Program Requirements

To be eligible for the MLT to MLS/MT program, applicants must meet all of the following:

1. Program application — Submitted separately from the APSU university application, exclusively through the Allied Health Centralized Application Service (AHCAS) portal.

2. GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Admission is competitive.

3. NAACLS-accredited MLT program — Applicants must have completed clinical rotations in all major laboratory areas: hematology, chemistry, immunohematology, and microbiology. All courses must transfer to APSU.

4. Two years of work experience (minimum 4,000 hours) as a nationally certified MLT (ASCP, ASCPi, AMT, or ABOR) in an accredited diagnostic laboratory (CLIA, CAP, COLA, or similar):

   • Work experience must be complete by August 1 of the year the student begins the MLS program

   • APSU grants 17 credit hours for qualifying work experience toward the BS degree

   • Experience may be in any section of the laboratory

   • No clinical rotations are required for the MLT-MT program — this is fulfilled by work experience

5. Physical and technical standards — All students must meet all program requirements.

6. Prerequisite coursework — All prerequisites must be complete before beginning the MLS program. See the Prerequisite Courses section below.

7. BOC review course — All students must complete the ASCP Board of Certification review course during their final semester.

A separate program application is required even if you have already applied to APSU.

 

Acceptance to the MLT to MLS/MT program is competitive. All applicants must:

• Have a minimum GPA of 2.75

• Have completed a NAACLS-accredited MLT program from a regionally accredited institution with coursework that transfers to APSU

• Meet all technical standards

• Have at least two years of full-time work experience (minimum 4,000 hours) as a nationally certified MLT in an accredited human diagnostic laboratory

 

The MLT to MLS/MT is an 11-month lock-step program, starting in August and concluding in July. If you need to complete prerequisite courses before admission, APSU offers hundreds of classes online.

How to Apply

Program applications are accepted exclusively through the Allied Health Centralized Application Service (AHCAS) portal. Paper applications are not accepted.

 

Application window: October 1 – February 1 each year, for the program beginning the following fall.

• Applicants will be notified of their status by early May

• Accepted students must then apply to Austin Peay State University as a transfer student

• Once accepted to the university, students will be advised on any missing prerequisite courses

• Full program acceptance is contingent on university acceptance, transfer of all required coursework, and completion of all prerequisites

 

Applications are not retained from year to year. Applicants must reapply to be considered for a subsequent cycle.

Required Application Documents

The following are required to complete your program application:

1. Three professional letters of recommendation and three completed professional evaluations, submitted through the AHCAS application

2. HR verification letter(s) confirming rank and tenure of employment, uploaded into AHCAS. Each letter must be on official company letterhead with an original signature, and include:

   • Job title

   • Full- or part-time status (and hours worked since hire date if part-time)

   • Name of the agency accrediting the workplace laboratory (e.g., CLIA, CAP, TJC, COLA)

   • Name and original signature of the HR official

3. Copy of your current national MLT certificate, registration card, or ASCP verification document, uploaded into AHCAS. A state license does not substitute for national certification.

4. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, sent directly from each institution to AHCAS. Missing transcripts are the most common reason for an incomplete application — and incomplete applications are not considered.

Notification Timeline

All notifications are sent by email to the address used in your AHCAS application. To receive a decision:

• Submit a complete program application by February 1

• Ensure your application is marked "verified" in AHCAS on or before March 1

 

Most decisions are made in March and April, with all notifications sent by May 1. Monitor your email — including junk and clutter folders. Acceptance is always contingent on completing all outstanding prerequisites before the APSU fall semester begins.

Prerequisite Courses

For general education core options in history, fine arts, and social sciences, refer to the APSU core graduation requirements. Only the science and math prerequisites listed below are accepted for this program.

