BGSU Online degree addresses critical healthcare needs through new, flexible medical laboratory science program

MLT to MLS program provides a flexible and convenient pathway to career advancement

By Laren Kowalczyk ‘07

Responding to workforce needs, Bowling Green State University recently developed a new online degree completion program to advance the careers of medical laboratory technicians and address a critical need in healthcare.

The flexible BGSU Online medical laboratory science (MLT to MLS) program provides laboratory technicians with a pathway to earn a bachelor’s degree while continuing to work full time.

According to Jessica Bankey, MLS program coordinator and associate clinical professor, medical laboratory scientists are a crucial component of patient care, with an average of 70% of diagnoses based on laboratory results.

“BGSU recognizes the integral role of medical laboratory scientists in healthcare and is committed to growing the workforce by providing a flexible and convenient option for technicians to advance their careers,” Bankey said.

The BGSU MLT to MLS program, accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), is offered asynchronously in seven-week sessions, allowing students to complete coursework around their schedules.

Classes are taught by the same expert and supportive faculty members who teach courses in the University’s in-person medical laboratory science degree.

BGSU is the only university in Ohio and one of 10 nationally to earn the Quality Matters Online Learner Support certificate for all its online programs, reflecting the high level of support and critical student and academic services BGSU Online provides. In addition, U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the overall online programs at BGSU No. 2 in Ohio and No. 57 nationally.

As a 2020 graduate of the on-campus program, alumna Haley Jacobs can attest to the strong faculty support and commitment to ensuring students succeed.

“My professors were some of the most encouraging, selfless, intelligent and hard-working individuals,” said Jacobs, who has been working as a traveling MLS since graduation. “I was highly supported throughout the program and incredibly well-prepared for this career.”

Students build upon their current knowledge through the program while enhancing judgment and leadership skills. Bankey said earning a bachelor’s degree opens the door to career advancement, including supervisory-level positions.

In addition to support and flexibility, students can earn credit toward their bachelor’s degree for practicum experience completed during their two-year accredited MLT associate degree program — a distinct feature to increase accessibility and convenience.

“Many students coming into the program are working full-time,” Bankey said. “They might work third shift one day and first shift the next, so providing them with an entirely online degree option they can complete while balancing work and family life is essential to meeting workforce demands.”