How to Apply to the UTMB CLS Program

To be eligible for admission, the student must be accepted by the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and have completed or be in the process of completing the pre-professional requirements. Application procedures may be initiated upon completion of 30 semester hours of college work. We encourage you to print an admissions checklist to guide you in the application process.

To be considered for acceptance into the UTMB CLS Program, the applicant must:

Submit all required application materials to:

Enrollment Services
The University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, Texas 77555-1305

Required application materials include:
1. UTMB application (submit online or download an application packet). You must also include the following items:
  1. the required application fee
  2. your signed and dated supporting statement
  3. if you are MLT trained or certified, please indicate this fact in your supporting statement
2. Transcripts from all previously attended universities and colleges.
  1. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an approved agency.
  2. Applicants are strongly encouraged to request to have their transcripts sent ELECTRONICALLY to UTMB whenever possible. Electronic submission greatly expedites processing and improves the accuracy of transcript evaluation. The accepted standard for this process in Texas goes by the name SPEEDE.
3. Three (3) completed reference letter forms (PDF format). *
Present a minimum overall 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 GPA in science courses on a 4.0 scale.
Have passed the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) before admission, though exemptions are possible.
Complete personal interviews with the faculty of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Please note:

All application materials (refer to section 1 above) must be received by UTMB Enrollment Services no later than:
1. Most applicants (and not listed below): July 1 †
2. CLS-MPA applicants: May 1
3. CLT-to-CLS and categorical certificate applicants (for spring semester): December 1
4. CLT-to-CLS and categorical certificate applicants (for summer semester): April 1
Admission to the professional phase of the program is determined by the CLS Admissions Committee.
As a condition of admission, all matriculating students must complete a security background check, at cost to the student. Information will be sent to you about this background check after you are granted admission to the program.
Students are required to have a laptop computer for participation in and completion of class activities.
Classes begin in the Fall Term for on-campus students. Distance (MLT) students may begin the program in any semester, though not all courses are offered every semester.

* Reference letter forms should be completed by individuals who can evaluate your work and professional ethics, study habits, and classroom/laboratory outcomes. These individuals may include a faculty member, teaching assistant, or work supervisor. If you have volunteer experience in the field of health care, the volunteer coordinator who supervised your experience may be able to complete the form.

† Applications received after this date may be considered for the current year if there is class space available; otherwise, they will be considered for the following year.

Applicants holding baccalaureate degrees in other fields may enroll in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences curriculum and work toward a second baccalaureate degree, provided the pre-professional course of study, as described, has been completed prior to matriculation.

With departmental approval, non-degree-seeking students may be enrolled in Clinical Laboratory Sciences courses. Non-degree-seeking students who desire degree-seeking status must be competitive with other applicants. In addition to successfully fulfilling all other criteria in the application process, these students must have earned a minimum of "C" in all Clinical Laboratory Sciences courses in which they have been enrolled.