ماجستير العلوم في علوم المختبرات الطبية
Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences (MSc. MLS)

Our Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences is a professional degree designed to meet the needs of the Clinical Laboratory Scientist in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. This degree includes a clinical experience and research project. It features the advanced hands-on MLS studies at one of our nationwide affiliate clinical and research facilities. Areas of study include laboratory administration, clinical laboratory science education and medical laboratory practice in Medical Microbiology, Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology and transfusion medicine, Immunology and Molecular Biology.

Vision:

The Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the Gulf Medical University will be distinguished for:

• Clinical excellence and advancement of evidence informed Medical Laboratory Sciences practice.
• Scholarly achievements and professional recognition of students, faculty and clinical collaborators.
• Dedication to the health and well-being of the UAE community.

Mission:

The mission of the Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences Program of Gulf Medical University is:

1. Fosters excellence through its dedication to Medical Laboratory Sciences, clinical skill proficiency, research and evidence-based practice, service & professional duty, and lifelong learning.
2. Fosters innovative education to progress the science of Medical Laboratory, to influence current and emerging health care practices and policies, and to advance the profession at national and international level.
3. Engage in community and university activities as representative of our teaching, research and professional functions that benefits the quality of health and life of all people.

• Emphasis on advanced laboratory skills
• Evidence-informed practice
• Hands-on training in the state-of-the-art laboratory/research facility
• Flexible study schedule for working professionals
• Curricular Concentration on Research projects and publication
• 360-degree clinical assessment and feedback.

Admission Criteria

Applicants shall meet all admission criteria for entry into the higher education programs offered by the University, as laid down in the Standards (2019) published by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), Ministry of Education – Higher Education Affairs, UAE.

• A Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences/Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences or equivalent from an accredited University in the UAE or equivalent one from outside the UAE.
• Distinct undergraduate performance of cumulative grade point average (CGPA) GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 -point scale, or equivalent grade (“B”).
• A CGPA less than 3.0 may be admitted conditionally provided that the student registers 6-9 credits hours in the first semester of his/her studies and obtains a “B” average or above.
• A Valid license issued to practice in Laboratory from MoH / DHA / HAAD is preferable.
• Applicant must complete English proficiency requirement as stated under the general admissions requirements. [link]

Conditional Graduate Admission Read More

Required mandatory documents:

• Recognized baccalaureate degree and transcripts attested from the Ministry of Education, UAE
• Equivalency certificate for graduates from outside UAE
• Passport copy and Emirates ID Card (if UAE Resident- Family book)
• Valid English Proficiency Score sheet (EmSAT/IELTS/TOEFL etc.) or evidence of undergraduate medium of instruction
• Passport-size Photographs x 5
• Curriculum vitae
• Two Recommendation letters
• Statement of Purpose
• Relevant academic or professional experience certificates if any

Apply Now: [link]

By the end of the course the graduate of the Master of Medical Laboratory Sciences (MSc-MLS) program will be able to:

PLO1. Apply comprehensive and highly specialized knowledge in medical laboratory practice

PLO2. Provide medical laboratory services and interpret a full range of advanced laboratory tests using an evidence-based approach

PLO3. Apply principles in quality assurance and management in diagnostic laboratory.

PLO4. Conduct laboratory-based research and critically evaluate the findings and its implications to advance medical laboratory sciences

PLO5. Demonstrate a satisfactory level of competence and assist in the management of patients in the context of medical laboratory services in highly complex healthcare systems.

PLO6. Abide by ethical practices for specialized medical laboratory services and ensure its compliance at practice site.

PLO7. Demonstrate highly developed and specialized interpersonal communication skills as a member of a team and as a leader for effective information exchange with patients, laboratory personnel, other health care professionals, and the public.

PLO8. Demonstrate self-assessment, self-directed learning, and manage change by training self and others in the profession.

The program consists of four semesters, offering a combination of common obligatory courses and elective courses. Students are required to select three elective courses, totalling 9 credit hours, from a list of fifteen options, based on their area of interest.

First semester

• All students take three common obligatory courses.

Second semester, students complete:

• Three common obligatory: Research Methodology, Biostatistics, and Educational Methods for Medical Laboratory Professionals.
• One elective course, chosen based on their area of interest.

Third semester, students complete:

• Common obligatory: Submission of Thesis Proposal and Laboratory Management & Quality Assurance courses.
• Two elective courses.

Fourth semester

• The thesis course will be completed out independently by students under the guidance and supervision of faculty members with submitting and defending the thesis to the satisfaction of the thesis judging committee.
• Laboratory rotations course is conducted in the CAP-accredited diagnostic and referral laboratories, Thumbay Institute of Precision Medicine of the Thumbay Group and other training sites.

