Purpose: The curriculum is designed to prepare students to perform essential laboratory testing on blood and body fluids that is critical to the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. In a medical laboratory, the MLT is part of a team of highly skilled pathologists, technologists, and phlebotomists working together to determine the presence, extent or absence of disease, and helping to evaluate effectiveness of treatment. This program emphasizes “hands-on” practice of laboratory methods in a state-of-the-art laboratory at the Medical Education Campus in Springfield, followed by clinical experience at various affiliating health care organizations.
Upon completion of the program graduates will be eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification examination, and other national certification examinations offered at the technician level.
Transfer Information: Transfer is not the primary purpose of an A.A.S. program, but transfer may be an option for certified MLTs. Students interested in transfer should contact an academic advisor early in their program.
Career Opportunities: Employment for Medical Laboratory Technicians is available in hospital laboratories, private laboratories, physicians' office laboratories, health department laboratories, and industrial medical laboratories.
Admission Requirements:
Students must:
- Comply with all General Admission Program Requirements.
- View the online Medical Laboratory Technology Information Session.
- Be eligible for MTH 163 as shown by satisfactory scores on the NOVA placement tests.
- Complete with a grade of “C” or higher: BIO 141, CHM 111, ENG 111, and SDV 101.
- Document a GPA of at least 2.0 at last school attended.
Special Accreditation Status: The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS); 5600 North River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, Illinois 60018; Phone: 773-714-8880; Fax: 773- 714-8886; http://www.naacls.org/.
1 Although students who have graduated with a transfer-oriented A.A., A.S., or A.A. & S. degree or any baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited United States institution of higher education will have most of their general education considered as met, they must meet the math and science requirements specified for this program. Exceptions must be approved by the division dean responsible for the student's curriculum.
2 CST 110 Intro to Communication or CST 126 Interpersonal Communication may be substituted for CST 229.
3 The social science elective may be selected from the social/behavioral sciences courses listed under General Education Electives.
4 Humanities/fine arts elective may be selected from the humanities/fine arts courses listed under General Education Electives.