University of Balamand

MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCES AT UOB

The Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Bachelor of Sciences in Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) is a three-year competency-based program. The multidisciplinary nature of the Program allows students to cover a broad range of subjects. Students are exposed to a multiphase curriculum that provides knowledge in basic sciences, clinical pathology, microbiology, hematology, clinical chemistry, humanities, management, principles of research, and epidemiology and biostatistics. In addition to the clinical training, students are trained to analyze laboratory tests as an essential step in the process of diagnosis and patient care.

Driven by the continuous growth of the Medical care field, the Department offers a Master degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences with three tracks: Molecular Biology; Infectious Disease and Immunology; and a Professional Master in Laboratory Management.

The Program is available at the Dekwaneh Campus in partnership with Mont Liban Hospital and St. George Hospital University Medical Center; at Souk El Gharb Campus; and at Kurah Campus, where students conduct their training in collaboration with hospitals located in the Chouf and north of Lebanon regions.

WHY STUDY MEDICAL
LABORATORY SCIENCES?

The Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Program offers students high quality education in the field of diagnostic clinical laboratory disciplines by mixing an in-depth theoretical understanding of different subjects with hands-on laboratory experiences in leading hospitals in Lebanon. It gives the students the opportunity to explore conventional and new methods in the field of Medical Laboratory Sciences.

The MLS major has been taught at UOB since 1996. The curriculum equips students with theoretical and experiential learning about the different laboratory medicine department sections. The Program trains students to develop professional conduct and the highest standards of ethics.

As an MLS graduate, you will meet international standards in acquiring all knowledge and skills to perform the duties and responsibilities of a laboratory scientist. You will develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and research skills in the field of applied health sciences.

The University of Balamand was founded as an independent non-profit institution of higher education. The University of Balamand holds the view that thought without application and relevance to human needs is incomplete; hence it offers its students hands-on application of theories, and relevant training and practical knowledge in their respective fields.

WHAT WILL YOU STUDY?

The Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Program at UOB combines theoretical background with clinical training to ensure that you are adequately skilled to promptly fit with the market needs and the higher education field.

The Program focuses on enhancing the critical thinking and analytical skills of its graduates. It combines basic sciences courses, including: organic, analytical chemistry, human physiology, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, and core courses. The spectrum of major courses encompass the field of clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, bacteriology, parasitology, virology, immunology, toxicology, molecular biology and quality assurance.

The professional internship allows you to experience real-time operational settings, to function as a member of a team, and to appreciate the dynamics within the context of the host organization. Students will be exposed to tasks and activities performed by practitioners that revolve around budgeting, financing, human resources management, and marketing in laboratory management settings. You will be involved in decision-making and administrative processes, where you can develop interpersonal skills.

MLS students have the opportunity to expand their professional and social networks, and develop more evident perspectives of their needs, interests, and concerns.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Getting a degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) leads you to many directions. This career combines an aptitude for science, with the desire to help others and to continuously grow.

Laboratory Science graduates are well prepared to pursue the following careers:

| Medical Laboratory professionals in hospitals or private clinical laboratories
| Laboratory managers
| Clinical researcher
| Biomedical scientists in pharmaceutical industries
| Sales representatives for laboratory equipment
| Laboratory supervisors in universities offering allied health degrees
| Teaching opportunities
| Research assistants
| Quality assurance officers

They are also well prepared to pursue the following graduate programs:
| Medicine
| Forensic sciences, criminology
| Molecular Biology, Clinical toxicology, infectious disease, Immunology, Hematology cytogenetics, pharmacology
| Public Health: Community Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics; health care management; etc.
| Bridging between Medical Laboratory field and Chemical Engineering

Jessica Hanna

Current Student
Medical Laboratory Sciences

My experience in Medical Laboratory Sciences far exceeded my expectations. With all the mentoring available and the rich program provided, I became more confident in the knowledge that I have learned and built my career path leading me to where I am today. You will find endless career possibilities, from biotech companies to hospital clinical settings, even research! I can safely say that I am a proud student and humble ambassador of this school.
Nadine El Hajj

