With coronavirus still dominating the headlines and affecting daily life across the country, Neumann University is launching a master’s degree program in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) to train students to identify infectious diseases and prevent their spread. 

The graduate program, which will begin in January 2021, provides instruction in infectious disease processes, surveillance, and epidemiologic investigation.

It also offers advanced course work in infection prevention. The 40-credit program can be completed in two years or less in an online, in-person, or hybrid format.

“Clinical laboratory scientists play a vital role in patient care while making use of leading-edge technology,” says Dr. Sandra Weiss, director of Neumann’s undergraduate and graduate CLS programs. “In fact, 70 percent of all physician decisions are based on laboratory test results provided by clinical laboratory scientists – experts who perform highly complex testing, such as the tests for COVID-19.”

According to Weiss, there is a critical shortage in the field due to the rising importance of technology in making health care decisions.

“Graduates of Neumann’s undergraduate Biology/CLS program often receive multiple job offers prior to graduation,” she notes.

The master’s degree program integrates clinical experience into its course offerings and teaches the application of scientific principles and laboratory management in the clinical setting.

Courses also emphasize the ethical principles required for professional infection-control conduct.

Graduates are prepared to perform the full range of clinical laboratory tests in areas such as hematology, clinical chemistry, immunohematology, microbiology, serology/immunology, coagulation, analytical tests of body fluids, and other emerging diagnostics with accuracy. They are trained to verify and execute quality-control procedures.

Employment opportunities for graduates who pass the certification examination for medical laboratory scientists include careers in medical, clinical, and pharmaceutical laboratories, research, forensics, and medicine.

“The MS program is the result of many years of consultations with the university’s CLS Advisory Board and the clinical lab administrators who work with and advise the program,” said Dr. Alfred Mueller, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “With an aging population of lab administrators, the existing need for future administrators will only become more acute over the coming decade.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a seven percent job growth in the field from 2019 to 2029 with 24,700 new positions becoming available across the country.

To learn more, visit www.neumann.edu/MSCLS.