Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants should be within 1-2 semesters of completing pre-requisite coursework and the baccalaureate degree before making application to CCMLS. Courses in progress can be listed on the online application and will be counted toward meeting pre-requisite coursework if completed prior to enrollment. The following pre-requisite coursework is necessary before enrolling:

• 16 semester hours of biology including 3 courses with laboratory; one course should be a 200/2000 or higher microbiology with laboratory taken at a 4-year university (general microbiology, pathogenic microbiology or medical microbiology), and two others must be at the 300/3000 level with laboratory; pathogenic or medical microbiology is strongly recommended but not required.
• a course in immunology or immunology content in another major course is acceptable with submission of course syllabus.
• 16 semester hours of chemistry including 3 courses with laboratory; one course should be a 200/2000 or higher biochemistry or organic chemistry course with laboratory; analytical chemistry is strongly recommended but not required.
• one college level math course; statistics is strongly recommended but not required.

All coursework must qualify toward degrees in either chemistry or biological science. Survey courses for non-science majors are not acceptable. All courses in progress must be successfully completed (grade of C or above) prior to enrollment.

No, but all applicants must complete the required pre-requisite coursework  (see Minimum Application Requirements document).  Most applicants have degrees in biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or chemistry and many clinical laboratory employers require that supervisors and managers have degrees in the sciences in order to hold positions at the management level. Occasionally, we receive an application from a student with a degree in another discipline who has completed the pre-requisite coursework for consideration for admission.

Applicants must update coursework by taking one upper division chemistry course with laboratory and one upper division microbiology course with laboratory at an accredited four year college/university, if previous coursework was completed more than 7 years prior to enrollment. The update courses must qualify toward a degree in either chemistry or biological science.

Because the focus of professional practice is laboratory science, taking laboratory coursework is a way for applicants to demonstrate strength in the pre-requisite curriculum. It is recommended that applicants take as many laboratory courses as possible in their undergraduate curriculum.  A minimum of 3 chemistry courses with laboratory and 3 biology courses with laboratory are required (see previous FAQ). Applicants who have been out of college for seven (7) years or more must also take one 300/3000 or higher chemistry course with laboratory and one 300/3000 or higher microbiology course with laboratory as update coursework completed at an accredited four year college or university (see Minimum Application Requirements document).

The Colorado Center for Medical Laboratory Science does not offer formal on-site advising sessions. The Minimum Application Requirements document serves as a self-evaluation checklist for interested applicants to determine their minimum eligibility for admission consideration. Queries regarding advising by e-mail or phone should occur after applicants have completed the self-evaluation checklist.  When eligible applicants come for their formal interview, they have an opportunity to tour our student lecture/laboratory facilities.

Making application is a 2 step process:   1) submission of required documentation by the applicant, and   2) invitation for formal interview by the Admission Committee.   Applicants should review the Minimum Application Requirements before submitting documentation for application. Only the top eligible applicants – from those who meet the minimum application requirements and have submitted all the required application materials – will be invited for an interview.  The application process is competitive. There are more applicants than class positions; application does not guarantee admission. The Admission Committee advises applicants to apply early and to give close consideration to the admission requirements.

• Colorado State University – Ft. Collins
• Colorado State University – Pueblo
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Montana State University
• North Dakota State University
• University of Montana
• University of Northern Colorado

The Center also admits baccalaureate degreed students from other colleges and universities.

As of January 2024, CCMLS is not offering a full on-line curriculum. The Center is currently working with innovative curriculum components.

Applicants who have completed course work in another NAACLS accredited MLS program and those with previous clinical laboratory experience may be eligible for advanced placement and/or experiential learning credit as determined by course faculty. Those interested in such eligibility may request Policy 2.87:  Advanced Placement and Experiential Learning Credit.

CCMLS maintains a written record of the previous education and training of any veteran or eligible person and clearly indicates that appropriate credit has been granted for previous education and training, with the training period shortened proportionately, and the veteran or eligible person and the Department of Veterans Affairs so notified.

In the summer and fall semesters students enroll in lecture and laboratory courses.  These are held in the program classroom and student laboratory facilities. Lecture and student laboratory courses are preparatory for clinical coursework which occurs during the spring semester. Students are assigned to clinical rotation experiences in one of our partner clinical affiliate laboratories. During clinical coursework the knowledge and techniques learned during classroom courses are further developed in preparation for entering the workplace upon graduation.

Professional conduct in addition to academic and technical performance are an integral component of the professional curriculum offered by CCMLS. Students enrolled in the program must meet standards of professional behavior in order to progress in the program and assume career responsibilities upon graduation. Those interested in policies related to professional conduct may request Policy 2.0:  MSU Denver Student Code of Conduct and Policy 2.83:  Standards of Professional Behavior.

