Cell and Molecular Biology: Medical Laboratory Science Concentration (6234), B.S.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Major in Cell and Molecular Biology (6230)

The Cell and Molecular Biology Major is designed for students with career interests in medical, industry, and/or government research, academics, and/or healthcare. Students begin with foundational courses in introductory biology, math, chemistry, and physics. They proceed to advanced core lecture and lab courses in cell biology, microbiology, genetics, and molecular biology delving into details such as DNA and protein structure which are essential for understanding the complex functions of living things. This foundation prepares students for careers on the “cutting edge” of science. As a part of this major, students are encouraged to earn course credit and gain experience doing hands-on research with a faculty mentor.

This major has four concentrations allowing students to individualize their education based on specific interests and goals.

Cell and Molecular Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration (6231), B.S.
Cell and Molecular Biology: Pharmaceutical Science Concentration (6232), B.S.
Cell and Molecular Biology: Biomedical Health Sciences Concentration (6233), B.S.
Cell and Molecular Biology: Medical Laboratory Science Concentration (6234)

The completion of a minor is optional for this major.

For more information about the Cell and Molecular Biology major, please contact:

Department of Biological Sciences
249 Brehm Hall
574 University Street
Martin, TN 38238
biology@utm.edu
731-881-7170

Concentration in Medical Laboratory Science (6234)

The Concentration in Medical Laboratory Science restricted to students pursuing a Master of Science degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, Advanced Practice Track (CLS) with The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). This is a 3+1 program designed to combine three years of undergraduate course work at UT Martin (89-94 credit hours)-including all University General Education and Bachelor of Science degree requirements (minimum 49-52 credit hours), required course work for the major (detailed below) and CLS prerequisites-with one year of specialized undergraduate Medical Technology training at UTHSC. If accepted into the CLS program, students transfer to UTHSC for their fourth year. Upon successful completion of the first year at UTHSC, the students will transfer 30 credit hours back to UT Martin to complete their bachelor’s degree requirements with a major in Cell and Molecular Biology and a concentration in Medical Laboratory Science. Students then continue in the CLS program. The nine-credit hour transfer restriction is waived for students in this cooperative program.

Students should work closely with their academic advisers to design their specific course of study. The completion of a minor is optional for this major. The Program of Study for this major is composed of the following broad areas of coursework:

General Education Requirements	38 hours
Bachelor of Science Requirements	11-14 hours
Major Core Requirements	10 hours
Concentration Core Requirements	23-24 hours
Concentration Elective Requirements	3-4 hours
Unrestricted Electives to reach 120 hours	4-5 hours
Medical Laboratory Science Requirements	30 hours
Minor	Optional
TOTAL	120 hours

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

University Degree Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Minimum credits required for graduation	120 credit hours
Minimum credits in upper-division courses	42 credit hours
Maximum credits in any one subject counted toward graduation	50 credit hours
General education core requirements	38 credit hours
Complete a major

COURSEWORK REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE

General Education Core Curriculum Requirements

Guidance for choosing general education courses:

Biological and Physical Systems (8 credit hours) The department recommends that students complete the following courses to satisfy 8 hours of Biological and Physical Systems as part of their general education requirements:

BIOL 130 Foundations of Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity (4 credit hours)
BIOL 140 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular (4 credit hours)
Mathematics (3 credit hours) The department recommends that students complete the following course to satisfy 3 hours of Mathematics as part of their general education requirements:

Math 210 Elementary Statistics and Probability (3 credit hours)

If a student does not take the recommended courses for satisfying the Biological and Physical Systems and Mathematics General Education requirements, she/he may need to complete additional credit hours to complete the degree.

Bachelor of Science Requirements

Guidance for choosing courses to meet the B.S. Laboratory Science Requirement:

The department recommends that students complete the following courses to satisfy 8 hours of Biological and Physical Systems as required for the BS degree:

Choose one of the following courses:

CHEM 121: General Chemistry 
CHEM 102: Fundamentals of Chemistry (4 credit hours)

AND take:

CHEM 122: General Chemistry (4 credit hours)

If a student does not take the recommended courses for satisfying the Laboratory Science Bachelor of Science requirements, she/he may need to complete additional credit hours to complete the degree.

