The Clinical/Medical Technology Advanced Certificate Program
The Clinical/Medical Technology Advanced Certificate Program
Program Mission
The Advanced Certificate Program in Clinical/Medical Technology at the University of Rochester strives to educate future clinical laboratory technologists who are committed, dedicated, skilled, and innovative in their work. We aim to achieve this through educational experiences that emphasize patient care and cultivate excellence, competency, teamwork, and integrity across all aspects of laboratory science.
Program Outcomes
The Clinical/Medical Technology Advanced Certificate admits 12–15 graduate students annually. Admission is competitive.
The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS). Where graduates are eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) to obtain national certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). The program outcomes include ASCP BOC pass rates and employment rates for graduates working as MLS professionals within one year of completion.
Class of 2025:
ASCP BOC Pass Rate w/in one year of graduation: 100% (12/12)
Program Completion Rate in second half of the program: 100% (12/12)
Graduate Employment of Higher Ed Placement Rates (for those reporting): 100% (12/12)
Class of 2023:
ASCP BOC Pass Rate w/in one year of graduation: 100% (15/15)
Program Completion Rate in second half of the program: 100% (15/15)
Graduate Employment of Higher Ed Placement Rates (for those reporting): 100% (14/14)
Class of 2026:
ASCP BOC Pass Rate w/in one year of graduation: 100% (14/14)
Program Completion Rate in second half of the program: 100% (14/14)
Graduate Employment of Higher Ed Placement Rates (for those reporting): 100% (13/13)
Class of 2024:
ASCP BOC Pass Rate w/in one year of graduation: 100% (13/13)
Program Completion Rate in second half of the program: 100% (13/13)
Graduate Employment of Higher Ed Placement Rates (for those reporting): 100% (13/13)
Technical Standards/Essential Functions
All candidates for the Advanced Certificate Degree in Clinical/Medical Technology must possess essential skills and abilities necessary to complete the program curriculum successfully either with or without reasonable accommodation for any disabilities the individual may have. Note: The use of an intermediary that would in effect require a student to rely on someone else’s power of selection, detection and observation will not be permitted.
The technical standards/essential functions for this program
Students admitted to the program are required to review the essential functions and to sign a statement certifying that they have read, understand and are able to meet the standards with or without reasonable accommodation.
Program Description
This full-time program prepares students for professional careers in clinical laboratory science. Students will complete both didactic and clinical experiences (preceptorships) at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Instructors include NYS licensed Clinical Laboratory Technologists and clinical faculty from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. All clinical experiences take place in the Department of Pathology, UR Medicine Laboratories located at Strong Memorial Hospital, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 and the Central Labs located at 211 Bailey Road, W. Henrietta, NY 14468.
The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS), located at 5600 N. River Suite 720 Rosemont, IL 60018-5119, phone number 773.714.8880, through April 30th, 2034. The Program Director contact information is: Vicki_Roberts@urmc.rochester.edu and office number is 585-276 3688.
Graduates are qualified to apply to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science to take the national board examination and achieve national certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. Visit http://www.ASCP.org for more information. The ASCP exam has also been adopted by New York State as the state licensing exam.
The program is registered with New York State as licensure qualifying (see the New York State Education inventory of registered programs). Upon completion graduates meet the educational requirements for licensure. In order to practice the profession in NYS they must fulfill additional requirements for the licensing; including: submission of the licensing application; fees; and achievement of a passing score on the NYS licensing/ASCP national board examination. These requirements are found here: https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/clinical-laboratory-technologists/laws-rules-regulations/article-165.
There are currently ten states in the USA that require licensure for Clinical/Medical Technologists: California, Hawaii, Florida, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, Louisiana, Nevada, West Virginia, and Montana. Graduates of the University of Rochester Clinical/Medical Technology program are eligible for ASCP certification, which satisfies the education and examination requirements in nine of these ten states, with California being the sole exception.
As of December 17, 2025, the remaining states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—have not enacted state laws requiring licensure to practice the profession.
Conferral of the Certificate in Advanced Studies upon completion of the program is not dependent upon receipt of a passing score on any external board or licensing examination.
View salary information for New York State Please keep in mind this is the average salary at that designation, not entry level.
Educational Objectives
Upon completing the Advanced Certificate Program in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technology, graduates will:
- Have knowledge of and adhere to institutional, regional, national and international safety regulations in the clinical laboratory setting.
- Achieve the full range of competencies as entry level clinical laboratory technologists in the following domains: clinical chemistry; hematology/hemostasis, urinalysis, & body fluids; immunohematology/transfusion medicine; immunology; microbiology; and laboratory management & operations.
- Accurately correlate laboratory findings to the diagnosis, prognosis, and disease management in the clinical and/or research setting.
- Effectively troubleshoot outcomes that do not conform to prescribed protocols or outcomes.
