The students in this program complete three consecutive years of undergraduate study at the Rutgers-Camden College of Arts and Sciences. For the track in Cardiovascular perfusion, a fourth and a fifth year are taken at an affiliated school of cardiovascular perfusion.
During this course of study, which lasts 24 months, the student receives lectures and practical experience in human anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, cardiovascular physiology and pathology, and perfusion technology. Upon successful completion of the five-year program, the student receives the B.S. degree and is eligible to take the Board of Registry examinations leading to the cardiovascular perfusionist certification.
Three years of college work, representing a minimum of 86 credits, must be completed before the hospital (laboratory) internship begins.
Application for admission to the school of cardiovascular perfusion should be made at the beginning of the junior year, and it is strongly suggested that the student consult with the biomedical technology advisor in the Biology Department before doing so. Selection is made on a competitive basis, and since there may be a larger number of applicants than openings, not all applicants can necessarily be accepted.
Should a student not be accepted by a school of cardiovascular perfusion, the student may, with proper course selection, continue the senior year as a biology major and earn the B.A. degree. However, once the B.A. in biology has been obtained, completion of the prescribed curriculum at a school of cardiovascular perfusion cannot be applied to a second degree.