Program Overview

Medical Laboratory Assistant Certificate Program

The Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) certificate program is designed to provide individuals with the opportunity to learn additional laboratory skills, including phlebotomy, specimen processing, and basic laboratory testing.

Why Earn an MLA Certificate?

• The MLA certificate gives those who may already be in the healthcare field the opportunity to learn additional laboratory skills.
• The 15-week MLA course, MLS 1113 Intro Laboratory Practices (4 credits), is available on campus fall and spring semesters.
• An online option is also available to students already working in a laboratory.
• The course encourages and teaches competencies aimed at better serving patient care in laboratory testing.

MLA Certificate Coursework

The MLA certificate course will focus on fundamental and ethical skills, including:

• General laboratory safety
• Basic quality control and quality assurance
• Phlebotomy practice and techniques
• Pre-analytical specimen processing
• Urinalysis with microscopy, immunology, and basic hematology testing
• Point of Care testing in clinical chemistry and microbiology

After Graduation

• The MLA course is one of the pre-requisites for the Campus Medical Laboratory Technician program.
• Students can qualify for the MLA (ASCP) exam via route 4 using the MLA course plus an associate degree and one year of MLA work experience.

Admission for the Campus Medical Laboratory Assistant Certificate Program

Step 1: Apply to WSU

Enroll at Weber State University. Weber State University is an open-enrollment university.

Step 2: Advisement

Once enrolled, set up an appointment with an advisor to receive critical information regarding general education requirements and to assist with a curriculum plan to meet career goals.

Step 3: Register for Class

Find the next available semester to register for MLS 1113/1113L Introductory Laboratory Practices. The course is offered every fall and spring semester on campus.