Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Program
Clinical lab scientists are highly skilled members of the medical team. They perform and supervise complex, often automated analyses on a variety of specimens to aid physicians in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. They traditionally work in hospital and clinics; however, the variety of lab skills which CLS graduates possess allows them to work in many other related fields. The clinical year is offered in partnership with Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Kennewick General Hospital, Lourdes Medical Center, and Tri-Cities Laboratory. All labs are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and have highly educated and skilled lab staff and state-of-the-art technology. The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). 8410 West Bryn Mawr Ave. Suite 670, Chicago, IL 60631-3415 (773) 714-8880 www.naacls.org.
Admission is competitive and application deadline is March 1st prior to the start of the clinical year. Application forms can be obtained from the program advisor on the Heritage campus or by contacting the program itself at 3240 Fort Road, Toppenish, WA (509) 865-8526 or email at cls@heritage.edu.
To qualify for acceptance into the CLS Program, students must have taken a minimum of 16 semester hours of chemistry. This must include a year of general chemistry and a course in organic chemistry and/or biochemistry. They must have completed a minimum of 16 semester hours of biological science. The biology courses must include general biology and a course in bacteriology (microbiology). Immunology is required either as a separate course or as part of another course. A minimum of one course in college level mathematics is required. The minimum overall GPA for acceptance is 2.5 (a science GPA of 2.7 or higher is highly recommended).
The clinical year begins in the fall semester, continues spring and summer semesters with 36 credits earned. To remain in good standing, students must maintain a minimum grade of 70% in each section. Upon completion of the Heritage program, graduates are eligible to take the national certification exam and can choose from many job opportunities.
Three options are offered for students interested in a career in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) / Medical Technology.
- 4 + 1 = Four years of undergraduate studies and one additional year of study in the clinical laboratory. This option is for students who may not have chosen this major until later in their college career or for students who want to be well grounded in the sciences.
- 3 + 1 = Three years of undergraduate studies and one year of study in the clinical lab. This option is for students who know early in their career they want to be a clinical lab scientist and direct their course of studies to the basic requirements.
- Professional Certificate Program. This option is for students who enter the clinical year with a bachelor’s degree from another university, have all the pre-requisite courses, and desire a certificate of completion.
A memorandum of understanding between Columbia Basin College and Heritage University allows students completing the transfer curriculum of the Environmental Restoration Management Technology (ERMT) associate degree at Columbia Basin College to enter the program for the Bachelor of Science at the junior level. Please contact the Arts and Sciences Department Chair for further information.
Transfer agreements between Heritage University and Seattle University and Heritage University and Washington State University allow a student to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Engineering after the completion of a 2/2 or a 2/3 year program. See the science advisor for information.
Internship experiences are available to students as part of most departmental degree programs. A maximum of 12 credits of internship may be applied as credit for graduation.