Current MS Student
Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Being passionate about the topics of healthcare, science, and medicine since a very young age, I needed a place that can help me elevate my knowledge by pursuing my higher education. The Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the University of Balamand was one of the few places that could offer interesting discourses and hands-on lab trainings. Beyond that, the Faculty of Health Sciences also gave me the opportunity to meet incredible mentors, lifetime friends, and curious colleagues that will never be forgotten.
Joseph El Hawly

Medical Laboratory Sciences Graduate (Graduated AY2018-2019)
Currently Med II Student

If I was asked about the best time of my life, I would recall my pre-med years as a Medical Laboratory Sciences student at the Faculty of Health Sciences, at the Main Campus, Al-Kurah.

I can write pages about the academic and educational benefits I received from the diverse and clinically-oriented curriculum, where I derived the foundations of my knowledge of basics sciences, the human body, and its ailments. The various classes (Physiology, Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, Hematology) in addition to the clinical rotations are highly medical and in-depth. I have to admit the material I accumulated made my life easier in Medical School.
However, I would like to also focus on the holistic aspect of the experience. The Faculty members are responsive and down-to-earth, the instructors are friendly and approachable, and the camaraderie among students is inspiring.
Overall, the Faculty is a beautiful environment to grow and I am grateful for this fruitful and diverse experience.
Georges Ghandour

Medical Laboratory Sciences Graduate (Graduated AY2019-2020)
Currently Med I Student

Since I was a kid, I always had the dream of becoming an exceptional surgeon in order to make a change in the world. My parkour began as a Medical Laboratory Sciences Student at Balamand and I can say I could not have chosen a better BS for medical school. A big advantage of the Program was the numerous clinical trainings in the hospital that provided a great amount of exposure to the medical field. Also, it taught me skills such as culturing bacteria, withdrawing blood at the blood bank, analyzing hematological slides, learning how to stain them, and many more. These skills are crucial for future research as an important portion of medical researches requires such abilities. After being accepted in medical school, I realized how helpful my BS was because I already had knowledge of a big part of the information, for example in immunology and microbiology. I thank everyone for pushing me to start my career as a Medical Laboratory Sciences student, and I highly advise all future medical students to do so. The Program is fruitful and so much worth it.

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CHAIRPERSON’S MESSAGE

Mira El Chaar, PhD
Mira.ElChaar@balamand.edu.lb

Welcome to the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Balamand.

The clinical laboratory sits quietly behind most of modern medicine. Roughly seven out of every ten clinical decisions a physician makes rely on laboratory data, on a result read from a culture plate, a peripheral smear, a chemistry panel, a molecular assay. The people who generate and stand behind those results are medical laboratory scientists and training them well is what our department exists to do.

Our program has been part of the University of Balamand since 1996 and is today the largest department in the Faculty of Health Sciences across three campuses (Al Kurah, Dekwaneh, and Souk El Gharb). That scale is not an accident. It reflects decades of work building a curriculum that takes science seriously and clinical training even more seriously.

At the undergraduate level, we offer a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences with two tracks, a regular track for students entering the clinical laboratory and diagnostics workforce, and a pre-med track for students aiming at medical school. The pre-med track is one of our program's signatures: our graduates enter medical school at an exceptional rate, and they arrive there with something most of their peers don't have, real time spent in a working hospital laboratory, with real specimens, under the supervision of practicing scientists, clinicians and pathologists. That hands-on foundation pays off well into the first two years of medical school.

At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences with three tracks: Diagnostic Molecular Biology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, and Laboratory Management. The first two are research degrees, culminating in an original thesis; the third is a professional degree built around a supervised management internship. Our graduate students join an active research environment with projects spanning antimicrobial resistance, the human microbiome, maternal–infant health, immunopathogenesis, molecular diagnostics, cancer biology and molecular oncology, and stem cell research, areas where Lebanon has both real clinical need and real scientific opportunity.

