Medical Lab FAQ

Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Mathematics, Chemistry and Phlebotomy courses must be completed within the last eight (8) years.

*PLB109 and PLB111 can be waived if 2 or more years of work experience as a phlebotomist, clinical lab assistant or specimen processor in a clinical laboratory. An employment verification letter is to be submitted to the Program Director to be eligible for the PLB waiver.

The Medical Laboratory Science (MLT level) Program only accepts completed applications; no provisional or incomplete applications are accepted. Admission to the program is based on a first-qualified, first-served basis.

If the applicant meets all requirements the Program Director will enter the student’s application information into a computer database. All complete applications will receive a date and time stamp, this will secure a position in the Medical Laboratory Science (MLT level) Program’s queue. Dates are approximate to reflect Monday through Friday during regular business hours. You will receive an e-mail to your Maricopa student email account indicating acceptance of your application.

The program begins in December each year, with the first class MDL190. The program schedule runs through the following April/May. Students are working online and attending in-person classes and student lab at Phoenix College on Fridays from 8am - 4pm during the first spring and fall semesters.

Students then complete clinical rotations scheduled late May through late August and again in late December through April/May. Students average 40 hours per week during day shift hours, each day Monday through Friday, to complete their clinical rotations at clinical sites selected by the school.

The schedule for the MLT Program Courses and Externships can be found in the "Downloads/Forms" page.

Classes are hybrid courses, with the majority of the coursework online, and in-person sessions scheduled on Fridays from 8:00am-4:00pm. Clinical rotations (practicums) are 40 hours per week scheduled during day shift hours, Monday through Friday.

Scheduling of clinical sites is coordinated by faculty and staff at Phoenix College. Once students are accepted into the program, faculty and staff coordinate scheduling of clinical sites for each student admitted into the program.

The program has courses with a total of 36 credits and course fees associated with many of the lab-related courses. The program textbooks can be found on the program web site, and these textbooks can be obtained at the bookstore located on campus, or through other resources. The credit fee is established by the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board. For 2024-25, the MLS program costs including tuition, fees, and textbooks were approximately $6,700. Costs for the entire program including prerequisite courses are approximately $9,900. Students can pay for a group of courses as they progress through the program and do not have to pay the full amount upon acceptance into the program. Financial aid is available for qualified students and more information can be obtained through the Financial Aid Office.

Please note the first course of the program, MDL190, is not eligible to be covered by financial aid.

Maricopa County Community College District does have a credit for prior learning policy. Your relevant work experience within a clinical laboratory and associated training and education may enable you to qualify for credit for prior learning for select portions of the program. Please contact the program director to discuss credit for prior learning.

Yes, most students in this program work while completing the program. The program is a hybrid design and is designed for students who might work. The hybrid design allows for some of the learning to be completed by the student using their own home computer or other computing resources and limits the amount of time students need to be in a campus-based setting. The campus-based classes are scheduled only on Fridays which allow students working any shift to be able to participate in the program.

Clinical externship hours are required to be 40 hours per week, usually dayshift, 4 or 5 days per week. Most students who work while in the program flex their work schedule, work in the evenings and on weekends or take PTO or unpaid time off to be able to complete the clinical externship requirements.

• Medical Laboratory Science Program Application 
• Copy of Unofficial College Transcripts showing completion of all prerequisite courses with the appropriate required GPA
• Current Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card - Issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A photocopy of the front and back of the card is required as part of the application process.  

• Completed and signed Health and Safety Documentation form with copies of actual immunization record or laboratory titer results as supporting documentation of:
• Proof of 2 MMR vaccinations or positive titers for measles, mumps, AND rubella - Proof of immunity through serologic testing (positive IgG titer) OR documentation of two (2) doses of MMR vaccination on separate dates at least 28 days apart. If a titer shows negative, equivocal, or non-reactive you will be required to repeat the MMR series with two (2) additional immunizations and provide appropriate documentation.
• Proof of positive varicella titer or 2 varicella vaccinations (History of disease is not sufficient) - Proof of immunity through serologic testing (positive IgG titer) OR documentation of two (2) doses of Varicella vaccination 30 days apart. If a titer shows negative, equivocal, or non-reactive you will be required to repeat the Varicella series with two (2) additional immunizations and provide appropriate documentation. History of chickenpox is NOT sufficient proof of immunity.
• Proof of negative 2-step TB skin test (2 results) within the last year or negative chest x-ray within the last 6 months, must be valid throughout duration of program including clinicals (must provide proof of 2 TB tests) - Two-Step TB Skin Test consisting of an initial TB skin test and a boosted TB skin test 1-3 weeks following the first test within the last 6 months. OR Negative Two-Step TB Skin Test and annual testing within the last 6 months. OR Negative chest X-ray and annual documentation of a TB disease-free status by completing a Tuberculosis Screening Questionnaire. OR Documentation of a negative result from an IGRA test (Quantiferon, T-Spot) within the last 6 months
• Proof of 3 Hepatitis B vaccinations or positive Hepatitis B titer - Proof of immunity through serologic testing (positive HbsAB titer) OR documentation of three (3) doses of Hepatitis B vaccination (an initial injection followed by a second injection given 1 or 2 months after the first dose and a third injection 4 to 6 months after the first) OR signed declination
• Proof of a one-time Tdap vaccination and Tetanus (Tdap) booster if 10 years or more since Tdap vaccination, must be valid throughout duration of program including clinicals
• Proof of flu vaccine proving annual vaccination, documentation must contain student name, site date, date, and expiration.
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination - proof of two-dose vaccination of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or proof of one dose vaccination of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
• Proof of Current CPR training – Healthcare Provider level, BLS level, or Professional Rescuer level, must be valid throughout duration of program including clinicals - Healthcare Provider BLS CPR card issued by the American Heart Association. All Health Science Programs require American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR certification. This certification includes training for adult/Child/Infant CPR, choking, AED, and one- and two-man rescuer. Please be sure to verify with the trainer that the course you take satisfies these requirements. Courses that do not have a demonstration component will not be accepted. Examples would be cards received on the internet that do not have an in-person skills review. A fully online CPR course will NOT be accepted.

• Fingerprint Clearance Card: $75
• CPR for Health Care Providers (BLS Level): $20-$50 – varies according to location
• Immunizations: $250 - $600 – varies according to location and previous immunization history
• Drug Testing (IF conditionally accepted, prior to clinical practicum): $60
• Scrubs for class and clinicals: $15-30 – varies according to place of purchase
• Supplemental MCCCD Background Check (IF conditionally accepted, prior to the start of the program): $67
• Compliance Tracker (IF conditionally accepted, prior to the start of the program): $25
• Online Clinical Orientation (IF conditionally accepted, prior to the start of the program): $42