(Also see Phlebotomy)
Program Coordinator: Joanna Soupos, 847.376.7113 , jsoupos@oakton.edu
The goal of the Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum is to provide a broad science background and courses in both theoretical and practical aspects of clinical laboratory science. Medical laboratory technicians work to determine the presence, extent or absence of disease and provide data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment in hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices and commercial laboratories. Course offerings include laboratory techniques, principles and physiological significance of tests on all types of body tissues and fluids, from urine and blood to cell samples, and hands-on experience on a wide variety of specialized, high-precision instruments, including centrifuges, electronic counters, automatic analyzers and computers.
During the second year of this curriculum, students are required to spend 864 hours in an assigned clinical laboratory. Part of the practical experience may extend into vacation time and/or school holidays. Students are required to provide uniforms and health insurance.
Students must receive a minimum grade of C in all MLT and science courses.
The graduate is eligible to take the certification examination administered by the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology and become a certified MLT (ASCP). The MLT Curriculum is accredited by:
NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences)
5600 North River Road, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018
773-714-8880.
This is a limited enrollment curriculum. For more information, contact the health career specialist at 847.635.1844.
Medical Laboratory Technology courses are offered in specific semesters only. Therefore, students should plan to follow this course schedule:
- Fall semester: MLT 105, MLT 106, MLT 111, MLT 112, BIO 231, CHM 121
- Spring semester: MLT 113, MLT 115, MLT 117, BIO 232, BIO 251, CHM 122
- Summer session: MLT 210, MLT 215
- Fall semester: MLT 220, MLT 221, MLT 225, EGL 101, General Education courses from Areas A, D, E, G
- Spring semester: MLT 230, MLT 231, MLT 235, General Education courses from Areas A, F, G
Admission Requirements:
- High school graduation or High School Equivalency Certificate 1.
- High School GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- One year of high school or one semester of college:
- Algebra (completed within the last seven years) with a minimum grade of C or one semester of college algebra (Oakton - MAT 140 or equivalent). Math placement test may be required.
- Biology (completed within the last 10 years) with a minimum grade of C or one semester of college biology (Oakton - BIO 101 or equivalent)
- Chemistry (completed within the last seven years) with a minimum grade of C or one semester of college chemistry (Oakton - CHM 101 or equivalent)
- Foreign high school graduates or students with foreign college credits need to send English translated copies of their transcripts to Educational Perspectives, www.edperspective.org/oakton. Students with foreign college credit should request a catalog match.
- Entry level competency for EGL 101 demonstrated by coursework or placement testing.
- Native English Accuplacer® Reading Assessment test, taken at Oakton’s Testing Center, with a minimum score of 250. Results expire after three years.
- ACT score of 21 or higher, or SAT score of 1060 or higher, or minimum of 12 credit hours from the following courses with a grade of C or better: BIO 231, BIO 232, and CHM 121, CHM 222.
- Cumulative college GPA of 2.0 or better.
- Satisfactory interview with MLT faculty.
- Admitted students are required to submit a current and complete physical examination record before registration for MLT clinical courses.
- Applicants must be able to meet MLT Essential Skills.
- All Oakton MLT courses must be completed at the College. There is no transfer of MLT coursework from other programs.
- 1
As of January 1, 2023, the High School Equivalency Certificate became the State of Illinois High School Diploma. High School Equivalency credentials received prior to that date remain valid.
Health Career curricula are governed by specific objectives, rules and regulations formulated by the College, accrediting bodies and participating clinical facilities. Students should familiarize themselves with these standards. Students should also be aware that failure to maintain satisfactory progress in technical courses may significantly delay completion of the curriculum or may result in the student being dropped from the curriculum. Each student’s right to participation in the clinical portion of the curriculum is also contingent upon compliance with the rules of the clinical facility. The clinical facility has sole discretion to determine when its rules have been violated.
Clinical placements require a health assessment, certain immunizations, yearly vaccines, substance abuse testing, criminal background check, specific skill certification (i.e., CPR/BLS) and health insurance. The requirements represent an additional cost to the student.
All Oakton College Health Career students in a program with a clinical component must have “clear” criminal background checks and drug screens in order to participate in any and all clinical components of any health career program courses.
To comply with state statutes and clinical affiliation agreements, and to provide a safe environment for students, employees, and patients cared for by students, those accepted into Oakton’s health career programs will be required to complete a criminal background check and drug screening through a company contracted by the College. Health Career students will be charged a fee for this service.