Across all of our programs, the thread is the same: science that is rigorous, training that is hands-on, and an ethical commitment to the patient whose sample passes through our students' hands. If that is the kind of training you are looking for, I would be glad to welcome you to our department.

Mira El Chaar, PhD
Associate Professor
Chair, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences

Email: mira.elchaar@balamand.edu.lb
Tel: +961 1 495 833
Office: Faculty of Health Sciences, Dekwaneh Campus
Research interests: clinical microbiology, antimicrobial resistance, and the early-life microbiome

PROGRAMS & TRACKS

Programs we offer

The Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences offers a clear pathway from undergraduate science training to graduate research and laboratory leadership. Whether your goal is medical school, the diagnostics workforce, doctoral study, or laboratory management, the path begins here.

Degree	Track	Credits	Capstone
BS in Medical Laboratory Sciences	Regular	94	Clinical internship
BS in Medical Laboratory Sciences	Pre-Med	98	Clinical internship + MCAT prep
MS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences	Diagnostic Molecular Biology	30	Research thesis
MS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences	Infectious Diseases & Immunology	30	Research thesis
MS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences	Laboratory Management	34	Supervised internship

Undergraduate

BS in Medical Laboratory Sciences

A three-year competency-based Bachelor of Science combining strong science coursework with clinical training in the Faculty's partner teaching hospitals. The program is offered in two tracks, a regular track for students entering the laboratory science workforce, and a pre-med track for students aiming at medical school.

Regular Track (94 credits)
The regular track prepares graduates to become resourceful, multidisciplinary, and ethical clinical laboratory scientists. The program is committed to educational excellence, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes needed for current and future roles in the healthcare team. Students are also prepared to pursue advanced studies and careers in academia, the diagnostics industry, and research.

Best for: students aiming at careers as clinical laboratory scientists, biomedical researchers, or graduate study in the laboratory sciences.

Pre-Med Track (98 credits)
The pre-med track is designed for students who plan to apply to medical school. In addition to the full BS in Medical Laboratory Sciences curriculum, pre-med students complete the additional coursework required for medical school admission and follow a structured preparation pathway for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Pre-med students benefit from the unusual depth of the MLS curriculum itself. Across three years they study microbiology, virology, parasitology, immunology, hematology, clinical chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, pathology, and toxicology, and they study these subjects in clinical context, working with real samples in teaching hospital laboratories. Many of our graduates tell us that the basic-science years of medical school feel like familiar territory rather than new material.

A very high percentage of our pre-med students are accepted into medical schools in Lebanon and abroad.

Best for: students applying to medical school who want a science degree, real hospital laboratory experience, and structured MCAT preparation alongside their undergraduate studies.

Graduate

MS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences

A two-year graduate program for candidates with a background in medical laboratory sciences, biomedical sciences, or the basic sciences. The MS provides advanced training across three tracks, two research-focused and one professional, preparing graduates for doctoral study, research careers, and laboratory leadership roles.

Molecular Biology (30 credits, thesis)
A research-focused track for students who want to apply molecular biology to questions in human disease. Students join active research projects in areas including genetic diseases, cancer biology and molecular oncology, immunopathogenesis, and stem cell research, and complete an original thesis under faculty supervision.

Best for: graduates aiming at PhD programs and research careers in genetics, oncology, and biomedical sciences.

Infectious Diseases and Immunology (30 credits, thesis)
Research-focused training in clinical and molecular microbiology, infectious diseases, and immunology. Students join active faculty research programs in areas including antimicrobial resistance, surveillance of infectious disease, the human microbiome, maternal–infant health, and host–pathogen interactions, and complete an original research thesis.

Best for : graduates aiming at PhD programs, careers in clinical research, public health, or the diagnostics and pharmaceutical industries.

