Skip to content

Other ways to search: Events Calendar | UTHSC News

Certificate Program in Histotechnology

Program Description

This 22-credit hour certificate provides clinical histotechnology training to prepare health professionals for a career in a histology laboratory.  The courses are a combination of online, on-campus, and clinical practicums performed in an accredited laboratory setting.  After completion of the certificate program, graduates are eligible to take the Histotechnologist (HTL) exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).  Currently, there is no state licensure requirement for histotechnologists in Tennessee.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Bachelor’s of Science degree with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.8 (based on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited college or university
  • Completion of the following semester credit hours of prerequisite coursework with a grade of “C” or better in each course:
    • 30 total hours in biology and chemistry including:
      • 8 credit hours of biology
      • 8 credit hours of chemistry
      • Anatomy and Physiology I and II
    • 3 credit hours of college algebra or statistics
  • Students with degrees older than 5 years may be required to update science courses
  • Two letters of recommendation from college instructors or employers
  • Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must submit the results of the TOEFL, with a minimum score of 550 on the written, 213 on the computer test, or 80 on the TOEFL iBT®
  • Official transcripts from a foreign applicant’s native country must be evaluated course by course by one of the credentialing agencies approved by UTHSC. This evaluation must be sent to UTHSC’s Office of Enrollment Services on or before the program’s application deadline. Contact the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science for more information.
  • Interview with the faculty

Completion Requirements

Admitted students complete courses in a part-time, lock-step manner over 12 months. The curriculum covers one calendar year from January until December. The students are eligible to take the HTL registry exam after the final day of coursework is successfully completed.

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for successful completion of the certificate program.

The tuition and fee schedule for programs in the UTHSC College of Health Professions changes each year. PDF versions of the most recent tuition and fee information can be found on the UTHSC Bursar's Office website.

For further information about the histotechnology program or curriculum, please email Sheila Criswell, HTL at scriswel@uthsc.edu.

Last Published: Jul 29, 2024