Clinical Laboratory Science Program

Sponsored by California State University, Los Angeles

The program is post-baccalaureate training which prepares graduates for positions as
Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS). The 52 week long program is approved by the
California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services. We are accredited by
NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences).

The Cal State LA Clinical Laboratory Scientist Certificate Program consists of two
components: a didactic component and a clinical practical training component. The
lecture courses required for this program are offered through the College of Professional
and Global Education to students accepted into the program.

The mission of the program is to prepare laboratory professionals with the technical,
critical thinking, and management skills that will allow them to function at the highest
level in the clinical laboratory, assume leadership roles in their working environment, and
become leaders in their profession. In addition, we strive to instill in our trainees a love
of continuous learning in and beyond their discipline.

As a licensed CLS, graduates:

• Can perform the full spectrum of diagnostic tests in all departments of a
clinical laboratory
Training Program Goals
• Will provide information that can assist with the prevention, diagnosis,
treatment and management of disease
• Can calibrate, maintain and test on a variety of laboratory instruments

Career opportunities for Clinical Laboratory Scientist include positions in:

• Hospitals and private clinical labs
• Research facilities, public health, infection control, and compliance
departments
• Biotechnology and specialty laboratories such as blood banks
• Laboratory computer systems

Employment for Clinical Laboratory Scientists has a bright outlook according

to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics O*Net Online, with a projected job
growth much faster than average due to an increased need for laboratory
professionals. Salaries for a CLS start at $60,000 - $80,000 annually in the
Los Angeles area.

Rev. 09/2020
 Prerequisites for Admission to the Program

 A bachelor’s degree (baccalaureate) with specific course requirements, received by May of the year the internship begins.

 16 semester units (24 quarter units) of chemistry that must include clinical chemistry OR analytical chemistry (quantitative
analysis) and biochemistry

 18 semester units (27 quarter units) of biological sciences that must include classes in hematology, immunology, and
medical microbiology.

 3 semester units (4 quarter units) of physics that must include instruction in the principles of light and electricity.

 Prefer at least 4 units of upper division biology laboratory instruction and at least one, and preferably all, of the following
courses: physiology, genetics, biostatistics, and a lab class that includes molecular biology techniques.

 A minimum GPA of 2.75, (overall, science, and last 60 semester units) on a 4-point scale. International students must have
their transcripts evaluated by the IERF credentials evaluation service and their grades must be converted to a 4-point scale
(course by course evaluation).

 Core courses (clinical chemistry OR analytical chemistry (quantitative analysis) and biochemistry, hematology, immunology,
medical microbiology) must have been completed within seven years of the internship.

 For candidates with foreign degrees whose language of instruction was not English, a minimum 90 IBT, 7 IELTS, or 575 PBT
TOEFL score is required. IN ADDITION, an upper division course in hematology (with lab) or medical microbiology (with lab)
taken in the U.S.A. with a grade of B or better IS REQUIRED.

 Three (3) letters of recommendation from upper division/graduate course instructors or work supervisors, with at least two
letters from instructors.

Pending application to Laboratory Field Services


(https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/CLS-Trainee.aspx#) for a Clinical Laboratory Scientist Trainee
License. Final acceptance for admission to program is contingent upon receiving this license.

 Candidates must have U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S. to be admitted to the program.

Successful completion of the program leads to a certificate and makes the graduate eligible to take the ASCP Medical Laboratory
Scientist board exam to become both CA State licensed and nationally certified and enter into a career in laboratory science. During
the program year students spend four days per week at the clinical site laboratory and one day per week at the university in didactic
instruction. Students are enrolled in graduate level classes that may be transferrable to appropriate graduate programs; see list below.