Laboratory Management (34 credits, internship)
A professional track for laboratory scientists moving into supervisory and leadership roles. The curriculum builds the skills required to run a modern diagnostic laboratory: total quality management, accreditation, method validation, regulatory compliance, laboratory operations, financial and human-resource management, laboratory information systems, and team leadership. Students complete a supervised management internship in a partner hospital laboratory in place of a research thesis.

Best for : clinical laboratory scientists and senior technologists preparing for supervisory, quality-management, and laboratory-director roles.

For full curriculum, course descriptions, admission requirements, and track-specific details, please refer to the FHS Undergraduate Catalogue and the FHS Graduate Catalogue.

FACILITIES

The Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences operates dedicated teaching and research laboratories at the Dekwaneh and Main Campuses, supported by clinical training partnerships across Lebanon's leading hospitals. Our facilities are managed by a multidisciplinary technical and academic team with expertise across molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, hematology and clinical chemistry.

Teaching laboratories

Hands-on laboratory training is built into the curriculum from the first year. Students work in well-equipped multidisciplinary teaching labs that mirror the workflow and standards of a clinical or research environment.

Dekwaneh Campus
The Dekwaneh Campus hosts a comprehensive set of teaching and research facilities supporting both the undergraduate MLS curriculum and graduate thesis work:

- Biology Teaching Laboratory - multidisciplinary lab delivering the biology, microbiology, virology, parasitology, immunology, hematology, and clinical genetics components of the undergraduate curriculum.

- Chemistry Teaching Laboratory - multidisciplinary lab delivering basic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, and clinical chemistry sessions.

- Research Laboratory - a dedicated research space designed to support thesis-level work in molecular diagnostics, clinical microbiology, immunology, and applied molecular biology. Capabilities include:
- - Cell Culture Research Unit - dedicated research space with laminar-flow workstations and controlled CO₂ incubation, supporting graduate thesis projects in cell biology, cancer biology, and stem cell research.
- - Molecular biology and diagnostics - PCR and real-time PCR (qPCR) workflows, nucleic acid quantification, and molecular strain typing including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for bacterial epidemiology.
- - Protein biochemistry and immunoassays -Western blot and protein analysis, multi-plate spectrophotometry, and ELISA-compatible workflows.
- - Microbiology - aerobic and anaerobic culture infrastructure with Class II biosafety cabinets, supporting work on clinically relevant bacteria up to BSL-2 standards.
- - Sample preparation and storage - refrigerated centrifugation, ultra-low and standard freezing, autoclaving, and a dedicated water-purification system.

The Department continues to invest in expanding instrumentation to support the evolving research interests of MS students.

Main Campus (Al Kurah)
The Main Campus hosts a more extensive set of facilities supporting both teaching and research:

- Biology Teaching Laboratory - multidisciplinary lab delivering the biology, microbiology, immunology, hematology, and genetics components of the undergraduate curriculum.

- Chemistry Teaching Laboratory - multidisciplinary lab delivering basic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, and clinical chemistry sessions.

- Cell Culture Research Unit - dedicated research space with laminar-flow workstations, controlled CO₂ incubation, and cryopreservation, supporting graduate thesis projects in cell biology, cancer biology, and stem cell research.

- Microbiology Research Unit - dedicated research space for thesis-level work in clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, equipped for both routine and specialized microbiological investigation.

Souk El Gharb Campus (Aley)
The Souk El Gharb campus is home to a newly equipped Medical Laboratory Sciences teaching facility designed to deliver the full undergraduate MLS curriculum and to support student research projects.

Research focus

Across all of our facilities, graduate students conduct their thesis research under the supervision of faculty actively engaged in projects on antimicrobial resistance, the human microbiome, maternal–infant health, immunopathogenesis, molecular diagnostics, cancer biology and molecular oncology, and stem cell research.

Visiting the facilities

Prospective graduate students are welcome to tour our research laboratories and meet potential thesis supervisors before applying. To arrange a visit, please contact the Department.