1. Six semester credit hours in U.S., Tennessee, or World History

2. Two fine arts courses from two different departments (performance and studio courses are not accepted)

3. Two social science courses from two different departments

4. Three English courses: Composition I and II, and World Literature

5. Human Anatomy and Physiology I lecture and lab — BIOL 2010/11

6. Human Anatomy and Physiology II lecture and lab — BIOL 2020/21

7. General Chemistry I lecture and lab for science majors — CHEM 1110/11

8. General Chemistry II lecture and lab for science majors — CHEM 1120/21

9. Public speaking/oral communication — COMM 2045

10. College algebra or pre-calculus — MATH 1710 or 1730 (DSPM, intermediate, basic, and remedial courses are not accepted)

11. You must have completed at least 73 semester credit hours before starting the program. Students complete 47 additional hours — 30 coursework credits and 17 work experience credits — to reach the 120-hour degree requirement.

 

All prerequisite courses except chemistry are available online at APSU.

 

Note for MLT professionals who hold a bachelor's degree: The only prerequisites required are U.S./World History I and II (6 hours), college algebra, A&P I and II lecture and lab, and General Chemistry I and II lecture and lab.

Prerequisite Advising

Prospective students who want prerequisite advising before applying must first apply to Austin Peay State University as a transfer student. After acceptance, log in to your Onestop account and confirm that all transfer credits appear on your transfer evaluation. If any courses or transcripts are missing, follow up with the Admissions office.

 

Once your transfer coursework is confirmed in Onestop, email a prerequisite advising request along with your APSU student ID number (which begins with "A") to semlerj@apsu.edu. Transcript reviews outside the formal university application process are not available.

Program Schedule

Students complete two courses every eight weeks, plus two courses during summer session — a total of ten courses (30 semester credit hours). The curriculum includes:

Molecular diagnostics Clinical chemistry Hematology Immunology Immunohematology Laboratory management

Urinalysis and body fluids Parasitology, mycology, and virology Bacteriology BOC review

 

All students complete the program as a cohort and must be enrolled full-time. For semester dates, consult the APSU Academic Calendar.

Tuition

Tuition for 2026–27 is approximately:

• In-state: $12,302*

• Out-of-state (e-rate, fully online): $18,740*

• Uniformed military personnel utilizing Tuition Assistance: $7,500*

 

Tuition is paid by semester, and installment payment plans are available. Twelve credit hours are completed in fall, 12 in spring, and 6 in summer. Use the Student Account Services tuition and fee schedules to calculate exact costs. Additional tuition applies for any prerequisite courses still needed. Contact Student Account Services & Cashier's office at (931) 221-6285 for further information.

 

*Estimate based on tuition rates for courses included in the 11-month MLT to MLS program. Tuition rates are subject to change. For more information, visit the Student Account Services tuition and fee schedules.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Students are eligible for federal financial aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for information and FAFSA assistance.

 

APSU offers merit-based scholarships to qualified students:

• Austin Peay Promise Scholarship — for in-state students

• Dean's Transfer Scholarship — for out-of-state students

 

The Medical Laboratory Science program also awards the Robert T. Crews Scholarship to students currently enrolled in MLS program courses. Applications are accepted during October.

 

External scholarships are offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, American Proficiency Institute, and Alpha Mu Tau honor society, among others.

State Licensure

It is the student's responsibility to ensure state licensure requirements are met. The ASCP maintains a list of states requiring certification and/or licensure at ascp.org. Prospective students are encouraged to check with their state medical laboratory board before enrolling.

 

This program meets licensure requirements in New York and all other licensure states, except for California. Additional coursework and work experience are required for CLS licensure in California that are not a part of the APSU degree program.

 

Medical Technologist licensure in Tennessee (effective April 2019):

Per the Reinterpretation of Medical Laboratory Technologist Qualifications (Rule 1200-06-01-.22(1)(a)(2)(i)), licensure as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Tennessee is granted to applicants who meet all three of the following:

1. Have obtained a baccalaureate degree

2. Have completed a NAACLS-accredited MT/MLS program

3. Have passed a board-approved national certification examination

 

The 16-hour biology, 16-hour chemistry, and 3-hour math credit requirements apply only to applicants who do not meet all three criteria above.