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Medical Laboratory Technician

Medical Laboratory Technicians use and maintain equipment needed for medical diagnosis and treatment and are primarily employed in a clinical setting.

Are you interested in our Medical Laboratory Technician Degree Program?

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Degree Description

The Medical Laboratory Technician program is a four-semester Associate of Applied Science program that will prepare students for the increasing number of career opportunities in the medical laboratory technician field.

Students in the Medical Laboratory Technician program will complete classes in phlebotomy, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, hematology, chemistry, immunohematology, serology, and more.

The Medical Laboratory Technician Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
5600 N. River Rd., Suite 720, Rosemont IL 60018-5119
P: (773)714-8880
F: (773)714-8886)
email: naacls@mcs.net
website: www.naacls.org


For more information about accreditation, click here.

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Application Process

To gain acceptance into the WDTC Medical Laboratory Technician program, applicants must:

1. Complete WDTC Application online at www.wdt.edu.
2. Submit High School transcript or GED scores.
3. Submit Immunization Records verifying two doses of MMR vaccinations.
4. Submit official college transcripts if you have previously attended a post-secondary institution.
5. Successfully pass the ACCUPLACER test ($15.00 fee). Call 605-718-2565 to schedule an appointment.

Minimum Score Requirements are:

  • Reading Comprehension – 255
  • Writing – 250 or higher
  • Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics (QAS) – 224 or higher
6. Schedule an Admissions Advising Session (can be completed on campus or by phone).

To continue into Medical Laboratory Technician clinical, students may have to provide the following:

1. Background check*
2. Complete a drug test*
3. Provide a copy of immunization records (Hepatitis B Series, Varicella, TDAP, Annual Record of T, COVID-19 and Annual Flu Shot)*

*Students are responsible for additional costs.

The program director will assist students with any clinical or internship site requirements.

Note: If you are or have been convicted, pleaded guilty or no contest to, or received a suspended imposition of sentence for a felony or certain misdemeanors, you are advised that you may not be able to complete all course requirements for your chosen program, you may be prevented from taking required certification/licensure examinations in your chosen program field, and you may be prevented from gaining employment in your program field.

Students that sit out for a spring or fall semester or longer, will return under a new Catalog and may be required to repeat courses or successfully complete new or revised skills or competency assessments. Before readmittance, the program may need to determine if a student is eligible to continue in technical courses. Program sequencing and cohort size may prevent enrollment in technical courses.

Clinicals, practicums, and internships may include, but are not limited to differential shifts (evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays) to meet industry expectations. Clinicals may occur during summer semester depending on program enrollments. This may require travel outside the Rapid City Area.

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Career Description

Tasks performed by Medical Laboratory Technicians may include analyzing body fluids and recording findings, studying blood samples for use in transfusions, operating sophisticated laboratory equipment, logging data from medical tests, discussing results of laboratory findings with physicians, and others.

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Licensure and Certification

Professional licensure and certification requirements often vary from state to state. If you are not planning to locate and work in South Dakota and are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license or certification, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in the state you plan to work before beginning the academic program. If you need assistance locating a state licensing agency, please contact the Vice President for Teaching and Learning: Tiffany.Howe@wdt.edu or 605.718.2905.

Current as of May 1, 2023:

  1. The program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: AK, AL, American Samoa, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, MD, ME, MI, The Federated States of Micronesia, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, The Republic of Palau, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, The Virgin Islands, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
  2. The program curriculum does not meet educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: 
  3. WDT has not determined whether the program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: 

Virtual Tour Medical Laboratory Technician Lab

Take the Virtual Tour Now Next, schedule an on-campus tour and receive a FREE WDTC T-Shirt when you arrive.


General Education EMT

After Earning Your Degree

Most medical laboratory technologists and technicians work full time.  The health care industry is expected to continue growing through 2020. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2021, the average wage in western South Dakota was $49,800.

Meet Your Faculty

Western Dakota Technical College has a low student-to-faculty ratio, meaning more one-on-one learning. Individual attention from your professor can make your college experience more fulfilling.


  • Christine Ousley

  • Jodi Kor

  • Megan Ball

Financial Aid

Continuing your education is crucial and Western Dakota Technical College wants to make sure that any student who wants to attend school, has the opportunity to do so. For this reason, WDTC is dedicated to administering the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IV Financial Assistance Program fair and consistently to anyone who needs it.

Build Dakota Scholarships

The Build Dakota Scholarship at Western Dakota Technical College will pay all your tuition and fees and prepare you for a career that is in-demand and growing in South Dakota. Build Dakota Scholarships will be awarded to students entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota’s technical institutes to fill the state’s technical careers with skilled professionals.


Student Housing

Finding affordable housing during school can be a challenge for students. Western Dakota Technical College currently does not have on-campus housing, but partners with a Rapid City VRBO to offer a limited number of apartments for full-time students in the fall and spring semesters.


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Child Care

Finding child care during school is a challenge for many students. Western Dakota Technical College currently does not offer on-campus child care, but here are some resources that may help you in your search.

Youth & Family Services is an organization dedicated to helping children in Western South Dakota. They offer a variety of services, including child care at multiple locations.

The Y of Rapid City offers child care and other services.

Disclaimer: Western Dakota Technical College provides these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation, endorsement or adoption by Western Dakota Technical College of any site or any information contained therein. When you leave wdt.edu, you should be aware that our terms and policies no longer govern. Western Dakota Technical College makes no claim or representation regarding, and accepts no responsibility for, the quality, content, nature or reliability of third-party websites or vendors.

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