Q: How much does the program cost? Are there any additional costs besides tuition?
A: The total cost of the program is approximately $8,000. This includes tuition, books, uniforms, trainee license and the ASCP-BOC certification exam.
Q: What are the requirements for the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) ATC program?
A: Students applying to the Medical Laboratory Science ATC program must have the following:
- Clear criminal background check
- Bachelor’s degree with required courses (Click to view prerequisite courses.)
- Minimum of 2.8 college cumulative grade point average (excluding college preparatory courses)
- TEAS Test
Q: Where is the MLS program offered?
A: All MLS program courses are offered at the HCC Dale Mabry Campus.
Q: When is the application deadline?
A: The application deadline is June 15 for the Fall semester.
Q: Who should I contact if I have any questions concerning the program?
A: Contact the Program Manager Tripat Kaur at 813.253.7244 or tkaur@hccfl.edu or Faculty Member Rosa Montana at 813.253.7000, ext. 5091 or at rmontana@hccfl.edu.
Q: How many credit hours is the program, and how long will it take to complete?
A: The MLS program requires 44 credit hours, which takes 16 months to complete. Graduates are eligible to take the certification exam.
Q: How can I obtain an application?
A: If you are new to HCC, you must first complete an HCC application for admission. Then you will need to complete an application for the advanced technical certificate at the Health Sciences website.
Q: What is the schedule for this 16-month program?
A: In Fall A, Spring A and Summer A (6 weeks), of the first part of the program, students are in the classroom with didactic classes and student labs Monday through Thursday. Student labs are two or three time a week and can last till 6:30 p.m. During the second half of the program which is the Summer B (6 weeks) and Fall B, the students are in the clinical rotations Monday through Thursday and in the didactic classes on Friday.
After successfully completing the program during Fall B, you may take the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification Exam (ASCP-BOC) and become a medical laboratory scientist.