Studies & Degrees in Medical Laboratory Technology
Medical laboratory technology is the study of the tests that laboratories run on blood, urine, tissue and other samples to help diagnose, treat and prevent disease. A large share of medical decisions depend on these results, and the people who produce them work behind the scenes: they receive and prepare the samples, operate and maintain microscopes, cell counters and automated analysers, check that the results are reliable, and report them to the physician.
The field is also called medical laboratory science, clinical laboratory science or, in older usage, medical technology. Students learn the main laboratory disciplines one by one: clinical chemistry, haematology, microbiology, immunology, blood banking (immunohaematology), urinalysis and body fluids, and molecular diagnostics, together with phlebotomy, quality control and laboratory safety. Every programme includes a period of practical training in a hospital or clinical laboratory.
Qualifications and levels
There are two professional levels, and it matters which one a programme leads to. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that technologists perform more complex tests and procedures than technicians, and that technicians usually work under the general supervision of technologists or laboratory managers.
- Technician (MLT): associate degree. Clinical laboratory technicians typically complete an associate degree. Somerset Community College states that its Associate in Applied Science can be earned in two years of full-time study, and Central Community College in Nebraska also offers a two-year associate degree. At Delaware Technical & Community College the course work on campus is followed by a clinical affiliation in an approved hospital.
- Technologist or scientist (MLS): bachelor's degree. Technologists typically earn a bachelor's degree in medical technology or a related life science. Kean University, for example, offers a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science with a clinical preceptorship in the senior year.
- Short certificates. Phlebotomy and laboratory assistant certificates are shorter and narrower; Central Community College offers a one-semester phlebotomy certificate. They do not qualify the holder as a laboratory technician.
- Spain. The equivalent vocational qualification is the Técnico Superior en Laboratorio Clínico y Biomédico, a higher vocational cycle of 2,000 hours. The Ministry of Education's TodoFP portal notes that the activity is regulated by the state health administration.
Accreditation, certification and licensing
In the United States, programmes are accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), which covers both the Medical Laboratory Technician and the Medical Laboratory Scientist level. Somerset Community College, Alexandria Technical & Community College and Delaware Tech state that their technician programmes hold this accreditation. Completing an accredited programme is typically required to sit a certification exam; the schools above prepare graduates for the Board of Certification examination of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Some states also require laboratory staff to be licensed or registered, and employers may prefer certified candidates even where it is not compulsory.
Canada has its own national certification through the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), which has a separate route for internationally educated medical laboratory technologists. In general, a laboratory qualification is not transferable from one country to another without an assessment, so students who plan to work abroad should ask the school and the regulator of that country what recognition the qualification has.
Where to study it
The SpainExchange directory lists 22 schools for this subject: 18 in the United States, two in Canada and one each in New Zealand and Ethiopia. Many of the US schools are community and technical colleges that teach the two-year technician route, and some universities offer the bachelor's degree. Teaching in these countries is in English. Programmes may set health requirements before the clinical part (Delaware Tech asks for evidence of a physical examination), so it is worth asking each school early about its admission conditions for international students.
Careers
Graduates work in hospital laboratories, independent medical and diagnostic laboratories, physicians' offices, blood banks, public health and research laboratories and, in some cases, in quality control in the pharmaceutical or food industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical laboratory technologists and technicians held about 343,000 jobs in the United States in 2025, 36 percent of them in private general hospitals, and employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. With experience and further study, technicians can move up to technologist level, and technologists can specialise or move into laboratory management.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a medical laboratory technician and a technologist?
The technician usually holds an associate degree and performs more routine, automated tests under supervision. The technologist, also called medical laboratory scientist, usually holds a bachelor's degree and performs more complex tests and procedures.
How long does the training take?
About two years of full-time study for the associate degree at the colleges cited here, and a full bachelor's degree for the technologist level. The Spanish higher vocational cycle in clinical and biomedical laboratory lasts 2,000 hours.
Do I need certification to work in a laboratory?
In the United States it depends on the state and the employer: some states require a licence or registration, and employers may prefer certified staff. Choosing an accredited programme keeps the certification exam open to you.
Will there be contact with patients?
Some. Programmes teach how to collect patient specimens, including drawing blood, but most of the work takes place in the laboratory with samples and instruments.