Medical Laboratory Technology, A.A.S.

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 medical laboratory technician (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 the 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 healthcare 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.

Credit for Prior Learning

Students in this program who have completed a military laboratory training program and hold Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) are eligible for credit for prior learning in the major coursework. See an academic advisor for further information.

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.

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; www.naacls.org.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Medical Laboratory Technology program is competitive. Applicants must do the following:

• Comply with all general admission program requirements.
• View the online Medical Laboratory Technology information session.
• Be eligible for MTH 161 PreCalculus I or higher: See Enrollment and Self-Placement.
• Complete with a grade of “C” or higher: CHM 111 General Chemistry I or CHM 241 Organic Chemistry I and CHM 242 Organic Chemistry II and must be completed within 10 years at time of application.
• Complete BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I-BIO 231 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with a “C” or higher and completed within 10 years of application. (Please note: BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I requires the completion of BIO 101 General Biology I, or NAS 2 Foundations of Life Sciences, or a placement test as noted at the Nursing and Health Sciences Division).
• Complete with a grade of “C” or higher:​ ENG 111 College Composition I, and SDV 100 College Success Skills or SDV 101 Orientation to: Healthcare.
• Document a GPA of at least 2.0 at the last school attended. For Health Science programs, GPA evaluation will prioritize a student’s record at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). If no NOVA GPA is available, the GPA from the student’s most recent institution will be considered.

Continuation Requirements

All courses (including General Education courses) must be completed with a grade of “C” or better before taking the next course in the sequence and to satisfy graduation requirements.

Two Years

Electives should be chosen with the advice of an academic advisor to meet the requirements of the intended transfer institution.

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May substitute BIO 232 Human Anatomy & Physiology II.