Study Plan

	YEAR I
Semester	Course Code	Pre-requisites	Co-requisites	Course Title	Credit Hour/s	LH	PH
I	MLSM 610	NIL	NIL	Clinical Immunology and Immunogenetics	2	1	2
	MLSM 611	NIL	NIL	Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics	3	1	4
	MLSM 612	NIL	NIL	Advanced Concepts in Medical Laboratory Sciences	4	3	2
Semester Credit Hour					9
II	MLSM 620	NIL	MLSM 621	Research Methodology	2	1	2
	MLSM 621	NIL	MLSM 620	Biostatistics	2	1	2
	MLSM 622	NIL	Nil	Educational Methods for Medical Laboratory Professionals	2	1	2
	MLSM 623-(1-5)	ONE ELECTIVE*			3
Semester Credit Hour					9
YEAR II
Semester	New Course Code	Pre-requisites	Co-requisites	Course Title	Credit Hour/s	LH	PH
III	MLSM 630	NIL	Nil	Laboratory Management and Quality Assurance	2	1	2
	MLSM 631	MLSM 620, MLSM 621	Nil	Thesis I	2	0	10
	MLSM 632-(1-10)	TWO ELECTIVES*			6
Semester Credit Hour					10
IV	MLSM 640	MLSM 631	Nil	Thesis II	5	0	25
	MLSM 641	MLSM 610, MLSM 611, MLSM 612, MLSM 630, 3 elective courses	Nil	Laboratory Rotations	3	0	16
Semester Credit Hour					8
Total Program Credit Hour					36

 

*Elective courses:

Course Code	Pre-requisites	Co-requisites	Course Title	Credit Hour/s	LH	PH
Semester II Electives
MLSM 623-1	MLSM 612	NIL	Instrumentation and Special Areas in Clinical Chemistry	3	2	2
MLSM 623-2	MLSM 612	NIL	Advanced Concepts in Immunohematology	3	2	2
MLSM 623-3	MLSM 612	NIL	Clinical Parasitology and Mycology	3	2	2
MLSM 623-4	MLSM 611	NIL	Molecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases	3	2	2
MLSM 623-5	MLSM 610	NIL	Advanced Concepts in Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders	3	2	2
Semester III Electives
MLSM 632-1	MLSM 612	NIL	Advances in Clinical Biochemistry	4	2	4
MLSM 632-2	MLSM 612	NIL	Endocrinology	2	1	2
MLSM 632-3	MLSM 612	NIL	Advances in Clinical Hematology	4	3	2
MLSM 632-4	MLSM 612	NIL	Advanced Hemostasis	2	1	2
MLSM 632-5	MLSM 612	NIL	Advanced Concepts in Diagnostic Microbiology	4	2	4
MLSM 632-6	MLSM 612	NIL	Advanced Clinical Virology	2	1	2
MLSM 632-7	MLSM 611	NIL	Molecular Diagnostics in Genetic Diseases and Personalized Medicine	3	2	2
MLSM 632-8	MLSM 611	NIL	Molecular Diagnostics in Clinical Oncology	3	2	2
MLSM 632-9	MLSM 610	NIL	Immune response to Microbial Infections and Allergic diseases	3	2	2
MLSM 632-10	MLSM 610	NIL	Advanced Concepts in Tumor and Transplantation Immunology	3	2	2

 

Course Description

Semester – 1

MLSM 610: Clinical Immunology and Immunogenetics

Normal immunological mechanisms and the most recent laboratory-based immunoassays that are used to diagnose a range of diseases are covered in the course. It also covers the investigation of aberrant immune systems and the harmful immune responses associated with illnesses. Furthermore, it offers up-to-date information on how to use the many immune therapy preventative choices currently accessible in the disease control and prevention such as cytokine, passive sera and monoclonal antibody therapy.

MLSM 611: Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics

This course covers the biochemical mechanisms that control the maintenance and expression of genes. It also contains an introduction to the application of computational methods to biological data analysis.  It provides students with advanced molecular biology techniques and the application and value of these techniques in the investigation of diseases.

MLSM 612: Advanced Concepts in Medical Laboratory Sciences

The course covers the advances in medical laboratory science. The course introduces the student to advanced concepts and principles in medical laboratory science including the hematology, microbiology, clinical biochemistry changing, and pathogenicity related to these disorders with major emphasis on the consequent diagnostic and prognostic approaches in medical laboratories.

Semester – 2

MLSM 620: Research Methodology

The course focuses on the principles of research and the ethical and legal principles pertaining to the research. Opportunities will be provided to develop an inquisitive attitude on the part of the trainee by active participation in clinical or laboratory research, research seminars and presentations, and increasingly complex problems.