Required Courses (19 units):

MICR 5100 Advanced Studies in Hematology (4 units)
MICR 5200 Advanced Studies in Transfusion Services (3 units)
MICR 5300 Advanced Studies in Clinical Chemistry (6 units)
MICR 5400 Advanced Studies in Medical Microbiology (6 units)

These courses are offered over one 17-week and two 16-week terms. As outlined below, Advanced Studies in Hematology
(10 weeks) and Advanced Studies in Transfusion Services (7 weeks) are offered during the first term, Advanced Studies in Clinical
Chemistry (16 weeks) in the second term, and Advanced Studies in Medical Microbiology (16 weeks) in the third term.
Rev. 09/2020
 (Order of instruction subject to change)

CLS Didactic Curriculum

First Term MICR 5100 and 5200 Second Term MICR 5300 Third Term MICR 5400
Week Topic Topic Topic
Phlebotomy including quality Chemistry methodology / Specimen Collection / Inoculation /
1 assurance / Organization of blood Staining / Media
Laboratory mathematics
and blood forming organs
Structure and function of Normal flora / Gram positive cocci /
QC / QA/ Toxicology
2 erythropoietic tissue/Introduction Gram negative cocci
CA Laboratory Law
to anemias
Hypochromic, microcytic anemias / Gram negative bacilli -
Liver function
3 Macrocytic anemias / Aplastic and Enterobacteriaceae
hypoplastic anemias

Intracorpuscular defects of RBCs / Nonfermenters / Vibrionaceae /

4 Cardiac function
Extracorpuscular defects of RBCs Pasteurellaceae / Other Gram
negative rods

Structure and function of

Body fluid testing / Ions Gram positive rods / Mycobacteria
5 leukopoietic tissue / Nonmalignant
disorders of WBCs

Myeloproliferative, Myelodysplastic Acid base testing / Anaerobes / Spirochaetales /

6 disorders / Leukemias / Lymphomas Carbohydrates Rickettsia / Chlamydia

Primary and secondary Urine chemistry / Renal function Antibiotic susceptibility testing /
7 hemostasis Mycology

Disorders of hemostasis Urine chemistry / Renal function Amoeba / Flagellates / Ciliates /

8 Apicomplexa / Microsporidium

Review for final exam / Genetic testing / Nematodes / Trematodes / Cestodes

9
Case studies Newborn screening

10 Hematology Final Exam Endocrine Testing Molecular Diagnostics / Virology

Relevant principles and applications Emerging and reemerging pathogens /

of immunology – Innate versus adaptive Protein testing / Enzyme testing
11 Serology / Immunology
/ Antigen & Antibody structure and
function/T cells / Complement

12 ABO / Rh system Lipids/Lipoproteins Serology / Immunology

Secretors / Lewis system / Typing/ Therapeutic drug monitoring / Blood, urine, wound, and other body fluid
13 Crossmatch Toxicology cultures

AHG test / RBC antibodies and anti- Tumor markers / Autoimmune testing / Sputum, Throat, urogenital, and GI cultures
14 gens / HDN / Compatibility testing Research methods

Transfusion reactions / Blood Review for final exam / Case Studies Review for final exam / Case studies
15 component therapy / Donors / Quality
control

Laboratory Operations / Education / Clinical Chemistry Final Exam Microbiology Final Exam
16 Management / Review for Final Exam /
Case Studies

17 Transfusion Services Final Exam

Rev. 09/2020
Current Clinical Sites

Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center (Los Angeles)

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles)

Emanate Health: Queen of the Valley (West Covina) and Intercommunity (Covina) campuses; students spend one-half year at
each facility

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital (Valencia)

Keck Hospital of USC (Los Angeles)

Los Angeles County, Department of Health Services facilities: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (Torrance), LAC+USC Medical
Center (Los Angeles), Martin Luther King, Jr Outpatient Center (Los Angeles) and Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (Sylmar)

Methodist Hospital of Southern California (Arcadia)

PIH Hospital (Whittier and Downey)

Quest Diagnostics, Inc. (West Hills and Sacramento)

San Antonio Regional Hospital (Upland)

St. Joseph Hospital (Orange)

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (Glendale)

Students work in close association with the staff at the various sites, with actual patient samples and learn the
procedures in the clinical laboratories. This provides each student with excellent preparation for careers upon
graduation. Our clinical sites frequently hire the graduates that they have trained in this program.

