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Student examining something under a microscope
Apply Now for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Histotechnology

Estimated Completion

60 credit hours (2 years)

Application Process

  1. Complete and submit the Histotechnology Application
  2. Print out 3 reference letters for professors to fill out
  3. Once accepted to program, apply to Tarleton State University - Undergraduate Studies Admissions

Cost

Locations Available

Department

College

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 courses comprising the technical portion will be taken in Fort Worth at the Richard C. Schaffer Educational Building and 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. 

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 Histotechnician.

Designed With You in Mind

Our department faculty members are certified Medical Laboratory Technicians 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

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:

Plan Your Future

Student working in the medical lab.

Career Opportunities

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!

Student listening to lecture.

Get Certified

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.

Student talking to an employer at a job fair.

Career Services

Career Services offers a variety of professional development opportunities that can translate into careers. A few of these programs include:

  • Resume assistance
  • Hire a Texan - Online Job Board
  • Job fairs
  • Mock interviews

And much more!

Request more information about this program in:

Fort Worth Request Info Form

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 2334 Functional Histology
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

Student examining a sample in the lab.

Affiliates

Located in the central hospital district of Fort Worth, the department has current affiliations with hospitals such as:

  • Baylor All Saint’s Hospital
  • Baylor University Medical Center
  • Cook Children’s Medical Center
  • The Medical Center of Plano
  • Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth 
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center
  • Texas Health Resources: DFW Metroplex and surrounding areas 
Student testing samples.

Facilities

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
Student gathering a sample.

Consortium Colleges

Colleges from which prerequisites courses are currently being accepted from include:

  • Central Texas College
  • Cisco Junior College
  • El Centro College
  • Grayson County College
  • Hill College
  • McLennan Community College
  • Navarro College
  • North Central Texas College
  • Vernon College
  • Tarrant County College
  • Temple College
  • Weatherford College