School of Health Professions > Clinical Laboratory Sciences > Bachelor's in CLS > Eligibility and Requirements > Prerequisites
This program requires two years of preparatory college study (57 hours minimum) and two years of professional course work in clinical laboratory science. Interested students should contact the department at KU Medical Center for advising as early as possible in their college careers (advising is also available in the Undergraduate Advising Center in Strong Hall on the Lawrence campus).
Applications are available online. The program begins each fall semester. Applications should be submitted by December 15 of the year before the anticipated start date. Also required: complete college transcript(s) and three letters of recommendation, two of which should be from college basic science instructors.
An applicant to the program must have completed the required college preparatory course work, with a minimum grade of C in each prerequisite course, before entering the program in the fall. The student must have earned a 2.70 GPA overall and in the following courses: chemistry, biology, and math.
International students, or those for whom English is a second language, may have additional requirements relative to language proficiency, residency, and citizenship status. See: information for international students
Good physical and mental health is essential. Minor physical handicaps are not considered deterrents to admission. Physical examinations are required before registration in CLS course work. The admissions committee requires a personal interview with the applicant.
A background check and documentation of shadow experience is also required. Prospective students should review the program requirements, including prerequisite course work, and complete list of eligibility requirements.
| English (6) | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Critical Reading and Writing | 3 |
| or BUS 305 | Business Writing | |
| Mathematics (6-8) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-5 | |
| MATH 101 | College Algebra | |
| MATH 104 | Precalculus Mathematics | |
| MATH 115 | Calculus I | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| MATH 365 | Elementary Statistics | |
| BIOL 570 | Introduction to Biostatistics | |
| PSYC 210 | Statistics in Psychological Research | |
| Biology (11-12) | ||
| BIOL 150 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 350 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| BIOL 246 | Principles of Human Physiology | |
| BIOL 544 | Comparative Animal Physiology | |
| BIOL 546 | Mammalian Physiology | |
| Microbiology (5) | ||
| BIOL 400 | Fundamentals of Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 402 | Fundamentals of Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| Chemistry (15) | ||
| CHEM 130 | General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 135 | General Chemistry II | 5 |
| CHEM 310 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| or CHEM 330 | Organic Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 2 |
| Communication Studies (3) | ||
| Communication course (one course that fulfills KU Core Goal 2.2) | 3 | |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences (6) | ||
| Humanities elective (one course that meets KU Core Goal 3H) | 3 | |
| Social sciences elective (one course that meets KU Core Goal 3S) | 3 | |
| Electives (6) | ||
| Elective course that meets KU Core Goal 4.1 | 3 | |
| Elective course that meets KU Core Goal 4.2 | 3 | |
| Recommended Elective (1) | ||
| CLS 210 | Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Sciences (recommended) | 1 |
The following courses are included during the first year (junior year) of the professional program. Students with previous credit for these courses or equivalents do not need to enroll in them if they earned a C or better in the course:
| BIOL 503 | Immunology | 3 |
| or CLS 538 | Immunology | |
| BIOL 600 | Introductory Biochemistry, Lectures (or equivalent) | 3 |
| or CLS 600 | Introductory Biochemistry | |
IMPORTANT NOTE: The prerequisite courses below require a letter grade and will not be accepted if scored as “credit/no credit" or “satisfactory/ unsatisfactory” or as “pass/fail”:
KU Core Requirements
All incoming KU freshmen are required to fulfill the KU Core requirements. The purpose of the KU Core is to establish a University-wide general curriculum for all baccalaureate degrees that meets six primary educational goals. The curriculum provided here has been updated to meet the KU Core requirements for fall 2016.
Prospective Students
The priority deadline to apply to this program is December 15. Applications may be accepted after the deadline based on space available in the next class.
Learn about this program:
Program overview
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Tuition and fees
Curriculum
KU Core courses 
How to apply
Clinical affiliate sites
FAQ
For advising on the KU Lawrence campus, please contact Robin Merritt at the KU Undergraduate Advising Center or visit third floor Summerfield Hall.
Students from other institutions: please provide your information online to schedule an advising session.