Where an honors course exists equivalent to any course listed above, that honors course will automatically substitute for the listed course. A student may use any combination of honors and regular versions of the respective courses in a given sequence.

Major in Cell and Molecular Biology with a Concentration in Medical Laboratory Science (36-38 credit hours)

Program-Specific Degree Requirements

Minimum grade of C required in all major core requirements and concentration courses.
Directed studies (BIOL 464-465) may be repeated for a maximum 2 credit hours.
No more than 4 credit hours of Research Participation (BIOL 451-454) may be counted towards the major.
BIOL 130, BIOL 140, CHEM 121, CHEM 122 are prerequisites to upper division courses needed for this degree. The department recommends that a student uses these courses to satisfy the university-wide general education and Bachelor of Science requirements. A grade of C or better in these courses is required to fulfill prerequisites.

Course Requirements

Required Coursework for the major: These courses are required for every concentration in the Cell and Molecular Biology major.

The following courses are required for the Cell and Molecular Biology major, are prerequisites to upper division courses needed for this degree and may also be used to satisfy 19 hours of General Education and Bachelor of Science requirements (as recommended above).

BIOL 130 - Foundations of Biology: Ecology, Evolution and Diversity Credit(s): 4
BIOL 140 - Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Credit(s): 4
Either CHEM 121 Credit(s): 4 OR CHEM 102 Credit(s): 4
CHEM 122 - General Chemistry Credit(s): 4
MATH 210 - Elementary Statistics and Probability Credit(s): 3

Concentration Core Requirements:

This concentration requires the following major courses. This represents a reduction in the requirements to accommodate the complementary courses transferred from participating institutions (10 credit hours).

BIOL 331 - General Ecology Credit(s): 3
BIOL 336 - Introductory Genetics Credit(s): 3
BIOL 391 - Evolutionary Biology Credit(s): 3
BIOL 410 - Seminar in Biological Sciences [Topic Title] Credit(s): 1

Concentration in Medical Laboratory Science

Concentration Core Requirements: These concentration core courses are required for the Medical Laboratory Science concentration: (23-24 credit hours)

MBIO 310 - General Molecular Microbiology Credit(s): 4
ZOOL 352 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Credit(s): 4
Note: ZOOL 251: Human Anatomy and Physiology I Credit(s): 4 is a prerequisite to ZOOL 352 and may be taken as part of the Unrestricted Electives.
Either CHEM 341 Credit(s): 4 OR the sequence CHEM 310 : Organic and Biochemistry Credits(s): 3 with CHEM 319 : Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory Credit(s): 1
Either MATH 160 Credit(s): 3 OR MATH 251 Credit(s): 4
Either PHYS 211 Credit(s): 4 OR PHYS 220 Credit(s): 4
Either PHYS 212 Credit(s): 4 OR PHYS 221 Credit(s): 4

Concentration Elective Requirements: (3-4 credit hours)

Complete 3-4 additional credits from upper division courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences, Biochemistry (BCHE) or approved courses.

Medical Laboratory Science Requirement (30 hours)

To fulfill the professional program requirement, a student will:

Submit a letter to the Health Sciences Pre-Professional Coordinator upon acceptance into the Master of Science Clinical Laboratory Science, Advanced Practice Track stating his or her intent to complete the Medical Laboratory Science concentration.
Satisfactorily complete at least 30 credit hours of medical technology course work in the first year of MLS training at UTHSC with a minimum grade of C.
Request a transcript of the completed course work to be sent to the Office of the Registrar. Course work will be reviewed and applied to the student’s record thereafter.

If a student does not enter the CLS Master’s program after three years at UT Martin, the student may complete a degree by completing one of the other concentrations offered by the Department of Biological Sciences to best meet the student’s interests. Please consult with an academic advisor for more information and assistance.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

A. Completion of a Minor and/or Unrestricted Electives

Students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation. The completion of a minor is optional for this major. However, students are free to complete minors to complement their majors (such as the Neuroscience Minor) or enhance their career goals.

Alternatively, unrestricted elective courses may be used to address prerequisites for graduate or professional programs (such as ZOOL 251, which is a pre-requisite for ZOOL 352), certificates, or other micro-credentials as offered by programs across the university. Students should work closely with their advisers to make sure they meet all requirements for graduation, especially the 42 upper division hour requirement.