Timelines for completing criminal background checks and drug screens may vary among the various programs. Deadline dates for each program will be provided by the individual department chairs at the time of a student’s acceptance into a health career program.
Students without a clear criminal background check and/or clear drug screen will not be allowed to enroll in clinical practicum courses or attend clinical programs. This would further necessitate that the student withdraws from the health career program at that time.
Students who refuse a criminal background check and/or drug screen will not be considered “clear” and will not be authorized to participate in the clinical component of the health career program, necessitating withdrawal from the program at that time. Individual results of student background checks and drug screens are considered confidential.
Determination of whether or not a student can participate in the clinical component of a particular health career program will be communicated to the respective department chairs by the Background Check/Drug Screen vendor. Students may view their personal results on the vendor’s website.
The goal of the Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum is to provide a broad science background and courses in both theoretical and practical aspects of clinical laboratory science. Medical laboratory technicians work to determine the presence, extent or absence of disease and provide data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment in hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices and commercial laboratories. Course offerings include laboratory techniques, principles and physiological significance of tests on all types of body tissues and fluids, from urine and blood to cell samples, and hands-on experience on a wide variety of specialized, high-precision instruments, including centrifuges, electronic counters, automatic analyzers and computers.
During the second year of this curriculum, students are required to spend 864 hours in an assigned clinical laboratory. Part of the practical experience may extend into vacation time and/or school holidays. Students are required to provide uniforms and health insurance.
Students must receive a minimum grade of C in all MLT and science courses.
The graduate is eligible to take the certification examination administered by the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology and become a certified MLT (ASCP). The MLT Curriculum is accredited by:
NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences)
5600 North River Road, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018
773-714-8880.
This is a limited enrollment curriculum. For more information, contact the health career specialist at 847.635.1844.
Medical Laboratory Technology courses are offered in specific semesters only. Therefore, students should plan to follow this course schedule:
- Fall semester: MLT 105, MLT 106, MLT 111, MLT 112, BIO 231, CHM 121
- Spring semester: MLT 113, MLT 115, MLT 117, BIO 232, BIO 251, CHM 122
- Summer session: MLT 210, MLT 215
- Fall semester: MLT 220, MLT 221, MLT 225, EGL 101, General Education courses from Areas A, D, E, G
- Spring semester: MLT 230, MLT 231, MLT 235, General Education courses from Areas A, F, G
Admission Requirements:
- High school graduation or High School Equivalency Certificate 1.
- High School GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- One year of high school or one semester of college:
- Algebra (completed within the last seven years) with a minimum grade of C or one semester of college algebra (Oakton - MAT 140 or equivalent). Math placement test may be required.
- Biology (completed within the last 10 years) with a minimum grade of C or one semester of college biology (Oakton - BIO 101 or equivalent)
- Chemistry (completed within the last seven years) with a minimum grade of C or one semester of college chemistry (Oakton - CHM 101 or equivalent)
- Foreign high school graduates or students with foreign college credits need to send English translated copies of their transcripts to Educational Perspectives, www.edperspective.org/oakton. Students with foreign college credit should request a catalog match.
- Entry level competency for EGL 101 demonstrated by coursework or placement testing.
- Native English Accuplacer® Reading Assessment test, taken at Oakton’s Testing Center, with a minimum score of 250. Results expire after three years.
- ACT score of 21 or higher, or SAT score of 1060 or higher, or minimum of 12 credit hours from the following courses with a grade of C or better: BIO 231, BIO 232, and CHM 121, CHM 222.
- Cumulative college GPA of 2.0 or better.
- Satisfactory interview with MLT faculty.
- Admitted students are required to submit a current and complete physical examination record before registration for MLT clinical courses.
- Applicants must be able to meet MLT Essential Skills.
- All Oakton MLT courses must be completed at the College. There is no transfer of MLT coursework from other programs.
- 1
As of January 1, 2023, the High School Equivalency Certificate became the State of Illinois High School Diploma. High School Equivalency credentials received prior to that date remain valid.
Medical Laboratory Technology A.A.S.
