The Program is a fully accredited, twelve-month course conforming to the Essentials published and monitored by the National Agency for Accreditation of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) in order to qualify the student for the examination and certification by the Board of Registry of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).

The year of study consists of lectures, demonstrations in the tutorial situation and rotation through the hospital laboratories providing experience in routine and specialized procedures. The program maintains an extensive collection of microscopic and projection slides for use with lecture and independent study.

The following are the topics included in the curriculum:

Introduction to Histotechnology
Theory and Practice of Histotechniques I and II
Histotechniques Practicum I and II
Applied Chemistry
Human Histology
Principles and Techniques or Processing and Embedding
Principles and Techniques of Microtomy I and II
Principles and Techniques of Frozen Sectioning I and II
Principles and Techniques of Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Staining
Principles and Techniques of Special Staining I and II
Medical Terminology
Theory of Special Staining
Principles and Techniques of Special Microtomy
Principles and Techniques of Immunohistochemistry

Upon successful completion of our Program you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and will be eligible to take the national certification exam.

Why M.D. Anderson?

In a recent nationwide survey published in U.S. News and World Report, M.D. Anderson was named number two in the nation in cancer care. One of the models for federally designated comprehensive cancer centers, this 425 bed Hospital is internationally recognized for its exceptional strength in patient care, research, and educational programs.

The program is housed in the Department of Pathology and has been providing instruction in histologic techniques since 1949. The training is facilitated by the availability of modern technological instrumentation, workspace, libraries and computer facilities.

The mission of UTMDACC is the diagnosis, treatment and research of neoplastic disease and because of this, the quantity of tissue examined and the quality of preparation required, provide an unlimited resource for the education of histologic technicians.

All of this provides a comprehensive setting for the transmission of skills and knowledge.