If you’re interested in the science and technology of health care, consider a career as a medical laboratory technologist. It will immerse you in an exciting diagnostic environment, working both independently and as part of a team to perform complex procedures and tests on all types of human specimens. You need to be meticulous, detail-oriented, committed to high standards and have aptitudes for critical thinking as well as math and science. If this sounds like you, check out Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Medical Laboratory Technology program.
Start date
September
Length
104 weeks
Location(s)
SaskatoonLength and location notes
Year 1 - 41 weeks; Year 2 - 41 weeks; Year 3 - 22 weeks
Medical Laboratory Technology is a nationally accredited two-and-a-half-year advanced diploma program offered at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatoon. Experienced instructors guide you through a well-rounded curriculum that includes classroom theory, lab work and actual clinical experiences. You’ll learn about:
- clinical chemistry and microbiology
- hematology and hemopathology
- histotechnology and immunology
- laboratory practice
- specimen collection and handling
- transfusion science
Build practical skills
Diploma to degree
Use your Medical Laboratory Technology advanced diploma to ladder into a degree program at the University of Regina or Athabasca University (Alberta). A degree is usually required if you are interested in moving into management or teaching positions.
Nationally accredited
Learning environment
- Students will experience a mix of traditional lectures, web-assisted learning, practical labs and clinical practicums.
- The program requires students to enter with a strong math and science base. The program builds on these subjects.
- There is a heavy workload with 20 - 30 hours/week of homework. Classes are Monday - Friday with variable hours between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.
- Clinical practicum hours will coincide with health care hours and may include early morning start times (5 or 6 a.m.), evening, night and weekend shifts.
- Saskatoon
- Clinical practicum placement may occur at any approved site in Saskatchewan.
- Note: all sites require a rotation at a secondary site to meet program requirements.
- 31 week clinical, which includes:
- Nine weeks in year one at an approved site in Saskatchewan.
- 22 weeks in third year at an approved site within Saskatchewan.
- Alternate sites will be required to meet program requirements.
- Clinical practicum experiences are assigned by the Medical Diagnostics Committee on Practicum Placements (COPP). Students will have an opportunity to rank their preferred clinical sites. However, due to limited clinical placements in each location there is no guarantee that students will receive a clinical site assignment from their list of preferred sites. Students must be prepared to attend their assigned placement at any clinical site in the province.
- Students are responsible for arranging their own travel, accommodations and parking costs during their studies and clinical experience.
- Clinical experiences may require travel and/or accommodations at more than one clinical location to meet all program requirements.
- Not all clinical facilities are easily accessible by public transportation; students assigned to these sites must have access to personal transportation.
- Students will continue with their didactic studies through online learning while on their clinical experience, and stable Internet access is required.
- Enrolment in the program will require acceptance of a clinical placement anywhere within Saskatchewan. Clinical placements are determined during the program closer to the dates for practicum experiences.
Serve in the Canadian Armed Forces
Career and salary information
Your career
Medical laboratory technologists work for regional health districts, government health agencies, educational institutions and both private and public labs. Career opportunities are most commonly found in hospitals and community clinics. However, positions may also be available—though less frequently—in research laboratories, industrial laboratories and veterinary clinics.
Medical laboratory technologists perform invasive venipunctures and capillary punctures to collect blood samples from patients.
An average day as a medical laboratory technologist would include:
- Wear personal protective equipment daily to protect themselves from biohazardous materials they work with such as blood, urine, feces and cerebral spinal fluid. MLTs are very aware of the biohazard materials they work with and take steps to reduce infecting workspaces and others.
- Makes critical decisions with accuracy.
- Maintains concentration for long periods of time in a rapidly changing environment.
- Requires good hand eye coordination.
- Sustains long periods of standing at analytical instruments and/or sitting at a microscope for the majority of an eight-hour shift.