68 Semester Credit Hours; Curriculum: 0280
Note: Refer to IAI General Education Courses page for guidelines on General Education course selection.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Area A — Communications | ||
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Composition II | ||
| Introduction to Business and Technical Writing | ||
| Technical Writing Applications | ||
| Effective Speech | ||
| Area B — Mathematics | ||
| No course needed | 0 | |
| Area C — Science | ||
| BIO 231 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 232 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| Area D — Social and Behavioral Sciences | ||
| Select one course from a social or behavioral science discipline | 3 | |
| Area E — Humanities/Fine Arts | ||
| Select one course from a humanities or fine arts discipline | 3 | |
| Area F — Global Studies 1 | ||
| Select one course that satisfies Global Studies requirement | 0-3 | |
| Area G — U.S. Diversity Studies 2 | ||
| Select one course that satisfies U.S. Diversity Studies requirement | 0-3 | |
| Total Hours | 20 | |
- 1
Students may take a Global Studies that satisfies both Area F and another Area requirement.
- 2
Students may take a U.S. Diversity Studies course that satisfies both Area G and another Area requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| MLT 105 | Introduction to Health Care Issues | 1 |
| MLT 106 | Basic Skills in Medical Laboratory Technology | 2 |
| MLT 111 | Hematology | 4 |
| MLT 112 | Urinalysis and Body Fluids | 2 |
| MLT 113 | Immunohematology/Blood Bank | 4 |
| MLT 115 | Coagulation | 1 |
| MLT 117 | Immunology/Serology | 1 |
| MLT 210 | Clinical Practicum I | 2 |
| MLT 215 | Clinical Chemistry | 4 |
| MLT 220 | Clinical Practicum II | 2 |
| MLT 221 | Clinical Practicum III | 2 |
| MLT 225 | Medical Microbiology | 4 |
| MLT 230 | Clinical Practicum IV | 2 |
| MLT 231 | Clinical Practicum V | 2 |
| MLT 235 | Applications In Laboratory Practice | 3 |
| BIO 251 | Microbiology | 4 |
| CHM 121 | General College Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHM 122 | General College Chemistry II | 4 |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Medical Laboratory Technology Pathway
The following Pathway is recommended for students pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.
For more information on recommended courses or program specific advising, contact the health career specialist at 847.635.1844, or the Division of Health Careers at 847.635.1684. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester One (Fall) | Hours | |
| BIO 231 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| CHM 121 | General College Chemistry I | 4 |
| MLT 105 | Introduction to Health Care Issues | 1 |
| MLT 106 | Basic Skills in Medical Laboratory Technology | 2 |
| MLT 111 | Hematology | 4 |
| MLT 112 | Urinalysis and Body Fluids | 2 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester Two (Spring) | ||
| BIO 232 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIO 251 | Microbiology | 4 |
| CHM 122 | General College Chemistry II | 4 |
| MLT 113 | Immunohematology/Blood Bank | 4 |
| MLT 115 | Coagulation | 1 |
| MLT 117 | Immunology/Serology | 1 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Semester Three (Summer) | ||
| MLT 210 | Clinical Practicum I | 2 |
| MLT 215 | Clinical Chemistry | 4 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester One (Fall) | ||
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| MLT 220 | Clinical Practicum II | 2 |
| MLT 221 | Clinical Practicum III | 2 |
| MLT 225 | Medical Microbiology | 4 |
| Select one Social and Behavioral Science course | 3 | |
| Select one Humanities/Fine Arts course | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester Two (Spring) | ||
| MLT 230 | Clinical Practicum IV | 2 |
| MLT 231 | Clinical Practicum V | 2 |
| MLT 235 | Applications In Laboratory Practice | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Composition II | ||
| Introduction to Business and Technical Writing | ||
| Technical Writing Applications | ||
| Effective Speech | ||
| Select one Global Studies course 1 | 0-3 | |
| Select one U.S. Diversity Studies course 2 | 0-3 | |
| Hours | 10-16 | |
| Total Hours | 68-74 | |
- 1
Course fulfills the Global Studies requirement. At least one Global Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 2
Course fulfills the U.S. Diversity Studies requirement. At least one U.S. Diversity Studies course is required for degree completion.
Note: Pathway is a recommended sequence of courses. Part-time students should contact the health career specialist to discuss a part-time pathway as well as course prerequisites and recommendations.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Perform routine clinical laboratory tests (in hematology, clinical chemistry, blood bank, microbiology, immunology, and coagulation) as the primary analyst making specimen oriented decisions on predetermined criteria, with 90 % accuracy.
- Collect, transport, handle and process blood specimens for analysis, following standard operating procedures, with 90% accuracy.
- Select appropriate laboratory equipment and supplies in testing procedures following standard operating procedures, with 90% accuracy.
- Identify factors that affect specimen collection and testing procedures and test results and take appropriate actions within predetermined limits, when applicable, with 90% accuracy.
