Admission Criteria
Admission Requirements
Students should complete all prerequisite coursework prior to entrance into the program.
Preference is given to students who have completed all prerequisite coursework.
Completion of Core Curriculum/General education requirements is required. Please see meet with advisor for questions about Core requirements. You may also visit the Core Curriculum page and the Graduation Road Map for MLS for suggested sequence of courses required for Core Curriculum completion.
| General Biology I (lecture and lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Anatomy and Physiology I (lecture and lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Anatomy and Physiology II (lecture and lab) | 4 credit hours |
| General Chemistry I (lecture and lab) | 4 credit hours |
| General Chemistry II (lecture and lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Organic Chemistry I (lecture and lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Statistics | 3 or 4 credit hours |
| CLSC 2429: Clinical Microbiology in Health Care (lecture and lab) | 4 hours |
| Note* Substitutions for prerequisites can be allowed if student took upper-level biology or chemistry courses. Approval is based on case-by-case basis and must be discussed with program director. | |
Other Requirements:
Successful completion of a criminal background check is required for full admission into the Medical laboratory science program. Proof of required immunizations or proof of immunity including measles, mumps, tetanus/diphtheria, rubella, and the hepatitis B vaccine are required.
Note:
Applicants who plan to utilize coursework more than seven years old in the areas of general chemistry or the biological sciences will be required to demonstrate an up-to-date knowledge in these areas. This may be accomplished by completion of at least one formal course in chemistry and one formal course in the biological sciences within the last five years with a grade of at least a C or one year of relevant experience in the field of Medical laboratory science within the last five years.
Application Procedures
The program starts in the fall semester of each year. In order to be considered for admission during the normal admissions cycle, completed applications are due by May 15. Applications received after May 15 will be considered on a space available basis only.
A completed program application must have the following:
- MLS program application (the file is a pdf file and you will need a pdf document reader to view and print the file)
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- A minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation; two must be from college instructors or former employers. Please contact the MLS department office for a copy of the recommendation form at 956-665-5269.
A separate application for admission and official transcripts must be submitted to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Office of Admissions for all students not currently attending the University.
Admission is on a competitive basis and students will be accepted in rank order after evaluation of the overall GPA, science GPA and letters of recommendation. An admission interview is also required, but this is used to make sure that students understand the policies and requirements of the program. In no case will students with less than an overall GPA of 2.0 and a science GPA of 2.0 be considered for admission. The capacity of the professional phase of the program is limited by Medical site availability. Typical enrollment is 24-26 full-time students per year and most students have a G.P.A. of 2.5 or better
A student's application will not be considered if his/her file is incomplete. Applicants are personally responsible for insuring that the items requested above are delivered by May 15 to:
Program Director, Medical Laboratory Science E-HABW 2.206
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
College of Health Professions
1201 W. University Dr.
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
Alternate Admission Pathways
A student who does not wish to receive a degree from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley but who wishes to attend the professional portion of the curriculum must meet one of the following requirements:- International students, who already possess a foreign baccalaureate degree and seek entrance into the Medical Laboratory Science Program for certification purposes only, must meet all admission requirements of the University and must have their transcript evaluated by agencies acceptable to the National Certification Agencies and the University. This evaluation must show that their degree is equivalent to a baccalaureate in the United States with appropriate coursework in biology, chemistry and math.