Medical Laboratory Science

Medical Laboratory Science offers a four-year professional degree program. The curriculum is designed for students to acquire a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) and general certification from the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) enabling graduates to practice across Canada. Graduates of this program have an excellent reputation locally, nationally and internationally.

MLS program outcomes ensure that graduates meet the national competency standards set by the CSMLS and are highly skilled health professionals who advance the profession through:

Knowledge Based Practice: use best available knowledge to inform practice.
Scholarship: analyze, adapt, and build upon knowledge to guide and advance practice.
Communication and Collaboration: communicate effectively and collaborate in practice.
Self Management: demonstrate confidence in practice.
Ethical Responsibility: exhibit value-driven practice.

This program consists of a pre professional year to complete prerequisite courses. The second year includes foundational laboratory courses where students have an opportunity to practice skills. The third year is a 38-week clinical practicum under the supervision of Alberta Precision Laboratories in the Edmonton Zone, allowing students to demonstrate competence. Students rotate through clinical laboratories in biochemistry, hematology, histotechnology, microbiology, and transfusion science. Successful completion of competencies in all five disciplines is required to write the CSMLS general certification examination. In year four, students complete advanced electives in the laboratory disciplines and further hone their critical analysis and research skills.

Technologists with general certification from the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) may pursue degree completion on a full or part time basis. See BSc in Medical Laboratory Science Post-Professional Certification Degree Completion

 Five Disciplines of Medical Laboratory Science 
Clinical Microbiology
Culturing and identifying micro-organisms that cause disease
Progresses from identifying organisms to methods of treating and controlling infection
Example: determining the antibiotic of choice in a urinary tract infection
Histotechnology
Facilitates the examination of surgically removed body tissues by preparing those tissues for microscope examination by a pathologist
Transfusion Science
Involves testing donor blood to:
  • determine its suitability for use in transfusion
  • determine blood groups
  • perform pre-transfusion testing
  • investigate related medical disorders
Example: the blood group incompatibilities that sometimes occur between a mother and newborn
Clinical Biochemistry
Chemical analysis of blood and other fluids
Examples: A diabetic's glucose level, a lipid profile in a hypertensive patient or drug levels in treated patients
Hematology
  • The study of blood cells and their formation in health and disease
  • The investigation of coagulation factors and disorders
Example: Aiding in the diagnosis of a teenager with iron deficiency anemia, a toddler with acute leukemia and a coagulation disorder such as classical hemophilia