Prerequisite Courses
Traditional Program Prerequisite Courses
The prerequisites listed on this page are for the on-campus Traditional Medical Laboratory Sciences program only. For the online MLT-to-MLS Degree Completion program’s prerequisite requirements, please click here.
A minimum of 69 credits are required from a regionally accredited college or university and must fulfill all College requirements regarding the acceptance of transfer credit. Only courses with a grade of “C” or better are accepted to meet prerequisite course requirements. Students are eligible for the MLS program after completing 63 prerequisite credits, including Biology w/ Lab, Anatomy & Physiology w/ Lab, Microbiology w/ Lab, and both Chemistry w/ Lab courses. However, upon acceptance into the program, an additional 6 credits of core curriculum must be listed on the student’s degree plan.
NOTE: Admissions is aware that due to COVID-19 and the impact on colleges and universities, some students are being issued pass/fail, credit/no credit prerequisite grades. We are acceptable of that grading system during the semesters/quarters impacted by COVID-19 as long as the college or university documents “pass/P or credit/CR” and the credit hours on the transcript.
Our Advisor’s Manual, a guide to taking these prerequisites at various institutions in Arkansas, is available by clicking the button below.
Download the Advisor's Manual for Medical Laboratory Sciences| Area/Typical Course Title | Minimum Credits |
|---|---|
| ENGLISH/COMMUNICATION | |
| English Composition | |
| Two-semester sequence of English Composition | 6 |
| Speech Communication* | |
| Fundamentals of Speech or Speech Communication | 3 |
| MATHEMATICS | |
| College Algebra (or higher level mathematics) | 3 |
| Trigonometry/Statistics/Calculus (or higher level mathematics) | 3 |
| SCIENCE | |
| Biological/Health Science** | |
| Biology with laboratory | 4 |
| Anatomy & Physiology with laboratory | 4 |
| Microbiology with laboratory | 4 |
| Chemistry | |
| Two-semester sequence of General Chemistry with laboratories | 8 |
| Science Electives*** | 8 |
| FINE ARTS/HUMANITIES | |
| Fine Arts**** | |
| Music, Art, Theater | 3 |
| Humanities***** | |
| Philosophy, Political Science, Literature, or Humanities | 3 |
| SOCIAL SCIENCES | |
| History | |
| History of the United States or National Government | 3 |
| Social Sciences | |
| Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Geography, or Economics | 6 |
| Electives*** | 11 |
| OVERALL TOTAL | 69 |
*An additional Humanities or Fine Arts course may be substituted for Speech Communication.
**Chemistry and Biology/Health Science courses must be suitable for majors in those disciplines and must include laboratory credit in required courses. The following courses (including labs) are considered equivalent to Biology w/ Lab, Anatomy & Physiology w/ Lab, or Microbiology w/ Lab: Animal or Human Anatomy, Animal or Human Physiology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Cell Physiology or Biology, Genetics/Genomics, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Mycology, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Parasitology, Pathology/Pathophysiology/Pathogenesis, Quantitative Analysis, Toxicology, Virology, or Zoology. Other courses may fulfill the program’s requirements. Contact the department for course approval.
***Recommended electives include introductory courses in Computer Science, Management, Genetics, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Quantitative Analysis. Science courses can be substituted with Program or Assistant Program Director approval.
****The Fine Arts requirement cannot be fulfilled with a studio course. An additional Humanities course may be substituted for Fine Arts.
*****Humanities requirements may be selected from the courses in the subject areas of philosophy, political science, literature and the humanities. The course in National Government, if selected to meet the US History/National Government requirement, cannot also be used to meet the Humanities requirement in Political Science. Acceptable courses in literature must be broad survey courses.
Advanced Placement (AP) credits are only accepted for the general education requirements and cannot be used to satisfy the math and science requirements.
