Medical Laboratory Science
How can we better detect disease and help doctors find the best treatment for their patients? Medical Laboratory Scientists are health care professionals who conduct special diagnostic tests in a lab to help discover the presence or absence of disease and provide important data that physicians use in diagnosing and treating their patients.
The Medical Laboratory Science degree provides a curriculum to train students to practice medical laboratory science in diagnostic laboratories or other health care related settings. Successful completion of the program qualifies the student to sit for certification examinations.
Students declare a Pre-MLS Major and are accepted into the program in their Junior year. Once in the program, students have two semesters of intensive coursework after which they intern in a clinical facility for six months. The program in medical laboratory science is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Program graduates are eligible for a national certification examination.
MLS Admittance Rates
2013-2014: 98%
2014-2015: 72%
2015-2016: 69%
2016-2017: 88%
2017-2018: 96%
2018-2019: 94%
2019-2020: 91%
2020-2021: 94%
2021-2022: 92%
2022-2023: 86%
ASCP Board of Certification Exam for MLS Graduates
| Year | Number Taking | National Average | BYU Average | Percentage Passed |
| 2017 | 41 | 513 | 527 | 95% |
| 2018 | 35 | 513 | 518 | 91.40% |
| 2019 | 21 | 503 | 497 | 90.5% |
| 2020 | 24 | 496 | 484 | 96% |
| 2021 | 32 | 480 | 487 | 84% |
| 2022 | 30 | 473 | 473 | 80% |
| 2023 | 28 | 476 | 484 | 96% |
Graduate Job Placement Rates: 100%
| Year | Graduate Job Placement Rate |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 100% |
| 2019 | 100% |
| 2020 | 100% |
| 2021 | 100% |
| 2022 | 100% |
| 2023 | 100% |
Graduation Rates
| Year | Percentage |
| 2020 | 100% |
| 2021 | 89% |
| 2022 | 100% |
| 2023 | 100% |
External Certification Rates
| Year | Percentage |
| 2020 | 100% |
| 2021 | 85% |
| 2022 | 89% |
| 2023 | 88% |
Medical Laboratory Science Accrediting Agency
NAACLS, 5600N. River Rd, Suite 720 Rosemont IL, 60018-5119
ph: 773.714.8880; fx: 773.714.8886; info@naacls.org
For More Information
If you have questions or want to learn more about the MLS program, please contact Mekeli Sneddon, MLS Program Assistant - mekeli.sneddon@byu.edu or (801) 422-5314.
If you run into any technical issues with the Medical Laboratory Sciences application, please contact Life Sciences IT - lscsr@byu.edu or 801-422-7178.