- Communicates and interacts professionally with a variety of people including (but
not limited to):
- Combined laboratory and x-ray technologists
- Doctors
- Medical laboratory assistants
- Nurses
- Other MLTs
- Patients and their families
- Pharmacists
- Phlebotomists
- Students
Potential careers
| Sample job title | NOC classification |
|---|---|
| Medical laboratory technologist (I, II, III) | Medical laboratory technologists (32120) |
| Medical technologists supervisor | Medical laboratory technologists (32120) |
Admissions
Admission requirements
- Grade 12 with a minimum grade of 70% in English Language Arts A30, English Language Arts B30, Foundations of Math 30 or Pre-Calculus 30 of Calculus 30*, Chemistry 30 and Biology 30
- English Language Requirement (see Program-Specific ELP Requirements section)
*Previous Saskatchewan mathematics requirements also accepted:
- Minimum of 70% in Math B30 or Math C30
Note
- Accepted applicants will be required to provide evidence of a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search prior to the start date of the program. At the discretion of the clinical agency, access to a clinical or work placement may be declined based on the contents of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search. As program requirements cannot be met without placement, admission to the program will be revoked if placement is declined and the applicant may reapply once the record has been cleared. The cost of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search is the applicant's responsibility.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide current immunization records and meet Saskatchewan Polytechnic immunization requirements prior to entry into clinical practicum.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide evidence of current N95 respirator mask testing prior to the start of clinical practicums as directed by the program. N95 respirator mask testing is valid for two (2) years from the date of completion. Retesting may be required during the program. The cost of N95 respirator mask testing is the applicant's responsibility.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide evidence of Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Globally Harmonized System (GHS) certification upon admission into the program. Recertification will be required every three years to remain current. The cost of WHMIS certification is the applicant's responsibility. Register for WHMIS.
- Accepted applicants will be required to provide evidence of Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR®) Object Moving certification or Safe Moving and Repositioning Techniques (SMART®) certification upon admission to the program. TLR® or SMART® certification is valid for three (3) years from the date of completion. Recertification may be required during the program. The cost of TLR® or SMART® certification is the applicant's responsibility. Register for TLR (SPCR-1002).
Admission method
Competitive
The competitive admissions process is used for programs where the number of qualified applicants regularly exceeds the number of spaces available. In competitive programs, higher admission requirements and/or additional selection criteria may be required.
Applications open October 1, each academic year.
Domestic student deadlines:
- Application deadline: February 15, each academic year
- Document submission deadline: March 15, each academic year
International student deadlines:
- Application deadline: December 31, each academic year
- Document submission deadline: January 31, each academic year
All supporting documentation is required by 4:30 p.m. (CST) on the document deadline date. When document deadline falls on a weekend, documents are due the following Monday.
See Admission Processes for more information about this method of admission.
Selection criteria
Applications are ranked in the order of highest averages.
- Category A: High school applicants (current high school students, high school graduates and applicants with less than 15 credit units from a recognized post-secondary institution).
- Category B: Post-secondary applicants (students with a minimum of 15 credit units
from a
recognized post-secondary institution).
Admission average calculation for current high school students
The admission average calculation for current high school students is based on final marks provided by the posted date. High school students must order transcripts to be sent directly to Sask Polytech at the end of Semester 1 and the end of Semester 2 of the grade 12 year. Students who have not yet graduated from grade 12, and who are registered in the Adult 12 program with Sask Polytech, must have their instructor submit, in writing, the relevant mid-term mark(s) by the posted date. These mid-term marks will be used in the admission average calculation. For the admission average calculation, the final grade 12 mark is used if the course is completed, and the final grade 11 mark is used only in the absence of the grade 12 mark in the same subject. Sask Polytech does not use projected or predicted marks in the absence of final marks. All program-specific admission requirements must be met before final admission is granted.
Applications are ranked in the order of highest averages.
Admission average calculation for high school graduates
The admission average calculation for high school graduates is based on the final marks in high school courses required for admission to the specific program. Approved post-secondary equivalents may meet specific course requirements, but Saskatchewan Polytechnic uses the post secondary equivalent only in the absence of high school marks when calculating the average. High school graduates must provide final marks obtained through upgrading, along with all post secondary transcripts, by the posted deadline.
Applications are ranked in the order of highest averages.
Applicants with 15 or more credits should refer to Admissions average calculation for post-secondary students.
Post-secondary students
Applicants must meet requirements for the specific program to which they apply. Approved post-secondary equivalents may meet specific course requirements. Saskatchewan Polytechnic bases the admissions average calculation on post-secondary courses from recognized institutions (minimum 15 credits to a maximum of 30 recent credits), requires a minimum 60% average, and confirms good standing. Saskatchewan Polytechnic ranks applications in the order of highest averages. Applicants must provide all post-secondary transcripts by the posted deadline. Saskatchewan Polytechnic uses only final grades provided by the posted deadline. All competitive programs include an assessment in which a competitive score is calculated, and applicants are ranked based on academic performance.
