Biomedical Laboratory Science

College of Science and Engineering
Dean: James C. Kelley

Center for Biomedical Laboratory Science
SCI 211
415-338-1696
E-mail: cbls@sfsu.edu
Director: William Bigler

Graduate Coordinator: William Bigler

Programs

 M.S. in Biomedical Laboratory Science

Certificate in Clinical Laboratory Science

Program Scope

Graduate programs are offered leading to the Master of Science in Biomedical Laboratory Science and preparation for becoming eligible to take the licensure examination and be certified as a clinical laboratory scientist. By working closely with an adviser, the student can select courses which provide an emphasis in: clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, laboratory management, microbiology, clinical laboratory science education, immunohematology, toxicology, or virology. The M.S. program can be designed to fulfill the academic requirements for licensure as a bioanalyst. For additional information regarding the master's degree program, please contact the director of the Center for Biomedical Laboratory Science. CBLS (and SFSU Extended Learning) also offers a non-credit 160-hour program for professional certification of phlebotomists.

The 63-week Certificate in Clinical Laboratory Science program prepares students for the State of California licensure examination for Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS), for the National Certification Agency for Clinical Laboratory Personnel's Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) examination, and for the Board of Registry examination for medical technology certification by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (MT-ASCP). The job opportunities for graduates are primarily in hospital and reference laboratories, but students are well prepared for careers as laboratory supervisors, research technicians, laboratory consultants, industrial technical representatives, marketing specialists for laboratory products, etc. Graduates who excel and aspire to master's and doctoral degrees are well prepared to enter many specialty disciplines; e.g., medicine (especially human and veterinary clinical pathology), microbiology, immunology, clinical chemistry, etc.

Career Outlook

Many health related career disciplines are expanding. There is a widespread shortage of training opportunities for clinical laboratory scientists. Consequently, the long term career outlook for graduates of CBLS's programs is excellent.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOMEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE

Graduate Advisers--Bigler, Blackwood, Romeo, Schmidt, Smith

Admission to Program

Students must have a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Clinical Science, or the equivalent. Individuals with related degrees who are working in biomedical laboratory science research or industry may be admitted. A detailed description of the program is available in the Policies and Procedures Manual at the CBLS office.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: must be completed by passing the Graduate Essay Test (GET). The GET is administered by the university Testing Center once in the month before the start of each semester. Students must pass GET or the assigned English course(s) by the end of their second semester. Level Two: requires approval of a written research proposal by the faculty committee that supervises the student's research.

Graduate Biomedical Laboratory Science courses are listed in groups by subject in the Announcement of Courses section of this Bulletin (consult Index for page reference).

Units

Program

BIOM 801	Biomedical Laboratory ScienceLiterature			1
BIOM 802	Biomedical Laboratory Science Research Design		1
BIOM 703	Biostatistics and Quality Control			2

Foundation graduate lecture course on advisement			2-3

Graduate laboratory course on advisement				2-3
BIOM 880	Reading and Presenting Clinical Science Papers (2) or
BIOM 881, 882, 883, 884, 885, 886, 887					1-2
Plan A
 
Upper division or graduate elective courses 
selected with the approval of student's 
advisory committee							14-17
BIOM 896	Directed Reading					1
BIOM 897	Research						0-1
BIOM 895	Research Project					3
		and Preliminary Oral Examination and
		Oral Comprehensive Examination
Minimum total								31
Plan B
 
Upper division or graduate courses selected 
with the approval of student's advisory 
committee							9-13
BIOM 896	Directed Reading				1
BIOM 897	Research					2-6
BIOM 898	Master's Thesis					3
		and Preliminary Oral Examination and
		Oral Defense of Thesis
Minimum total							31
Examination. The oral examination may be repeated once at the discretion of the committee.

CERTIFICATE IN CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE

Graduate Advisers--Haas, Herrmann, Seman, Rogers

Six semester units (BIOM 703, 705, 708) of the 30-unit program may be counted toward completion of SFSU's Master of Science in Biomedical Laboratory Science degree program.

Admission to Program

Prerequisites are: (1) admissibility as a SFSU graduate student, (2) the science course preparation of the SFSU Bachelor of Science in Clinical Science degree or the equivalent, (3) an active CLS-Trainee's license from the State of California Department of Health Services, (4) completion of the application forms of the Student Record Center (SRC), including letters of reference, and (5) an interview at the Center for Biomedical Laboratory Science (CBLS) office at SFSU. The department is available to advise applicants about these admissions procedures. Classes start at the first of July and January.

Curriculum

Students enroll for fifteen units each semester and for an Extended Learning Intersession course for the non-semester periods of the program.

Units

First Semester

BIOM 9000	CBLS Intersession					0
BIOM 701	On-Campus Laboratory Internship				11-13
BIOM 703	Biostatistics and Quality Control			2
BIOM 708	Laboratory Instrumentation and Electronics		2

Second Semester

 
BIOM 702	Off-Campus Clinical Laboratory Internship		11-13
BIOM 705	Laboratory Administration				2
Minimum total								30