program
Explore pre-examination laboratory techniques in state-of-the-art laboratories. Play a vital role in the promotion of wellness and detection of disease.
Program information
Program description
Intake information
| Start date | Campus |
|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Barrie |
Tuition and fees
- Visit our tuition and fees page for detailed information on the cost to attend Georgian.
- Check the Bring Your Own Device requirements for this program.
- You can afford this! Explore OSAP as well as awards, scholarships and bursaries to help you pay your way to graduation.
Work-integrated learning
- This program includes an internship component. During your final semester, you’ll take part in a supervised, structured work opportunity and apply your academic knowledge in a setting directly related to your program.
- Learn about types of work-integrated learning at Georgian.
What are the admission requirements for the Medical Laboratory Assistant program?
admission requirements
Information about placement requirements
To help you navigate the requirements to complete the clinical placement component(s) of this program (e.g. immunization, First Aid and CPR, criminal record screening and other non-academic requirements), please review the details below.
For more information about placements, visit the Placement Offices webpage.
In order to provide quality practicum placements (“Placements”), students are placed in a variety of agencies, largely in the region serviced by the campus. Students are required to provide their own transportation to Placements. Placements may vary in length (e.g. six to 12 hour days) and may include weekends and evenings, with varying start and end times (e.g. day, afternoon, overnight).
Many programs, including Health and Wellness, have immunization, First Aid and CPR, criminal record screening and other non-academic requirements that need to be met prior to Placements starting. You are responsible for carefully reviewing and meeting these requirements. The failure to meet them may mean that the host agency may refuse to accept you for a Placement or, if you have started one, that you may be prevented from continuing. The result may be that you cannot complete your program. Program-specific requirements can be found on page 2 of the Clinical Preparedness Permit specific to your program.
You are responsible for meeting all immunization, criminal screening and other requirements by the deadline provided by your program and before you start your Placement.
Notes regarding the Criminal Record Check (“CRC”) and Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS)
Individuals who have been charged or convicted criminally and not yet pardoned or who have adverse entries on their CRC or VSS will be prohibited from proceeding to a Placement. Such a student will normally be counselled to withdraw from the program because the successful completion of a Placement is a program requirement.
Obtaining the CRC and VSS usually requires a processing time of up to 12 weeks and can vary between police jurisdictions. As some jurisdictions require longer lead time for processing, ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. Record checks and screenings conducted earlier than six months may not be considered current and not be acceptable. Refer to your Clinical Preparedness Permit for information regarding this. A host agency may refuse a Placement if the CRC or VSS is not satisfactory to it. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the necessary completed documents prior to the start of a Placement at the designated check time, and in the format set by Georgian College and stated in the Clinical Preparedness Permit Information Package. More information can be found on the Placement Offices webpage.
The costs associated with the provision of the CRC and VSS, anything related to them (including, if applicable, obtaining a pardon), and meeting any immunization and other Placement requirements, are to be borne by the student. The non-academic requirements of clinical agencies as described in the Clinical Preparedness Permit are subject to change at any time and host agencies may accept or decline students for any reason at their discretion. Georgian College is not responsible for any of the costs associated with the foregoing, nor for the consequences of failing to comply with, any of the requirements set out above.
What career paths can I take in medical laboratory services?
Your Medical Laboratory Assistant certificate gives you many career opportunities
Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Assistant program may gain work as Medical Laboratory Assistants/Technicians, serving in a variety of urban and rural settings in the public and private sectors, such as
- hospitals
- physicians’ offices
- diagnostic labs
- clinics
- pharmaceutical research testing clinics
- fertility clinics
- specimen collection sites and blood centres such as Canadian Blood Services
- research facilities
Accreditation
Accreditation Canada
The Medical Laboratory Assistant program at Georgian College has been awarded Registered status through EQual Accreditation, a branch of Accreditation Canada – Healthcare Accreditation Body. Georgian’s program is present on the list of educational programs on the Accreditation Canada website.
Accreditation Canada sets the educational and accreditation standards for health education programs across Canada. Registration status indicates that Georgian’s program has begun the formal accreditation process to meet the quality and educational standards set out for Medical Laboratory Assistant programs.
National Certification Exams
Graduates of this program are eligible to write the National Certification Exam through Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) or Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario (MLPAO) and can begin their career as a registered Medical Laboratory Assistant.
What courses are included in the Medical Laboratory Assistant certificate program?
Course overview
11 Program Courses
1 Communications Course
1 General Education Course
1 Clinical Internship
Program-specific courses
Semester 1 courses are listed below. For a full list of courses in the program including course descriptions, view the Medical Laboratory Assistant program outline.
- BIOL 1044 – Anatomy, Physiology and Medical Terminology
- BIOL 1046 – Specimen Collection Lab
- BIOL 1047 – Histo – Cyto Specimen Collection
- MATH 1045 – Medical Laboratory Mathematics
- MLAB 1000 – Quality Assurance and Control
- MLAB 1001 – Lab Equipment and Safety
- Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.
Your course delivery method(s)
In person
This program is delivered fully in person and requires you to attend campus.
Please note, delivery methods are based on planning for the upcoming semester and are subject to change.
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Do you have questions about Medical Laboratory Assistant? Contact us!
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