CCMLS does not take a position regarding student work or employment. Faculty will counsel students if academic performance falls below acceptable levels in the professional curriculum and students are expected to make whatever personal changes are necessary to succeed in their coursework. The spring semester of the curriculum consists of clinical coursework. Students are assigned to clinical partner sites for these experiences. CCMLS does have a policy regarding clinical coursework that states that students must not substitute for paid employees during clinical rotation experiences, that their laboratory service work during these experiences must always be supervised by individuals who are designated to perform service work as well as supervise students and are in the employment of the clinical facility. Those interested in the CCMLS student service work policy may request Policy 3.42:  Performance of Testing Procedures in Clinical Rotations.

There is no application deadline. Applications are accepted year round. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply one year prior to the June start date.

Information on the following types of financial aid is made available to admitted students:

• Private Loans
• National Scholarships and Grant opportunities as available
• Hospital Tuition Support as available.
• VA Educational Benefits

MSU Denver – CCMLS complies with Section 103 of Public Law 115-407, the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, amended 3679 subsection € of title 38, United States Code, by providing protections against late fee charges and allowing access to classroom and other institutional facilities for any covered individual using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G. I. Bill^â (Chapter 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Chapter 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA.  The covered individual must provide the school with a COE or statement of benefit.  Protection ends when VA makes payment or 90 days after the date the school certified tuition and fees, whichever is earlier.

The MLS curriculum is very specialized. Science courses taken at a university are required prerequisite courses and do not substitute for courses in the professional curriculum. All applicants must meet all ‘Minimum Application Requirements’ or coursework must be in progress at the time of application. The Center does not make exceptions or allow substitutions for required pre-requisite coursework. Because the CCMLS medical laboratory science program is post-BS, applicants must hold a BS or BA degree when they start the program. Individuals interested in transferring to MSU Denver as an undergraduate should contact an advisor in the biology department who is familiar with CCMLS requirements.

Classes begin in early June and students complete the program the following June.  During the Summer and Fall Semesters, students are in lecture and laboratory classes Monday through Friday for 7-8 hours per day; most class days begin at 8:00 or 9:00am and finish at 4:00pm.  During the Spring Semester, students enroll in five 4-week clinical courses which run from January through May.  Clinical courses take place in one of our community partner laboratories; clinical rotation assignments are Monday through Friday, starting between 6:00 and 8:00am and continuing for an 8.5 hour block depending on the course assignment. See Academic Calendar.

MSU Denver and CCMLS provides students with advising and guidance in the following areas:  financial aid, academic and professional performance and progression in the program, professional and career guidance, as well as student support in a wide variety of areas through the MSU Denver counseling center and Roadways, students with disabilities through the MSU Denver Access Center. Those interested in policies related to advising and guidance, student grievances, and criteria for program completion may request Policy 2.841:  Standards of Professional Achievement, Policy 2.85:  Counseling, Advising and Guidance, and/or Policy 2.86:  Student Complaint and Appeal Procedure.

It is the goal and responsibility of the program and its faculty and officials to assure that each student admitted to the program will be assigned to clinical coursework within one of CCMLS’ clinical partner labs. The program was able to successfully address the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in temporary suspension of clinical rotations for health science students across the nation. CCMLS is proud of its record in supporting student completion and was able to work with its 2020 spring graduating class to minimize delays in assignments. Those interested in the CCMLS clinical assignment policies may request Policies 3.4 and 3.401:  Clinical Assignments I and II.

In the Denver-metro area, the average-starting salary for clinical laboratory scientists is approximately $46,000-56,000 depending upon the facility and the shift worked. Some graduates receive sign-on bonuses. In this geographic area, staff technologists with experience can earn up to $70,000. The salaries of supervisors and managers range from $60,000 to $90,000 depending on the size of the facility they manage and the level of responsibility of the manager.  The American Society for Clinical Pathology, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publish national statistics on salaries for the nation’s medical laboratory scientists.

Because there is a serious shortage of MLS professionals, there are many job opportunities in the state of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Most CCMLS graduates have multiple job offers by graduation. Students make employment contacts through the Center’s clinical affiliates and during clinical rotation experiences.

The Medical Laboratory Scientist works in hospital laboratories performing diagnostic laboratory testing in Hematology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Immunohematology (Blood Bank), and Molecular Diagnostics. Laboratory procedures provide physicians and other clinical staff with accurate, reliable data necessary for medical diagnosis. Certified MLS professionals are also employed in reference laboratories, physician offices, research facilities, clinics, public health facilities, business, education, and industry.

The need for certified laboratorians is great throughout Colorado and the United States. There are more MLS jobs than educated practitioners to fill these positions.