Tuition and fees
Estimates are based on current rates and are subject to change. Amounts for a program may vary by campus. Totals shown here include all mandatory fees as well as approximate cost for books and supplies. Visit the Tuition and Fees web page for a complete breakdown of tuition and fees for this program.
2025-26 academic year
Year 1 - $12,800
Year 2 - $8,900
Year 3 - $6,730
Additional program costs that students are responsible for include:
- Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Search
- approx. $75
- Immunizations
- no cost if immunizations are completed with a Saskatchewan Polytechnic Health Nurse.
- completed outside of Saskatchewan Polytechnic fees range from $90 to $120 for Hepatitis B series
- Mask FIT Testing – two sizes
- N95 - approx. $75 to $125
- Mask Fit testing is recommended to be updated annually, however, it is mandatory to be updated every two years. If expiry date occurs during programming student must re-submit proof of new testing to the program. Cost of re-testing is the student's responsibility.
- WHMIS 2015 - Globally Harmonized System (GHS) certification
- Approx. $35
- Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR®) Object Moving certification
- Students should enroll into a course a minimum of 1-2 months prior to program start date as courses fill up quickly.
- MLT only require Object Moving TLR – (course code to register into is SPCR-1002)
- Approx. $95
- Students will be required to purchase or routinely have access to a laptop or iPad
for use at the start of their program. Students will be expected to bring it with
them on registration day. Associated expenses are the students' responsibility.
- Windows 11 or MacBook OS13 to o13+; iOS 11.0+ (iPad only) minimum 4 GB of Ram and Webcam required.
- Note: Android and Chromebook are not compatible with the required systems.
- Students will be required to purchase either an iPad or tablet size device or a smart
phone with data plan for use during their clinical practicum experience and have stable
Internet access. Associated expenses are the students' responsibility.
- Most recent iOS version (apple), version 5.0 or greater (android), 8 GB minimum, stylus.
- One of the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Apple Safari (Internet connection).
- Students must routinely have access to a laptop or desktop computer for coursework.
- Students are responsible for all travel/parking/accommodation costs associated with their clinical experience.
International students
View tuition rates for international students.
Courses
Get credit for what you know
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Saskatchewan Polytechnic recognizes that adults learn in many different ways. This includes acquiring knowledge and skills through life and work experience or non-formal training.
Due to professional certification, licensing and/or regulation, some courses cannot be assessed through PLAR.
See the Candidate Guide below for this program’s PLAR offerings.
Transfer credit
Many Sask Polytech students benefit from transferring course credit. You may be eligible to transfer credit to Sask Polytech or to another college or university.
| Institution | Details |
|---|---|
| Athabasca University | Graduates of this program may be eligible for block transfer of 60 credit units into the Bachelor of Science Post Diploma program or 30 credit units toward BSc (PD) with Majors in Applied Mathematics, Computing Information Systems and/or Human Science. |
| Northern Alberta Institute of Technology | Graduates of this program may be eligible for direct admission into the two-year Bachelor of Technology program at NAIT. |
| Thompson Rivers University | Graduates of this program may be granted a maximum of 72 transfer credits into the Bachelor of Health Science. |
| University of Regina | Graduates of this program may be eligible for block transfer into third year of Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science. |
Student awards
Thanks to the generosity of donors and alumni, Saskatchewan Polytechnic gives away more than $2 million in student awards during the academic year.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers student awards for every certificate and diploma program at every campus. Not all student awards are based on marks - some are based on financial need or things like community or volunteer involvement.
Accreditation
Accreditation Canada/EQual Canada has accorded the MRT program full accredited status for a six year term.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic's Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program is an accredited program. Program content is based on national and provincial competency profiles, with topics added as appropriate for addressing local needs.
Graduates are eligible to write a National Certification Exam. This entitles you to work anywhere in Canada and to register as a licensed medical laboratory technologist with the Saskatchewan Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists (SSMLT).
The cost of the National Certification Examination is the responsibility of the student.
For more information, see CSMLS website.
Related programs
Combined Laboratory and X Ray Technology
Additional information
