How to Get Started
To get started in the Medical Laboratory Technology program, complete the admissions process at El Centro College.
When you meet with an academic advisor, mention your interest in the Medical Laboratory Technology program so he or she can help you determine which courses you should take.
If you are planning to earn an associate degree or certificate, please note that you must complete 25 percent of your degree requirements at the college awarding the degree.
Applying for the Medical Laboratory Technology Program
Before you can apply for admission to the MLT program, you must first complete the 39-credit-hour Medical Laboratory Technology Core Curriculum, which includes general education and related health classes and can be completed in two semesters.
You can then apply for admission to the MLT program, which accepts students via a competitive selection process based on grade point average in the primary prerequisite courses. MLT courses begin in mid-May of each academic year. Over a 16-month period, you’ll take lecture, lab and clinical course work.
Acceptance to the Medical Laboratory Technology program is via a competitive selection process. Download the complete application packet (PDF - 313KB) for detailed information.
Information Sessions
Before you can apply to the MLT program, you must also attend an information session (held monthly at the El Centro College Downtown Campus). This required session addresses program admission, application and acceptance policies in detail. You don’t need to make an advance reservation to attend an information session.
Get the information session schedule:
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Application Filing Period
There are 20 spaces available in each beginning class of the Medical Laboratory Technology program, which starts in May of each year. The prequalifying application period is Jan. 1 to March 15 of each year.
Candidates in the applicant pool are considered in the following order:
- Applicants who have completed the two primary prerequisite courses with the required minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA before March 15 and who have completed the entire Medical Laboratory Technology Core Curriculum. Applications to the MLT program that are turned in by early March are considered to be first in line as candidates provided that the required content and background courses have been fulfilled.
- Potential applicants who have completed the majority of the MLT Core Curriculum and who are enrolled in the remainder of the Core Curriculum courses with the intent of completing those 39 credit hours by the end of a spring semester.
Drug Testing and Criminal Background Check
All students enrolled in El Centro College’s Health Occupations programs are required by Dallas/Fort Worth Hospital Council member facilities to undergo drug testing and a criminal background check after admission to the program, but within 30 days before the start of clinical rotations.
Tuition
Dallas County residents pay $156 per three-hour class — that’s $52 per credit hour, or just $624 for a full semester load of 12 credit hours.
Compare that to what you’d pay elsewhere! See tuition rates for tuition according to your place of residency.
Rising Star Program
If you are a Dallas County high school graduating senior, you may qualify for Rising Star funds to help pay for this program. The Rising Star program offers academic support services and up to $4,000 for tuition and books, if you have established financial need.
Courses Offered (Curriculum)
Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program courses are offered at the El Centro College campus on a full-time basis during the daytime only. Many support courses, including Health Occupations Core Curriculum classes, are available for both day or evening schedules. MLT courses must be completed in the semester in which they are scheduled in the curriculum.
Our catalog provides detailed information about the courses we offer and the courses required for the following associate degree:
Accreditation and Affiliations
Each of the Dallas County Community College District’s seven colleges — Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland — is individually accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The Medical Laboratory Technology program was begun in 1969 at El Centro College and is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). It is the only accredited MLT program within the six-county area of Dallas, Tarrant, Parker, Rockwall, Hunt and Denton counties.
Related Programs
Not exactly sure what you want to study? We offer several health care programs that might interest you.
Other Degree and Certificate Options
The colleges of DCCCD offer nearly 350 career and technical degrees and certificates, plus more than 50 academic degrees. For more information, see a chart of our degree plans by college or visit our credit programs home page.
Facilities and Equipment
The MLT program is located in the Center for Allied Health and Nursing, in the Paramount Building at Market and Pacific streets, a block from the El Centro College Downtown Campus.
Opened in June 2008 to house El Centro’s booming allied health programs, the center comprises 55 classrooms and labs that contain some of the most advanced equipment available to educate health care students.
The center’s high-tech equipment includes:
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Faculty Profiles
Our Medical Lab Technology faculty members not only have relevant degrees but also have real-world experience in their profession, so they can relate to the challenges you’ll face at work. Our instructors work with you one-on-one, encouraging you and helping you to succeed in school and in your career. See profiles of some of our Medical Lab Technology faculty.
Transfer Information
The Medical Lab Technology program is designed for direct entry into the workforce.
However, several four-year universities coordinate transfer programs so that our program graduates can transfer community college credits to earn a bachelor’s degree. Ask your program coordinator about scheduled university program visits during the semester.
If you are interested in earning a degree at a four-year institution, please visit the Transfer Services website for guidance on the transfer process.
Links to Additional Information
See links to medical lab technology accrediting organizations, websites with information about this career field and more.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Medical Lab Technology program that aren’t answered on our website, please feel free to contact us.
