Health Professions Programs

Student Learning Outcomes

Clinical Laboratory Science, B.S.


The mission of the CLS programs at Indiana University is to provide a high quality education in knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes in CLS in order to prepare graduates who have entry-level competency to practice in the clinical laboratory.

The goal of the CLS program is to prepare graduates who:
  1. Have the knowledge and skills needed to provide health care professionals with accurate and timely diagnostic and therapeutic laboratory data and participate as effective members of the health care team.
  2. Demonstrate professionalism through honesty and integrity in reporting results, respect for patient confidentiality, and a desire for life-long learning through continuing education, scholarship, service, and participation in professional organizations.
  3. Successfully complete the national certification examination.
Clinical Laboratory Science Program Competencies

Upon successful completion of the CLS Program, the clinical laboratory scientist should be able to demonstrate the behaviors described in the entry-level competencies:*

  • Perform proficiently the full range of clinical laboratory tests in areas such as hematology, clinical chemistry, immunohematology, microbiology, serology/immunology, coagulation, and molecular and other emerging diagnostics.
  • Play a role in the development and evaluation of test systems and interpretive algorithms.
  • Participate effectively in clinical decision making, regulatory compliance with applicable regulations, education, and quality assurance/performance improvement wherever laboratory testing is researched, developed, or performed.
  • Communicate effectively to enable consultative interactions with members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.
  • Apply knowledge of financial operations, marketing, and human resource management of the clinical laboratory to enable cost-effective, high-quality, value-added laboratory services.
  • Support information management to enable effective, timely, accurate, and cost-effective reporting of laboratory-generated information.
  • Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the research process to evaluate published studies as an informed consumer.
  • Participate in safety programs.
  • Have requisite knowledge and skills to educate laboratory professionals, other healthcare professionals, and others in laboratory practice as well as the public.

* The CLS Program has multiple objectives associated with each competency and are available upon request.