MLSM 621: Biostatistics

This course will equip the student with advanced knowledge in the application of descriptive and inferential statistics in biomedical research. The focus will be on numerical computation and interpretation of outcomes from a given data set. This course will help students to develop advanced skills in analyzing and interpreting data from Health and Allied Health settings through classroom demonstrations and ‘hands on’ experience with MS Excel for data management and statistical analysis software such as Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for analysis. This course will give focus on communicating complex statistical information effectively.

MLSM 622:   Educational Methods for Medical Laboratory

This course provides an overview of educational issues and methods in order to prepare students for future roles as educators in the clinical laboratory profession. Key principles of teaching and learning, the characteristics of the learner, techniques and strategies of teaching and learning will be covered. Students should be able to understand how to facilitate learning and assess learning and to understand change management and leadership.

MLSM 623-1:   Instrumentation and Special Areas in Clinical Chemistry

The course will introduce the student to the principles and procedures of common tests performed in Clinical Chemistry. Advance clinical chemistry laboratory techniques and instrumentations for estimation of different types of analytes. The methodology and clinical correlations will be discussed to highlight the physiological basis, the principle, procedure for the test and the clinical significance of the test results including quality control and normal value. This course will also cover special topics in clinical chemistry including inborn errors of metabolism and therapeutic drug monitoring.

MLSM 623-2:  Advanced Concepts in Immunohematology

The course deals with the procedures of collecting, handling, and storage of blood and blood components. The course also includes the study of the red cells antigen-antibody systems, antibody screening and identification, compatibility testing of blood and immunopathologic conditions, blood donor requirements, blood components preparation and therapy.??

MLSM 623-3:  Clinical Parasitology and Mycology

This course designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of parasitic infections of humans. The course will cover the biology of the parasites, life cycles, epidemiology, clinical features, and advanced laboratory diagnosis of human parasitic infections. In this course students will also learn about the fungi (molds and yeasts) of medical importance and the disease they cause. The classification, structure physiology, and culture characteristic of fungi will be discussed. Students will gain practice in the laboratory diagnosis of human parasitic and fungal infections.

MLSM 623-4: Molecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases

The course will cover the molecular basis and analysis of infectious diseases including viruses, bacteria, bloodstream and fungal infections. The course also provides an insight into how molecular studies can be employed to further medical research and aid in the development of novel treatments and therapeutics.

MLSM 623-5: Advanced Concepts in Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders

The goal of this course is to equip students with a basic understanding of immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases, as well as the diagnostic techniques associated with advanced immunological approaches for identifying and tracking immunotherapy for disorders of the immune system and the capacity to conduct innovative problem-solving research approaches.

Semester – 3

MLSM 630: Laboratory Management and Quality Assurance

The course is on the different types of medical laboratories, management functions, in clinical laboratories, organization and supervision involving laboratory design & space utilization, steps in clinical laboratory workflow, work schedule and workload measurements, productivity. Emphasis on quality control in clinical laboratories, preventive maintenance and safety measures in quality control monitoring, budgeting consideration in clinical laboratory.

MLSM 631:   Thesis I

This course introduces students to the guidelines and protocols for conducting research projects, focusing on the initial stages of research design. Emphasizing the importance of innovation, students are encouraged to experiment within their research work, exploring new frontiers in clinical laboratory science. They will learn to write and present scholarly papers and conclude the course by presenting and submitting their research proposals.

MLSM 632-1:   Advances in Clinical Biochemistry

The course will provide the students with the updates on additional core areas of clinical chemistry as well as organ assessment biochemistry and in-depth knowledge of core areas of all topics covered, and in depth understanding of new procedures and methodologies, the skills to critically assess efficient utilization of laboratory services and appropriate laboratory investigations for given clinical conditions and correlate test results with patient conditions. Students explore advanced case studies and gain practical experience in specialized area of clinical chemistry.

MLSM 632-2:   Endocrinology

This module will provide the students with up-to-date knowledge of selected metabolic and endocrine disorders including the mechanisms of control and action, the recent advances in biochemical investigations and their interpretation in conjunction with clinical information and then discusses methods for measuring hormones.

MLSM 632-3:   Advances in Clinical Hematology

The course will cover the advanced techniques used for diagnosis of different red blood cell disorders including inherited and acquired types of anemia. The course will also cover reactive and the neoplastic blood cells disorders with emphasis on the advanced methods for the diagnosis and monitoring.

MLSM 632-4:   Advanced Hemostasis

This course will cover all aspects of Clinical and Laboratory Hemostasis and thrombosis theory and procedures. The study and performance of tests related to the enumeration and identification of the cellular elements especially platelets and plasma proteins which focuses on diagnosing and monitoring bleeding abnormalities, clotting abnormalities, and platelet disorders and miscellaneous other coagulation testing and associates hemostatic dysfunction with clinical disease.

