Andrews University Receives Key Clinical Lab Accreditation

The Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Clinical Year program at Andrews University has been successfully reaccredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the NAACLS is a premier international agency for accreditation and approval of education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences and related health-care professions.

The Andrews University program for Medical Laboratory Science, offered by the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, is a 3+1 program composed of three years of undergraduate pre-clinical studies and one clinical year (three semesters). 

The clinical year portion of the MLS program received 10 years of continuous accreditation from NAACLS, the maximum number of years that can be awarded for continuing accreditation of an MLS program. The report presented by the accreditation team stated that all standards were met and there were no areas of concern.

“Receiving NAACLS reaccreditation means public recognition for meeting the nationally established standards of MLS educational quality,” said Karen Reiner, chair, program director and clinical coordinator for the Andrews University Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. “Being NAACLS accredited says that graduates from the Andrews University MLS program meet the educational standards deemed necessary for successful entry into the MLS profession. Receiving the maximum reaccreditation award means that the program has demonstrated a sustained commitment to ongoing self-assessment and excellence in MLS education.”

MLS majors apply for admission into the clinical year program during the fall semester of their junior year. Students who are admitted take on-campus coursework that combines a rigorous competency-based science curriculum with community-sponsored clinical training.

Upon successful completion of the on-campus coursework, students are assigned to one or more of the program-affiliated laboratories to complete their clinical practicum. During the 16-week clinical training period, students spend 40 hours per week applying knowledge and skills to perform a wide variety of testing in an accredited medical laboratory and develop further discipline-specific competency under the supervision of clinical instructors. 

Currently, the MLS department maintains affiliations with accredited U.S. laboratories in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington D.C.

Students who graduate from this program are then eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Medical Laboratory Scientist national board certification examination and to pursue career opportunities in various laboratory settings including, but not limited to, hospital laboratories, clinics, forensic laboratories, veterinary clinics, cytogenetics, biotechnology, and histology.

Founded in 1874, Andrews University offers more than 200 areas of study, including advanced degrees. Its main campus is in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States, and the school also provides instruction at colleges and universities in more than 19 countries around the world.