“I think the hardest part about being a tech is handling when things don’t go as planned and that’s what this program prepares you for; the things you’re not expecting.”
– Dan Shepeck, Current Laboratory Medicine (MLT-MLS) Student, Escanaba, Michigan
NMU’s Online MLT to MLS Degree Completion Program
Northern Michigan University’s laboratory medicine (MLT-MLS) online bachelor’s completion degree is an extraordinary opportunity for working laboratory technicians to continue their education while working full-time. In recent months, the coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the necessity for building up well-trained laboratory professionals, and NMU’s School of Clinical Laboratory Science is ready to meet the demand.
Shepeck reflects, “This program expands your knowledge of how widely you need to be able to apply what you’re taught in the associate degree. In my molecular diagnostics class, I’m learned about PCR and FISH testing – things we had very briefly talked about in the first two years, but now we’re getting into a lot more detail and that helps a lot. These tests are only becoming more and more common even in smaller labs.”
All lectures are delivered in an online format and integrate problem-solving development within advanced clinical content. Qualified students are exempt from the clinical internship*. “The program is designed to be flexible and accommodates the work schedule of a busy MLT. “Our online asynchronous learning environment affords the student the luxury and the convenience to choose when to tackle the classwork, assignments, and tests,” says Martin Renaldi, program director and instructor.
Graduates of this NAACLS accredited program are equipped with tools to provide diagnostic data and the information necessary to support health care, ensure quality control, facilitate product development and resolve problems. Professional knowledge, clinical experience, and a proven track record of graduate success is augmented nicely by the personal attention and high degree of instructor accessibility students receive in an atmosphere where class size is ideal and conducive to a higher degree of learning.
For those looking for an opportunity beyond the bachelor’s degree, NMU offers an online Master of Science degree in clinical molecular genetics in which students can choose one of three tracts in which to specialize: education, infectious disease, and human genetic diseases.
Laboratory technicians interested in pursuing their MLS degree online should contact the NMU Global Campus for more information: (906) 227-1200 or online@nmu.edu. Northern has a rolling admission policy and offers in-state tuition rates for non-Michigan residents that are studying 100% online.
*Please refer to the program admission requirements. If supporting documentation from employer(s) confirms two years full-time medical laboratory technician experience within the last four years including: blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and urinalysis/body fluids, practicum requirements will be considered “complete” and students will be exempt.
