Post-Bachelor's Certificate in Medical Lab Science: Admission Requirements
Key Dates
| Summer 2023 | Fall 2023* | Spring 2024 | |
| Application Deadline | 3/31/23 | 7/21/23 | December 2023 |
| Start Date | 5/1/23 | 8/24/23 | January 2024 |
*Applicants must apply in the summer to start this program in the fall semester.
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Note, 45 transferrable credits required to apply for BSHS and BSHS/MSHS dual degree programs
Admissions Requirements
To apply for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science, you’ll need:
| Completed Application |
| Cumulative and Science GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale |
| Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university |
| Resume/CV |
| Personal statement: Applicants must include a 250—500 word essay describing your reasons for undertaking study at GW, your academic objectives, career goals and related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities, relevant to your program of interest. Include any substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form. |
| Official transcripts from every school attended. All non-U.S. transcripts (including those in English) must be evaluated by an accredited foreign credential agency. Please find the list of member organizations here: https://www.naces.org/members |
| Completed coursework: All required courses must be completed with a C grade (C- grades and lower do not transfer) or better at a regionally accredited institution of higher learning: 3 credits English Composition, 3 credits College Algebra, Statistics (or higher), 8 credits Biology (lecture and lab), 4 credits Microbiology (lecture and lab), 8 credits Chemistry (lecture and lab), 3 credits Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry. *Please be prepared to provide unofficial transcripts to determine program admissibility. |
| Applicants with clinical laboratory experience may be eligible to waive individual practical requirements. Students who live outside of the Washington, D.C., metro area are required to secure a satisfactory clinical site at the time of admission. Learn more about the clinical waivers and the clinical placement process. |
| Review the Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening Policies in the Health Sciences Programs Bulletin |
| One letter of recommendation |
| Application fee: A non-refundable application fee of $80 is required. The application fee is waived for active-duty U.S. military, current GW students, degree-holding GW alumni, current McNair Program Scholars, and graduates of minority-serving institutions (MSI). |
| Since each state may have different requirements for licensure, each student is encouraged to contact their state’s regulating agency and review these requirements prior to beginning any degree program. State’s requiring licensure may require extended duration of practicum experiences, additional academic courses (outside the student’s program of study), etc. These additional requirements may require you to take a course or courses outside of GW. In particular, New York and California have additional requirements for state licensure. Both NY and CA require extended times for practicum rotations. Please also be aware that the fully online post-baccalaureate certificate programs do not meet the student lab requirement for NY state licensure. Also, for those applying to the fully online post-baccalaureate categorical certificates in hematology, microbiology, blood banking, and chemistry, the state of New York does not provide licensure for categorical certification (e.g., Technologist in Microbiology, Technologist in Blood Banking, etc.). We recommend that students who live in New York or California or plan to relocate to New York or California do research to determine the NY and CA licensure requirements. |
| Post Matriculation Requirements: Copy of criminal background check Copy of drug screening test Prior to Clinical Rotations: Physical exam with clinician sign-off of Essential Functions Form Immunization records, including PPD (within the past 12 months) and evidence of Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus vaccination Copy of health insurance |
International Students
| This program is not visa eligible. Permanent residents or those with a valid visa (e.g., work) may apply to perform their rotation in the US. International students may apply without a visa if they have an approved clinical site in their geographic region. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens are also required to submit official test scores for Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson’s Test of English (PTE) Academics, or the academic International English Language Test System (IELTS). The following are the minimum scores for admission consideration:
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International applicants may be considered for admission without submitting the above scores if:
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NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.