures by working with the clinical staff. After gaining competence,
students are expected to properly perform and sign out routine laboratory work under supervision. Graded as
pass/fail. |
| CLLS 496 Blood Bank Practicum |
| Semester course; 40-180 clock hours. 1-4.5 credits. Prerequisite: CLLS
306. Individual participation in hospital blood bank laboratories and Virginia Blood Services. Students
gain practical experience in the use of procedures and instruments by working with the staff. Donor drawing
and component preparation is observed. After gaining competence, the students are expected to properly
perform and sign out routine laboratory work under supervision. Graded as pass/fail. |
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