Students are not allowed to or be scheduled to perform pre-testing, testing, and post testing procedures as replacements

Clinical Rotations
Orientation, Safety and Phlebotomy 3 weeks
Hematology and Coagulation 8 weeks
Urinalysis 4 weeks
Pre-transfusion Procedures (Blood Banking) 4 weeks
Chemistry (Routine and Special) 12 weeks
Serology (Immunology) 4 weeks
Microbiology 9 weeks
Parasitology 3 weeks

Miscellaneous Topics and Review 5 weeks

Rev. 09/2020
Application and Admission Procedure
Admission is by application only. Follow the link to the program website for downloadable forms and instructions:
http://www.calstatela.edu/page/clinical-laboratory-scientist-certificate-0.

A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required. Transcripts from all schools attended must be provided along with 3 letters of recommendation
(see forms on website); we prefer 2 of the recommendations be from university professors. A resume and a one or two page letter of
interest in CLS must accompany other application materials.

Applications must be complete and applicants must meet all minimum requirements to be considered for the program. The admission
committee, comprised of the program director, education coordinators and faculty involved in the program, reviews all eligible
applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or handicap. Top applicants are contacted for a
scheduled interview by the selection committee and the education coordinators from the clinical affiliates. A standardized set of
questions is asked of all candidates and ample time is provided for the applicants to ask any questions that they may have.

Student applications are accepted from October 1st of the year preceding the internship until January 15th of the year the internships
begins. Selected students are offered interviews in March. Prior to the interviews, students are asked to rank order their clinical site
preferences. After the interview, clinical sites are asked to rank order the interviewed candidates. The two lists are reconciled and
offers of positions in the program at a specific training site are sent to accepted students shortly after the interview process. Students
offered positions must confirm acceptance via email. Training starts the following August.

Students must be physically capable of completing all aspects of the training program. Accepted students must have the ability
to perform various physical, technical and occupational skills involving vision, mobility, fine-motor skills and have the ability to
communicate effectively in English.

Costs, Student Loans, Work Hours, other Topics

Currently, costs are $675 per unit ($12,825 total) with additional expenses required for liability insurance and proof/provision of
health insurance, various immunizations (Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, varicella) and proof of TB skin testing/clearance. Some
clinical sites have additional requirements such as CPR training, which will also be at the students’ expense. Students are required to
purchase textbooks for personal use (no more than $450). Some training/study materials may be provided by the clinical sites at no
charge. Parking permits will need to be purchased when attending classes at the University (typically $165 per term at Cal State LA).
Single day parking permits may be purchased each day of class for about $6/day.

Participation in the Federal Guaranteed Student Loan program is available; a FAFSA application must be filed by interested students.
Students provide their own housing; accommodations are readily available in the surrounding communities. Meals during the training
day may be available in hospital cafeterias or students may bring meals from home.

Job related illnesses can be treated in the particular facility’s emergency room for a fee. Any absences must be made up at the end
of the training year.

Students are provided with protective garments at each clinical site. Appropriate, neat, street attire with closed-toe shoes are required
in the laboratories.

Because the time commitment required for successful training is great, students must strongly consider how their
non-programmatic obligations may impact their participation.

Clinical hours vary from section to section depending on the laboratory. Typical workdays begin at 7:00 or 7:30 a.m. and end
at 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. Students are not required to work weekends or holidays. Some clinical sites are able to offer supplemental
employment if so desired, but it is NOT required as an integral part of training.

NAACLS Accreditation: Contact information

The CLS program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS). For more information,
you can contact NAACLS directly at: 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018 or by calling (773) 714-8880. You can
also reach them on the web by e-mailing [email protected] or by visiting www.naacls.org.

For more Program information contact:

Gloria Preza, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
323.343.6065
[email protected]

Rev. 09/2020