MLSM 632-5:  Advanced Concepts in Diagnostic Microbiology

This is an advanced course in diagnostic medical microbiology for the master students majoring in Medical Microbiology in Medical Laboratory Sciences. It aims to provide a comprehensive, well-referenced, and up-to-date description of these rapidly evolving advanced methods for the diagnosis of infectious diseases as well as research microbiology laboratory. It provides students with updated practical laboratory skills to allow accurate identification of the more commonly and non-cultivable encountered microbial agents causing infection in humans.

MLSM 632-6:  Advanced Clinical Virology

This course is a comprehensive presentation of the classification, pathophysiology, diagnostic, epidemiology, prevention, and control of viruses. It is designed to provide postgraduate students further knowledge on the description infectious and clinical aspects of diverse viruses, with emphasis on the properties of viruses of medical importance in humans and the diseases they cause.

MLSM 632-7: Molecular diagnostics in Genetic Diseases and personalized medicine

The course is designed to provide students with advanced knowledge on the molecular basis of human genetic diseases, as well as their inheritance patterns. It focuses on methods employed for deriving disease genes and covers current strategies in diagnosis and screening of genetic diseases, risk assessment and genetic counseling. This course will also cover special topics in Molecular Medicine including personalized medicine, pharmacogenomics, DNA fingerprinting, and quality assurance and quality control in the molecular laboratory.

MLSM 632-8: Molecular Diagnostics in Clinical Oncology

The course has been designed to provide an understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying cancer, diagnosis, and prognosis of different types of cancer by using advanced molecular techniques. Four key concepts related to molecular diagnostic oncology are planned for this course, namely, key hallmark properties of cancer, common molecular diagnostic techniques in cancer biology, molecular markers for testing in solid tumors, and molecular diagnostics in hematological malignancies. The course has been designed to provide an understanding of cancer biology and its diagnosis using advanced molecular techniques. The main key concepts that are covered in this course are hallmarks properties of cancer, common molecular diagnostic techniques in cancer, molecular markers for testing in solid tumors and molecular diagnostics in hematological malignancies.

MLSM 632-9:  Immune response to microbial infections & Allergic diseases

This course focuses on the adaptive immune response to diverse microbial infectious illnesses, as well as immunoprophylaxis. The course also covers the technological platforms utilized in laboratory diagnosis of diverse microbial infectious agents using various immunological approaches. This course is also intended to offer students with practical information and diagnostic processes related to advanced immunological approaches for diagnosis and monitoring.

MLSM 632-10: Advanced Concepts in Tumor and Transplantation Immunology

The course aims to equip students with knowledge of the immunological mechanisms underlying cancer and tumors, and laboratory cutting-edge cancer research immunological techniques for the diagnosis and prognosis of various cancer types. It also covers the immune mechanisms linked to allograft rejection and places a special focus on the updated diagnostic techniques used in tissue typing, transplant rejection diagnosis, and monitoring.

Semester – 4

MLSM 640: Thesis II

Continuing from Thesis I course, this course deepens the investigative process, allowing students to further experiment and innovate. It focuses on advanced data analysis, interpretation, and presentation skills. Students will conduct their research independently, collecting and analyzing data according to the approved proposal. The course culminates with students submitting and defending their thesis, showcasing their contributions to the field of medical laboratory research.

MLSM 641: Laboratory Rotations

Allocated time of clinical hours will be spent by students in affiliated hospital laboratories in order to acquire technical and practical experience in medical laboratory fields including the Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular fields. Student activities and training performance will be evaluated by academic and training supervisors.

Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences program (MSc. MLS) at Gulf Medical University is a graduate program aimed to equip students with advanced Microbiology, Hematology and Transfusion Sciences, Clinical Chemistry, Immunology, molecular techniques, and evidence-based professional practice training as a next-generation clinical scientist.

Hands-on training at our Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM) and CAP accredited Thumbay Labs.

• Clinical Scientist in diagnostic laboratories.
• Director of Laboratory.
• Managerial position in a medical laboratory.
• Research Scientist.
• Higher Education – Academia.
• Individual Practice.
• Application specialist in medical companies.
• Public health organizations.
• Pursue higher education and research career.

Completion Requirements of the MSc-MLS Program includes:

• Successful completion of 36 credits
• A minimum pass mark of 70% (Grade C) for each course
• A minimum CGPA of 3.0 out of 4.0
• Securing a minimum attendance of 80%
• Submitting and defending a thesis to the satisfaction of the thesis judging committee with a minimum pass mark of 80%

The detailed fee structure of the program for the current academic year is provided below: [link]