Academic Requirements

MLS Academic Requirements for Entry

*Requirements for MLS Certificate, BS Degree, and MMLS Degree only

Criteria for Admission

Primary Factors Considered for Admission: 

  • Minimum GPA Requirements
  • Minimum prerequisite course requirements *see year/program specifics below
  • Number of repeated courses
  • Number of course withdrawals 

Secondary Factors Considered for Admission

Individual circumstances such as those listed below are also part of the overall assessment of each application and may factor into individual decisions. 

  • Work experience in medical or other laboratory setting
  • Rigor of your academic record
  • Number of semesters with full time enrollment including science laboratory courses
  • Military service
  • Knowledge of MLS profession

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Basic Admission Requirements BS Degree

  • 26 transferrable credits, complete/ in progress at time of application
  • 2.75 gpa, cumulative and prerequisite courses

Pre-requisite coursework

  • CHEM 1061 and CHEM 1065 / 1081 and 1065 or equivalent- Chemical Principles I with Laboratory (4) -completed with grade at time of application
  • CHEM 1062 and CHEM 1066/ 1082 and 1086 or equivalent- Chemistry Principles II with Laboratory (4) - **can be complete or in progress for spring semester
  • Plus ONE of the following completed at the time of application
    • BIOL 1009 - General Biology (4) or BIOL 1951 (4)
    • MATH 1142 - Short Calculus (3) OR MATH 1271 - Calculus I (4)
    • STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4) OR ESPY 3264 - Basic and Applied Statistics (3)

* grade of C- or higher is required for all prerequisites.  Please see the Transfer Guides below for course equivalencies from other institutions. 

Students who are not ready for admission are encouraged to keep progressing with MLS prerequisites and liberal education requirements and apply for the next admission cycle. Review the UMN Liberal Education requirements. All Liberal Education requirements must be completed before beginning the Professional year (year 4) of the program.

Pre-Professional Admission Requirements

The program accepts applications from students beyond the basic admission requirements up to the professional program year. Please note that seats will be more limited the closer students get to the professional program year. Students transferring after the Basic Admission year should have as many prerequisites completed as possible to stay on track for timely graduation and should have a plan B in case they are not admitted.

  • 26 transferrable credits, complete/ in progress at time of application
  • 2.75 gpa, cumulative and prerequisite courses

Prerequisite coursework

Chemistry: 14 credits

  • CHEM 1061 and CHEM 1065 / 1081 and 1065 or equivalent- Chemical Principles I with Laboratory (4) 
  • CHEM 1062 and CHEM 1066/ 1082 and 1086 or equivalent- Chemistry Principles II with Laboratory (4) 
  • Chem 2301 or equivalent - Organic Chemistry I (lab not required) 
  • Chem 2302 or equivalent - Organic Chemistry II (lab not required)

Biology: 8 credits

  • BIOL 1009 - General Biology (4) or BIOL 1951 (4)
  • PHSL 3051 - Human Physiology (4)

Mathematics: 3-4 credits

  • MATH 1142 - Short Calculus (4) OR
  • MATH 1271 - Calculus I (4)

Statistics: 3-4 credits

  • STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4) OR
  • ESPY 3264 - Basic and Applied Statistics (3)

Additional prerequisite:

  • MLSP 2022: Cracking the Code (3) *can be taken after admission but must be completed prior to Professional year courses

* grade of C- or higher is required for all prerequisites.  Please see the Transfer Guides below for course equivalencies from other institutions. 

Review the UMN Liberal Education requirements. All Liberal Education requirements must be completed before beginning the Professional year (year 4) of the program.

Professional Year Admission Requirements

  • GPA:  2.75; 3.0 preferred, cumulative and prerequisite coursework
  • All Liberal Education requirements must be completed before beginning Year 4 of the program. Review the UMN Liberal Education requirements. 

Prerequisite coursework
Biology: 8 credits

  • BIOL 1009 - General Biology (4) or BIOL 1951 (4)
  • PHSL 3051 - Human Physiology (4)

Mathematics: 3-4 credits

  • MATH 1142 - Short Calculus (4) OR
  • MATH 1271 - Calculus I (4)

Statistics: 3-4 credits

  • STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4) OR
  • ESPY 3264 - Basic and Applied Statistics (3)

Chemistry: 14 credits

  • CHEM 1061 and CHEM 1065/ 1081 and 1065 - Chemical Principles I with Laboratory (4)
  • CHEM 1062 and CHEM 1066/ 1082 and 1086 - Chemistry Principles II with Laboratory (4)
  • CHEM 2301 or 2081 - Organic Chemistry I (3) 
  • CHEM 2302 or 2081 - Organic Chemistry II (3)

Other prerequisites:

  • VBS 2032 OR MICB 3301 – Microbiology with laboratory (5)
  • GCD 3022 OR BIOL 4003 – Genetics (3)
  • BIOC 3021 – Biochemistry (3)
  • MLSP 2022 - Cracking the Code (3) *UMTC applicants only

A grade of C- or higher is required in all prerequisites. 

Please see the Transfer Guides below for course equivalencies from other institutions.  

