Andrews University Receives NAACLS Accreditation

The Medical Laboratory Sciences program successfully completes NAACLS processes

The Andrews University Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Clinical Year program has successfully been reaccredited by NAACLS. (Photo by Darren Heslop, University Communication staff photographer)

The Andrews University Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Clinical Year program, offered by the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, has successfully been 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 healthcare professions.

The Andrews University program for Medical Laboratory Science is a 3+1 program comprised of three years of undergraduate (pre-clinical) studies plus one clinical year (three semesters). The clinical year portion of the MLS program received 10 years of continuing 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.

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 laboratories in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Washington D.C.

“Receiving NAACLS reaccreditation means public recognition for meeting the nationally established standards of MLS educational quality,” says Karen Reiner, chair, program director & 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 sustained commitment to ongoing self-assessment and excellence in MLS education.”

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.

The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) is located at 5600 North River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, Illinois 60018-5119.