- Perform routine clinical laboratory testing, adhering to infection control and safety policies and procedures, with 90% accuracy.
Medical Laboratory Technology Courses
Course introduces field of health care, with focus on hospital and laboratory organization. Content includes professional ethics, legal and regulatory issues, communication skills and OSHA requirements.
Course introduces basic medical laboratory. Content includes units on laboratory equipment, computers, laboratory safety, metric system, blood collection requirements for laboratory testing and phlebotomy.
Fee: $95
Course provides in-depth study of current phlebotomy techniques. Focus is on skills necessary to properly obtain blood specimens for laboratory testing. Content includes safety precautions, collection equipment, venipuncture and skin puncture techniques, and special collection procedures.
Fee: $60
Course stresses development of basic techniques and understanding of principles, procedures, and sources of error in hematology lab work. Combined lectures and laboratory sessions to teach basic techniques and to develop skills needed to work in hematology. Content includes the formed elements of blood, including erythrocyte, leukocyte and thrombocyte cell maturation; normal cell function, and basic concepts of methods used to detect normal and diseased blood states.
Fee: $60
Course studies urine formation including function and diseases of the kidney. Lectures and laboratory sessions focus on detection of physical, chemical and microscopic properties of urine in normal and abnormal states. Content also includes discussion of miscellaneous fluid analysis, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, gastric analysis and fecal analysis.
Fee: $45
Course introduces basic concepts in immunology and blood banking. Lectures and laboratory sessions focus on performing all routine and some special procedures currently practiced in blood bank departments.
Fee: $90
Course includes classroom lecture and laboratory course in coagulation. Content includes pathways and mechanisms which make it possible for blood to clot or remain fluid.
Fee: $30
Course includes classroom lecture and laboratory course in immunology and serology. Content includes factors involved in host response to a specific challenge with a foreign antigen; focus of serology portion of course is on detection of disease and pregnancy based on antigen-antibody reactions, using a variety of immunologic methods.
Fee: $30
Course consists of 120 contact hours (15 eight hour days) of supervised practice in phlebotomy at assigned clinical affiliation site. Practicum provides opportunity to observe and gain proficiency in skin punctures, venipuncture and special collection techniques.
Fee: $50
Course includes five twenty-four hours-per-week practicum sessions to perform technical procedures at assigned clinical affiliation sites, in five major laboratory areas: Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Medical Microbiology and Serology - Coagulation- Urinalysis. Each area is self-contained module. Clinical affiliate determines sequence of modules on rotational schedule. All five modules must be completed, each separately graded.
Fee: $70
Course combines classroom lecture and laboratory course. Content includes basic theories, techniques and sources of error in routine clinical chemistry procedures. Focus is on correlations between clinical picture and laboratory results.
Fee: $50
Course includes five twenty-four hours-per-week practicum sessions to perform technical procedures at assigned clinical affiliation sites, in five major laboratory areas: Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Medical Microbiology and Serology - Coagulation- Urinalysis. Each area is self-contained module. Clinical affiliate determines sequence of modules on rotational schedule. All five modules must be completed, each separately graded.
Fee: $70
Course includes five twenty-four hours-per-week practicum sessions to perform technical procedures at assigned clinical affiliation sites, in five major laboratory areas: Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Medical Microbiology and Serology - Coagulation- Urinalysis. Each area is self-contained module. Clinical affiliate determines sequence of modules on rotational schedule. All five modules must be completed, each separately graded.
Fee: $70
Course provides in-depth study of medical microbiology. Content includes mycology and parasitology, terminology and methods used to isolate and identify pathogens.
Fee: $90
Course includes five twenty-four hours-per-week practicum sessions to perform technical procedures at assigned clinical affiliation sites, in five major laboratory areas: Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Medical Microbiology and Serology - Coagulation- Urinalysis. Each area is self-contained module. Clinical affiliate determines sequence of modules on rotational schedule. All five modules must be completed, each separately graded.
Fee: $70
Course includes five twenty-four hours-per-week practicum sessions to perform technical procedures at assigned clinical affiliation sites, in five major laboratory areas: Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Medical Microbiology and Serology - Coagulation- Urinalysis. Each area is self-contained module. Clinical affiliate determines sequence of modules on rotational schedule. All five modules must be completed, each separately graded.
Fee: $70
Course deals with presentation and utilization of basic mathematics concepts as applied in the medical laboratory. Focus is on laboratory quality control and governmental regulations. Review of all major areas also included.