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Clinical Laboratory Science Major, B.S.

The Clinical Laboratory Science student must consult with the Clinical Laboratory Science advisor at the start of the academic program and regularly throughout the course of study. The student must complete the Bemidji State University Liberal Education requirements before the year of clinical study.

To prepare the student for the clinical year of training, two options are available: 1) a 3+1 option, where a student earns a Clinical Laboratory Science, B.S., degree, with the fourth year spent at an affiliated clinical program, and 2) a 4+1 option, where a student earns a Biology, B.S., degree, including specific courses in biology and chemistry, and completes the fifth year at an affiliated clinical program. Both options are described below.

3 + 1 Option

I. Required Courses

Note: Asterisked(*) courses either have prerequisites not included in this option or require consent of instructor. Courses marked with a number sign(#) may not be offered every year at Bemidji State University; students may need to substitute a distance education course from the University of North Dakota (UND) in order to complete this option in three years. Students will need to pay UND tuition rates for these courses, including a CLS program fee charged by UND.

BIOL 1211 Introductory Biology I (4 credits)
BIOL 1212 Introductory Biology II (4 credits)
BIOL 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology (5 credits)
#BIOL 3300 Introduction to Hematology (3 credits)
BIOL 3380 Molecular Genetics: Theory and Practice (5 credits)
BIOL 3580 Immunology (5 credits)
BIOL 3710 Microbiology (4 credits)
BIOL 3755 Medical Microbiology (3 credits)
#BIOL 4210 Parasitology (4 credits)
CHEM 1211 Principles of Chemistry I (4 credits)
CHEM 1212 Principles of Chemistry II (4 credits)
CHEM 2311 Organic Chemistry I (3 credits)
CHEM 2371 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (1 credit)
*CHEM 3411 Biochemistry I (3 credits)
*CHEM 3471 Biochemistry Lab oratory I (1 credit)
*MATH 1170 College Algebra (3 credits)
or *MATH 1470 Precalculus (5 credits)
STAT 2610 Applied Statistics (4 credits)
or PSY 3401 Basic Statistics for Research (4 credits)

Subtotal 60-62 Credits

II. Required Clinical Studies

Note: A clinical year position is not guaranteed. Students must apply for a clinical year position in October of the junior year. Please see advisor regarding the clinical year of study.

Subtotal 32-37 Credits

Total Semester Credits Required for Major 92-99 Credits

A Total of 128 Semester Credits is Required for a Bachelor's Degree

SUGGESTED SEMESTER SCHEDULE FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE MAJOR, B.S.

The following is a list of Clinical Laboratory Science courses arranged by year. This suggested schedule is intended to help students plan their courses without course conflicts. Courses that are asterisked(*) are recommended but not required. Courses that are double asterisked(**) are required but offered only in alternate years.

Note: With proper student planning and in consultation with the Clinical Laboratory Science coordinator, a student may complete his or her academic degree in 128 semester credits. It is possible, in some circumstances, that courses in a student's Liberal Education program may be used in his or her academic major. In addition, Clinical Laboratory Science students should register for ECON 2000 Markets and Resource Allocation in Liberal Education Category 5.

Freshman

BIOL 1211 Introductory Biology I
BIOL 1212 Introductory Biology II
BIOL 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology
CHEM 1211 Principles of Chemistry I
CHEM 1212 Principles of Chemistry II
ENGL 1101 College Writing I
ENGL 1102 College Writing II
MATH 1170 College Algebra
or MATH 1470 Precalculus

Sophomore

*BIOL 2360 Genetics
**BIOL 3300 Introduction to Hematology
BIOL 3380 Molecular Genetics: Theory and Practice
BIOL 3710 Microbiology
BIOL 3755 Medical Microbiology
CHEM 2311 Organic Chemistry I
*CHEM 2312 Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 2371 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
*CHEM 2372 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II

Junior

**BIOL 3300 Introduction to Hematology
BIOL 3580 Immunology
BIOL 4210 Parasitology
CHEM 3411 Biochemistry I
CHEM 3471 Biochemistry Laboratory I
STAT 2610 Applied Statistics
or PSY 3401 Basic Statistics for Research

Senior

Clinical year courses

 

4 + 1 Option
Biology Major, B.S., for Preparation for a Clinical Laboratory Science Career

Note: After completing the clinical year courses, students will receive a double major: Biology, B.S. , and Clinical Laboratory Science, B.S.

In this option, the student completes a Biology, B.S., major at Bemidji State University, and then applies for admission to the clinical year program through the University of North Dakota or other affiliated institution (a 2.80 GPA overall and in science courses is one requirement for entrance into the clinical year program).  

This option may be of interest to students considering a pre-professional program such as pre-medicine, pre-veterinary medicine, or other pre-professional area. Students who fail to gain admission to the professional school of their choice will have the option of pursuing a health-related career in Clinical Laboratory Science.

I. Required Courses

Please see the Biology, B.S., degree for specific requirements for the Biology major. In addition to the chemistry, statistics, and physics requirements for the Biology, B.S., degree, students must complete the following biology and chemistry courses from the 3 + 1 Option.  

Note: Courses marked with a number sign(#) may not be offered every year at Bemidji State University; students may need to substitute a distance education course from the University of North Dakota (UND) in order to complete this option. Students will need to pay UND tuition rates for these courses, including a CLS program fee charged by UND.  

BIOL 2110 Human Anatomy and Physiology (5 credits)
#BIOL 3300 Introduction to Hematology (3 credits)
BIOL 3380 Molecular Genetics: Theory and Practice (5 credits)
BIOL 3580 Immunology (5 credits)
BIOL 3710 Microbiology (4 credits)
BIOL 3755 Medical Microbiology (3 credits)
#BIOL 4210 Parasitology (4 credits)
CHEM 3411 Biochemistry I (3 credits)
CHEM 3471 Biochemistry Laboratory I (1 credit)

Subtotal 83-85 Credits for Biology, B.S. Major

II. Required Clinical Studies

Clinical year courses, taken after the senior year beginning with summer term, are taken through entrance into the clinical year program at the University of North Dakota or at affiliated hospitals.

Note: A clinical year position is not guaranteed. Students must apply for a clinical year position in October of the junior year. Please see advisor regarding the clinical year of study.

Subtotal 32-37 Credits

Total Semester Credits Required for Biology, B.S. and Clinical Laboratory Science, B.S. Majors 115-122 Credits

Minnesota law requires that any person who provides services that involve direct contact with patients and residents at a health care facility licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health have a background study conducted by the state. An individual who is disqualified from having direct patient contact as a result of the background study, and whose disqualification is not set aside by the Commissioner of Health will not be permitted to participate in a clinical placement and will not qualify for a degree in this program. See program director for details regarding the implementation procedure.