Professor Eric Recktenwald assists biology students.

B.S. in Biology Medical Laboratory Science overview

Students interested in a career working in a clinical laboratory can pursue the Biology Medical Laboratory Science degree. This 3 + 1 program offers instructional courses at Alvernia’s campus for the first 3 years, and a fourth year of clinical study in a school of medical technology approved by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratories Sciences (NAACLS).

Alvernia has an affiliation agreement with Reading Hospital and Medical Center who assists the application process for admission to the clinical program. Admission is determined solely by the hospital.

Upon acceptance and completion of required coursework, graduates become eligible to take the certification examination for medical technologists and after successful completion, are entitled to use the designation “Medical Technologist”.

In addition to Alvernia’s curriculum listed below, clinical experience in the hospital facility requires 30-32 credits. Courses include: Immunohematology, Chemistry, Clinical Microscopy, Coagulation, Hematology, Microbiology, Serology and Immunology.

For students who do not obtain a position in the NAACLS accredited program, their fourth and final year at Alvernia would be spent completing the requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Curriculum

All Alvernia students must successfully complete a minimum of 123 semester credits to receive a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree.

As a Biology Medical Laboratory Science major, you'll need to earn 61-62 credits in the major at Alvernia, with the remaining 32 credits in the hospital facility.

Biology Core Requirements 

  • BIO 103  Principles of Biology I
  • BIO 104  Principles of Biology II
  • BIO 107/117  Human Anatomy & Physiology I w/Lab
  • BIO 108/118  Human Anatomy & Physiology II w/Lab
  • BIO 221  General Microbiology
  • BIO 303  Genetics
  • BIO 409  Immunology
  • BIO elective
     

Related Requirements

  • CHE 104/110  General Chemistry I w/lab
  • CHE 105/111  General Chemistry II w/lab
  • CHE 107  Laboratory Safety 
  • CHE 201/210  Organic Chemistry I w/lab
  • CHE 202/211  Organic Chemistry II w/lab
  • CHE 212  Analytical Chemistry
  • MAT 209  Probability and Statistics

 

Reading Hospital's School of Medical Laboratory Science

  • BIO 420  Medical Laboratory Science Clinical I
  • BIO 421  Medical Laboratory Science Clinical II
Faculty

Research interests of Alvernia Biology faculty members include:

  • Isolation and genome sequencing of wild microbes to search for novel antibiotics & antifungals
  • Using environmental DNA (eDNA) to explore biodiversity & ecosystem health - from Alvernia's backyard to the Amazon rainforest
  • Elucidating the neural basis of visually guided behaviors in frogs
  • Examining the effects of various external factors on the differentiation of cells in culture
  • The environmental impacts on plant growth and development
  • The use of bioenergy crops as riparian and agricultural buffers
  • The effects of nitrogen availability and carbon allocation to the cell wall
  • Vitamin D intake and sources
  • Pharmacognosy (the science of plants as medicine)
  • The Effects of Macronutrients on Lipid Profiles and Cardiovascular Inflammation
  • Environmental sustainability


You can visit the Biology faculty pages to learn more about research that might match your interests.

Experiential Learning

 

Students accepted into this program receive hands-on learning through Alvernia's partnership with the Reading Hospital. See below for information about Reading Hospital's School of Medical Laboratory Science:

The School of Medical Laboratory Science was established in 1934 and is an 11-month long program to prepare qualified 3+1 or 4+1 (post-bacc) students to prepare for entry level experience into medical laboratory science and clinical laboratories. Medical laboratory scientists play a crucial role in the diagnosis of disease by testing patient samples and reporting out data for physicians to use when implementing treatment. Students will have classroom style learning for theory and clinical lab rotations for application of theory in Chemistry, Hematology, Blood Bank, Microbiology, Urinalysis, and Coagulation at the Reading Hospital. Reading Hospital’s laboratory is one of the largest in the state and is a high volume testing site. Student outcomes for completion of the MLS program include transfer credits to be used toward completing their bachelor’s degree, excellent job placement rates, and eligibility for a national board of certification (BOC) exam through the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). The Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences MLS program has excellent job placement and ASCP MLS BOC pass rates for MLS graduates. The program currently accepts 6 students per year so admission into the program is competitive. For more information about application deadlines, prerequisites, tuition, other information, or how to apply, please visit the website: https://reading.towerhealth.org/health-sciences/programs/medical-laboratory-science/ or send an email to ethan.kentzel@towerhealth.org.

Tuition

To determine the cost of this program, please visit our Tuition page.  For a personalized estimate, please contact an admissions counselor at 610-790-8269 or at admissions@alvernia.edu.

Financial Aid

Alvernia offers loan, grants, scholarships, and payment plans. Our admissions counselors can help you identify the aid that is available to you and for your program. For more information, visit our Financial Aid page.

Accreditation

All programs offered by Alvernia University are approved by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools..

Learn More

For more information about Alvernia’s Biology Program, please contact the Admissions Office at 1-888-ALVERNIA or 610-796-8269 or admissions@alvernia.edu, or reach out directly to:

 

Dr. Eric Recktenwald

Interim Science Department Chair

Bernardine Hall 120

610.796.8247

eric.recktenwald@alvernia.edu

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