Medical Histology Technician

Trains the student to prepare thin sections of human tissue for microscopic examination.

Prepares students for entry level employment as medical histology technicians in clinical, veterinary, and research laboratories. It also serves as a pathway for career advancement and specialized areas in the medical histotechnology profession.

The program stresses practical application and the development of job skills as well as medical histotechnology theory.

Designed to enhance the ability of students to reason, understand, and apply correct principles of medical histotechnology by teaching analytical and critical thinking skills, this course prepares students to sit for the National Board Certification Exam.

New entrants into the field, as well as incumbent workers who have not had the advantage of receiving a strong theoretical foundation, will find this course of study beneficial. Students will be involved in classroom/lab work for the first three quarters of the program with the remaining time spent in a clinical rotation.

This program is approximately four quarters in length, depending on the time students need to satisfactorily complete all graduation requirements.

Each student is required to carry personal health/medical insurance throughout their clinical rotations. Quarterly insurance for students may be purchased; further information is available through the Advising and Counseling Office. No student will be allowed at a clinical site without proof of insurance.

Prerequisites: Before starting the program, students must have a high school diploma or GED.

In order to participate in the clinical aspect of the program, students must receive a No Record on File Report related to Crimes Against Persons from the Washington State Patrol. They must obtain CPR certification, and must have current immunizations or laboratory verification of immune status, which could include, but is not limited to, Hepatitis B series, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Tuberculosis Test, Measles/ Mumps/Rubella, and Varicella, as required by contracts with clinical facilities and CDC recommendations. Proof of immunizations is required by the last day of class in Fall quarter, without exception.

Note: This program requires that three of the general education courses be taken prior to beginning the HISTO course sequence. Therefore, BIOL& 175 (BIOL 118 will be accepted through 2015), CHEM& 110, and ENGL& 101 need to be taken prior to Fall quarter when the HISTO courses begin.

AAT Degree General Education Requirements (20 credits):

ENGL& 101 English Composition
CMST& 220 (or higher)

MAT 108 Math for Health Care Professionals (or higher)

PSYC& 100 General Psychology or other social science or humanities class

AAS-T Degree General Education Requirements (25 credits): 

All AAS-T degrees must have a minimum of 20 credits of transferable general education. These credits replace the academic courses required for the AAT degree. Required credits include:

1. 10 credits in Communication:

ENGL& 101

CMST& 220

1. 5 credits in quantitative reasoning:

MATH 110

MATH& 141

MATH& 142

MATH& 146 or

MATH& 151

1. 10 credits in social science, humanities, or science (choose two from the following):

PSYC& 100

PSYC& 200

PSY 210

PSYC& 220

SOC& 101

ART& 100

MUS& 105

ASL& 121

BIOL 118 (accepted through 2015)

BIOL& 160

BIOL& 175

BIOL& 241

BIOL& 242

CHEM& 110

GEOL& 110

PHYS& 114

ECON 101

ECON& 201

  or ECON& 202

Students pursuing an AAT or AAS-T degree must complete all college degree requirements prior to graduation. This includes courses that meet the capstone project, diversity, and computer literacy requirements.

Admission Date: Fall quarter

This program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018  (773) 714-8880.

AAT Program Requirements

AAS-T Program Requirements

Note: In addition to BIOL& 175 (BIOL 118 will be accepted through 2015) and CHEM& 110, 10 credits of social science, humanities, or science are needed to complete the AAS-T degree.

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