Certificate/Affiliate/ MMLS Admission Requirements

  • BA/BS required (except for affiliate students earning their degree from their home campus while they pursue the certificate from UMTC
  • Certificate/ Affiliate GPA- 2.75; 3.0 preferred, cumulative and prerequisite course gpa
  • MMLS GPA- 3.0; 3.2 preferred, cumulative and prerequisite course gpa

Biology: 8 credits

  • BIOL 1009 - General Biology (4)
  • PHSL 3051 - Human Physiology (4)

Mathematics: 3-4 credits

  • MATH 1142 - Short Calculus (3) OR
  • MATH 1271 - Calculus I (4)

Statistics: 3-4 credits

  • STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4) OR
  • ESPY 3264 - Basic and Applied Statistics (3)

Chemistry: 14 credits

  • CHEM 1061 and CHEM 1065/ 1081 and 1065 - Chemical Principles I with Laboratory (4)
  • CHEM 1062 and CHEM 1066/ 1082 and 1086 - Chemistry Principles II with Laboratory (4)
  • CHEM 2301 or 2081- Organic Chemistry I (3)
  • CHEM 2302 or 2081- Organic Chemistry II (3)

Foundation prerequisites:

  • VBS 2032 OR MICB 3301 – Microbiology with laboratory (5)
  • GCD 3022 OR BIOL 4003 – Genetics (3)
  • BIOC 3021 – Biochemistry (3)

*grade of C- or higher required. Please see the Transfer Guides for course equivalencies from other institutions.

MLS Minor Declaration

Declaration form link.

Deadline

Spring 2025 
To register for Spring 2025 please reach out to mlsadvising@umn.edu
 
Fall 2025
Preferred deadline, August 1, 2025

Transfer Guides

Many prospective students come to the MLS program from colleges and universities in and around the state of Minnesota. To assist those students in preparing for admission, transfer guides have been developed for a number of institutions. These transfer guides list course requirements and their equivalent courses at your college or university. Please use these transfer guides to help you select the courses that will meet the program’s prerequisite course requirements.

If your institution is not listed, or the transfer guide for your school(s) does not list the courses you have taken, please send the following information to mlsinfo@umn.edu for review:

  • Name of Institution where course was completed
  • Course Number and Name
  • Number of credit hours
  • Year and semester taken
  • Course description(s)
  • Syllabi (if available)

We are currently in the process of evaluating and updating our current transfer guides. Please see below for our current selection of transfer guides. 

Please click on the links below to access the transfer guides:

COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes to Prerequisite Grade Requirements

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MLS program will accept S/N grades for non-MLSP prerequisite courses for the follow semesters: Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021. However, to be a more competitive applicant, completing prerequisite courses on an A-F grading scale is preferred. If applicants have questions regarding the grade requirements, contact mlsinfo@umn.edu.

Suggested Plans of Study

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Suggested Plans of Study for the BS degree and Certificate

This sample Plan of Study for the BS in MLS at the University of Minnesota is based strictly on courses necessary to prepare for the Professional (4) year in the MLS program without regard to individual student issues and is intended as a guide for the student’s academic plan.

Notes for the BS Degree and Certificate:

  • The Liberal Education requirements chosen in this sample schedule were selected to fulfill requirements and credit load per semester.
  • Students may choose any courses that fulfill the Liberal Education requirements for a University of Minnesota undergraduate degree.
  • All science and Liberal Education courses must be completed no later than spring of Year 3.
  • Due to the intensity of the MLS curriculum schedule, students are not allowed to enroll in any non-MLSP during Year 4.
  • No part-time enrollment option is currently available for the Professional (Year 4) of the MLS Program.

Suggested Plan of Study for the MMLS Professional Masters Degree

Notes for the MMLS Professional Masters Degree:

  • Liberal Education courses are waived due to the previous degree.
  • All science and foundation courses must be completed prior to entering the professional year of the program.
  • Due to the intensity of the MLS curriculum schedule, students are not allowed to enroll in any non-MLSP during the program.
  • A part-time enrollment option is available after consultation with the faculty advisor.
  • International Applicants: the MMLS Professional Masters Degree has been approved to accept international students on an F1 visa. Applicants with other visa types should contact mlsinfo@umn.edu for further information on admission eligibility.

Suggested Plans of Study for the MLS Minor

MLS Minor Plan of study

  • The Minor in MLS is only available for current University of Minnesota students
  • The Minor program’s prerequisites of Biochemistry and Physiology do not have to be completed at the time of declaration. If you plan on completing either class this Spring please reach out to the MLS advisor
  • Students must meet all course prerequisite requirements for each of the courses listed in the program plan guide
  • Students are required to complete 12 credits from the program plan, with at least 9 credits being upper division courses
  • Students are encouraged to create a progression plan after declaring the minor

View the suggested plan of study for the MLS Minor (PDF)

Pre-health professional

  • If your future plans include becoming a physician, physician assistant, or other healthcare professional, you will likely be dealing with laboratory test results as you treat patients. A minor in medical laboratory science will help you interpret laboratory results and teach you the limitations of laboratory values

View the MLS suggested plan of study for Pre-Health (PDF)

Microbiology

  • If you are a microbiology major and would like to work in a hospital microbiology laboratory or public health laboratory, the Medical Laboratory Science’s microbiology sequence will provide you with the information you need to pass the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s microbiology categorical certification exam

View the MLS suggested plan of study for Microbiology (PDF)