A. A. S. in Histotechnology
Overview
The Associate of Applied Science degree in Histotechnology prepares students for careers as Histotechnicians. This program includes a combination of both basic prerequisite and technical courses. In the technical portion, students will learn to prepare tissue, blood, and fluid samples for histologists or pathologists to examine under a microscope, and look for signs of abnormality or disease. The program offers two formats: a face-to-face program for students meeting pre-requisite requirements, and an online option for students meeting pre-requisites and currently working in a histopathology laboratory. The courses comprising the technical portion will be taken in Fort Worth at the Richard C. Schaffer Educational Building for the face-to-face program and online for the online option. Clinical experiences are completed at affiliated clinical hospital sites.
Jump Right In
Acceptance to the HT program is on a competitive basis. Students must successfully complete prerequisites prior to entering the technical portion of the program. Students interested in completing the online option should be currently employed in a histopathology laboratory or have access to training in a histopathology laboratory through their employer.
After successful program completion, students will be eligible to take the histotechnician exam, which is administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Registry. Upon passing the exam, students will be ready to start their career as a certified Histotechnician.
Designed With You in Mind
Our department faculty members are certified Histotechnologists with advanced degrees and/or specialty certifications and have various clinical experiences that offer a diverse academic presentation. Additionally, our staff is assisted by pathologists and medical laboratory scientists from several affiliated clinical laboratories.
Accreditations
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- National Accrediting Agency for Medical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
Related Programs
Not what you were looking for? Tarleton State University offers over 100 different degrees and certifications that may be of interest to you, including:
Estimated Completion
60 credit hours (2 years)
Application Process
To apply to this program, complete the HT application and mail to the address on the application with the $35 non-refundable application fee. Three academic and/or professional references are required along with original transcripts from all universities and/or colleges attended.
After you are accepted into the program, you will then be instructed to apply to Tarleton State University:
Cost
Locations Available
Department
College
Plan Your Future
HT graduates are employed in numerous hospital and reference laboratory locations across the North Texas region, throughout Texas, and the nation. Graduates are frequently employed by their clinical practicum affiliate such as:
Baylor Medical Centers across the north Texas region
Texas Health Resources hospitals
HCA hospitals
JPS Health Network
Parkland County hospital facilities
As well as numerous clinical and reference sites in Austin, and much more!
Our Histotechnology program has an 84% completion rate. Students who complete the histotechnology program have a 96% first-time pass rate on the Histotechnology National Board of Registry exam administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Our program is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). 98% of our graduates find employment in histotechnology laboratories within six months of graduation.
Career Services offers a variety of professional development opportunities that can translate into careers. A few of these programs include:
Resume assistance
Handshake
Job fairs
Mock interviews
And much more!
Coursework Outline
Prerequisites
| Class | Number | Class Name |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL | 2401 or 2402 | A & P I or A & P II |
| HPTC | 3350 | Microbiology for Allied Health Professions |
| CHEM | 1407 | Fundamentals of Chemistry |
| PYSC | 2301 | General Psychology |
| ENGL | 1301 | Composition I |
| MATH | 1314 or 1332 | College Algebra or Contemporary Mathematics |
| Humanities or Fine Arts Elective |
Required Histotechnology Courses
| Class | Number | Class Name |
|---|---|---|
| HLAB | 2182 | Introduction to Medical Laboratory Sciences |
| HLAB | 2285 | Capstone Cases and Review |
| HLAB | 2364 | Immunohistochemistry & Advanced Techniques |
| HLAB | 2335 | Histotechnology III |
| HLAB | 2414 | Introduction to Histotechnology |
| HLAB | 2415 | Histotechnology I |
| HLAB | 2424 | Functional Histology II |
| HLAB | 2425 | Histotechnology II |
| HLAB | 2495 | Clinical Histotechnology I |
| HLAB | 2496 | Clinical Histotechnology II |
| HLAB | 2497 | Clinical Histotechnology III |
For more information on course, please refer to the university catalog.
Please note that all required Histotechnology courses (37 credit hours) will be taken at the Fort Worth campus.
Facilities and Features
Located in the central hospital district of Fort Worth, the department has current affiliations with hospitals such as:
Baylor Scott & White All Saint’s Hospital
Baylor University Medical Center
Cook Children’s Medical Center
Medical City Plano
Medical City Fort Worth
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Texas Health Resources: DFW Metroplex and surrounding areas
Veterans Affairs Hospital, Dallas
Several private reference laboratories in the DFW Metroplex
The Richard C. Schaffer Educational Building, located in the central hospital district in Fort Worth, consists of three lecture rooms, six laboratories, a computer lab, and a library. Laboratories housed in the Schaffer Building include:
Hematology, hemostasis and urinalysis/body fluids
Chemistry
Histology
Immunohematology and immunology/serology
Microbiology/parasitology /mycology
Molecular diagnostics: Amplification, pre-amplification/nucleic acid extraction, NGS
Protein laboratory: Blotting techniques
Colleges from which prerequisites courses are currently being accepted from include:
Central Texas College
Cisco Junior College
El Central College
Grayson County College
Hill College
McLennan Community College
Navarro College
North Central Texas College
Vernon College
Tarrant County College
Temple College
Weatherford College