Fast-track your career as a medical laboratory technician
This two-year program will prepare you to become an entry-level medical laboratory technician and gain employment in Australia’s expanding pathology industry, working in hospital and private pathology laboratories.
- * Duration note: Students commencing in Semester 2 will take 2.5 years, some semesters can only be taken part-time.
This two-year program will prepare you to become an entry-level medical laboratory technician and gain employment in Australia’s expanding pathology industry, working in hospital and private pathology laboratories.
In this program, you’ll learn to perform medical laboratory tests on blood and other bodily fluids and tissues, which assist clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases and clinical disorders.
As a graduate of this program, you will receive full credit towards the Bachelor of Biomedical Science which you can complete with only one additional year of study, further expanding your career opportunities.
In this program you will:
- Conduct clinical investigations on human diseases
- Develop technical skills in physiology, pathophysiology, haematology, histology, biochemistry, clinical chemistry, blood banking, and medical microbiology
- Undertake industry placements
- Receive training by experienced medical laboratory scientists and technicians to handle human specimens
- Use modern laboratory equipment for pathology testing
Post-admission requirements:
- Before undertaking industry placement courses, students must obtain and provide evidence of vaccination of preventable diseases (eg hepatitis B immunisation) and a BlueCard.
Career opportunities:
- Medical laboratory technician positions in pathology services
- Laboratory technicians in scientific and educational technical services
Program structure
Introductory courses (8) 96 units
COR109 Public Health Foundations
LFS100 Health Promotion Assessment and Planning
MLS101 Health Promotion Principles
SCI105 Health Promotion Implementation and Evaluation
LFS112 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
MLS110 Reading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Writing
MLS121 Working with First Nations Peoples and Multicultural Communities
MLS131 Globalisation, Development and Indigenous Peoples
Developing and Graduate courses (8) 96 units
BIM203 Research Methods in Arts and Social Science
HLT221 Contexts of Practice: The Older Person and Family
LFS251 Contexts of practice: child, youth and family
LFS261 Palliative, Rehabilitation and Continuing Care
MLS210 The Child Client
MLS231 Communication and Thought
LFS262 Cell Biology
MLS211 Foundations in Medical Science
Note: Program structures are subject to change. Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.
Total units: 192
Recommended study sequences
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements
In order to graduate you must:
- Successfully complete 192 units as outlined in the Program Structure
- Complete no more than 10 introductory level (100) coded courses.
In order to commence industry placement you must:
- Before undertaking industry placement courses, students must provide proof of vaccination against Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Pertussis and Varicella (Chickenpox).
- Have a National Criminal History check (by Queensland Police Service or other state/territory authority).
- Hold a valid USC Blue Card for working with children.
- Students must undertake mandatory online orientation courses for the organisations where they will be placed, and will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding patient information.
- Students will be required to complete placement(s) in rural/regional locations. Students will be required to fund the cost for travel, accommodation, fuel etc. associated with placement. USC scholarships and bursaries are available for students to apply to supplement these costs.
For information about how to complete Post-admission requirements, visit Medical Laboratory Science (Placements) - Mandatory requirements.
Program notes
- Follow the program structure for your year and semester of commencement unless advised otherwise
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses) and following the recommended study sequence. Please be aware that if commencing in semester 2, the duration will be 2.5 years and some semesters can only be taken part-time.
- The unit value of all courses is 12 units unless otherwise specified
- It is each students responsibility to enrol correctly according to your course requisites, program rules and requirements and be aware of the academic calendar dates
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations. Not all courses will necessarily include all methods.
- As part of your USC program, you may apply to Study Overseas to undertake courses with an overseas higher education provider.
- Refer to the Managing your progression page for help in understanding your program structure, reviewing your progress and planning remaining courses.
- Concurrent study with the Bachelor of Biomedical Science is generally not permitted. However in some special circumstances applications for concurrent study may be considered on a case by case basis for students that have completed at least 144 units (12 courses) of the Associate Degree in Medical Laboratory Science. Please contact Student Central for application information.