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Studies & Degrees in Pathological and Cytological Anatomy

Pathological anatomy, also called anatomical pathology or histopathology, is the part of medicine that studies and diagnoses disease by examining tissues and cells. Cytology, or cytopathology, works at the level of single cells: the NHS Health Careers service in the United Kingdom describes it as a branch of pathology "involving the study and diagnosis of diseases at the cellular level using a light microscope". Histopathology is the microscopic examination of tissue samples, such as a biopsy taken during an operation. Cervical screening samples, biopsies and autopsies all pass through these laboratories.

Two different professions share the field. The pathologist is a medical doctor who makes the diagnosis. The technician, technologist or laboratory scientist receives the samples, prepares them and, in cytology, screens the slides for abnormal cells. Most courses under this subject name train the second group. Students learn to register and preserve biological samples, to process, cut and stain tissue, to prepare and read gynaecological and general cytology slides, to apply molecular biology and cytogenetics techniques, and to assist at autopsies.

Qualifications and levels

The name and level of the qualification depend on the country.

  • Spain: higher vocational training (FP). The official qualification is the Técnico Superior en Anatomía Patológica y Citodiagnóstico, a grado superior in the health (Sanidad) family. It lasts 2,000 hours, normally spread over two academic years, and the royal decree that created it (Real Decreto 767/2014) assigns 120 ECTS credits to its modules. The modules include biological sample management, general laboratory techniques, molecular biology and cytogenetics, general physiopathology, autopsies (Necropsias), cytological and tissue processing, gynaecological cytology and general cytology, plus a training period in a company or laboratory. Applicants need the Bachiller, a vocational qualification or an equivalent, or must pass an entrance test. The qualification gives direct access to university bachelor's degrees (grados).
  • University degrees in laboratory science. In Peru, the Escuela Profesional de Tecnología Médica of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos trains medical technologists in four areas, one of which is clinical laboratory and pathological anatomy. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that clinical laboratory technologists typically need a bachelor's degree, that technicians sometimes qualify with an associate's degree, and that cytotechnologists must attend specialised education programmes. Some states also require a licence.
  • Training on the job. In the United Kingdom, cervical cytology screeners train in the laboratory and sit an external screening exam after two years, according to NHS Health Careers.
  • The medical route. To become a pathologist, a student first completes a medical degree and then specialises. The Royal College of Pathologists lists the steps in the United Kingdom as medical school, the foundation programme and specialty training in histopathology.

Programme names vary, so it is worth asking each school which qualification it awards and what recognition that qualification has in the country where the student wants to work.

Where to study it

Our directory lists 6 schools for this subject: three in Spain and one each in Mexico, Peru and Russia. Among them are a vocational training centre, universities and a medical university.

In Spain, CEU FP Madrid teaches the Técnico Superior en Anatomía Patológica y Citodiagnóstico on campus, in Spanish, over two academic years and 2,000 hours. The centre states that students complete 500 hours of work placement in total. The Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima covers the field inside its medical technology school. Rostov State Medical University in Russia and the Universidad de Cádiz are also listed; ask them which of their programmes include pathology. The Spanish ministry's TodoFP portal has a search tool for all the centres, public and private, that teach the FP qualification.

Teaching in Spain and Latin America is in Spanish. Laboratory work depends on exact written protocols and reports, so international students need a good working level of the language before the placement period starts.

Careers

TodoFP lists the jobs that holders of the Spanish qualification can do: technician in pathological anatomy and cytology, cytotechnician, forensic assistant, autopsy prosector, embalmer (tanatopractor), and assistant in molecular biology or in research. They work in public and private health services and in research centres, under the supervision of a medical specialist.

The BLS does not publish separate figures for cytology and histology staff. For the wider group of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians in the United States, it counts about 343,000 jobs in 2025 and projects growth of 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Rules on who may work in a diagnostic laboratory are national, so a qualification earned in one country usually has to be recognised before it can be used in another.

Frequently asked questions

Is pathological anatomy and cytology a university degree in Spain?

No. In Spain it is an official higher vocational training qualification (grado superior de FP) of 2,000 hours. It gives direct access to university bachelor's degrees for those who want to continue.

Can a pathology technician diagnose disease?

The technician processes the samples and makes a first screening of cytology slides, working under the supervision of a medical specialist. The diagnosis is the responsibility of the pathologist, who is a doctor with specialty training.

What is the difference between histology and cytology?

Histology, or histopathology, examines pieces of tissue, such as a biopsy. Cytology examines individual cells, for example in a cervical screening sample or in fluid taken from a lump.

What do I need to enter the Spanish course?

The Bachiller, a vocational training qualification or an equivalent, or a pass in the entrance test for higher vocational training. Applicants with foreign school studies should ask the centre how those studies are recognised.