- Demonstrate leadership capabilities. Have knowledge of the basic principles of management, education, regulatory oversight, quality management, continuous process improvement, and operations in the clinical laboratory setting.
- Meet the licensure requirements in practice of Clinical Laboratory Technology in the state of New York.
- Be eligible for certification by the ASCP as Medical Laboratory Scientists.
Curriculum
Students must complete 35.5 credits (2 semesters) of coursework. This full time program is a combination of didactic lectures integrated with 720 hours of clinical experiences.
Required Prerequisites
*Must be completed prior to admission in order to be accepted into the program.
Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree in the biology, chemical or physical sciences with successful completion of the following courses and subject areas that include laboratory content:
- Inorganic chemistry
- Analytic chemistry and/or biochemistry
- Physiology, with anatomy content
- Molecular biology and diagnostics
- Microbiology
The following courses are also required:
- Organic chemistry
- Statistics
- Immunology
Technical Standards/Essential Functions
Description: All candidates for the Advanced Certificate Degree in Clinical/Medical Technology must possess essential skills and abilities necessary to complete the program curriculum successfully either with or without reasonable accommodations for any disabilities the individual may have. Note: The use of an intermediary that would in effect require a student to rely on someone else’s power of selection, detection and observation will not be permitted.
The technical standards/essential functions for this program
Students admitted to the program are required to review the essential functions and to sign a statement certifying that they have read, understand and are able to meet the standards with or without reasonable accommodations.
How To Apply
This program (CMT) only accepts applications for the fall semester. Review the Application Timeline to ensure your application and all supporting materials are submitted prior to the deadline. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Eligibility
Applicants must have earned a U.S. baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor's degrees are awarded before they matriculate. Evidence of the earned degree is required prior to matriculation in the form of an official transcript noting degree conferral.
Application Requirements
It is expected that all application materials (with the exception of official score reports) be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please note that the University of Rochester reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process.
- Online Application (recommended browser is Google Chrome). We will begin accepting applications in September for admission the following Fall semester.
- Statement of Purpose
- Uploaded copy of transcript(s) to online application.
Please do not mail a hard copy at this time. - Official TOEFL (institution code: 2948) or IELTS Scores
For applicants whose native language is not English. - CV or resume
- Payment of the $60.00 application fee
- Research papers, publications and other original works may also be submitted for consideration, but are not required.
- 2 letters of recommendation
It is expected that all application materials be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please do not include secondary school documentation, financial documentation, etc., as these are not utilized during the admissions process.
It is recommended that applicants have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 with a minimum math/science GPA of 2.8.
The Average Undergraduate GPA of Current & Past Classes Upon Admission
- Class of 2026: 3.43
- Class of 2025: 3.35
- Class of 2024: 3.36
Financial Information
Tuition Fees
The cost of tuition for the Advanced Certificate in Clinical/Medical Technology is $8,184 for the 2026-27 academic year.
Mandatory Student Health Fee: $552 per semester; $1104 Annually.
Payments and Refund Policies
Payments and refund policies are found here.
For tuition refunds when dropping a class while remaining enrolled:
- 1-15 instructional days from the course section start date, students receive a 100% refund
- 16-35 instructional days from the course section start date, students receive a 75% refund
- 36-45 instructional days from the course section start date, students receive a 50% refund
- 46-55 instructional days from the course section start date, students receive a 25% refund
- After instructional day 55, from the course section start date, students receive a 0% refund
Health Insurance
Health Insurance is Mandatory. The university health insurance fees and information are found here. UHS offers health insurance for individual full-time University of Rochester students and their spouses/domestic partners through AETNA. Full-time students are required to participate in this plan unless they complete the Health Insurance Selection Process indicating they are waiving the insurance plan because they have other insurance. Insurance for spouses/partners and families is available for a fee payable by the student. For more information about enrolling and fees click here.
The University Health Service (UHS) provides a full range of confidential, high quality primary health care services for full-time students and other members of the University community. Full-time students participate in the Student Health Program, which covers primary care visits to UHS, time-limited therapy at the University Counseling Center (UCC), and health promotion services.
Scholarship Opportunities
The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine offers a scholarship opportunity to program applicants. Learn more about scholarship information and how to apply.
Contact
Vicki Roberts
CMT Program Director and Director of Education of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Phone: (585) 276-3688
CMT Program Director and Director of Education of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Phone: (585) 276-3688
Heather Sassone
Education Manager of UR Medicine Labs Pathology and Lab Medicine
Education Manager of UR Medicine Labs Pathology and Lab Medicine
Phone: (585) 276-5461
Mailing Address
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Rochester Medical Center
601 Elmwood Ave., Box 626
Rochester, NY 14642
Phone: (585) 276-3688
Fax: (585) 756-4468
The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture to advance the University’s Mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. This commitment extends to non-discrimination in the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates, for all persons consistent with our values and based on applicable law.
Testimonial
"Having already spent nearly a decade managing and operating clinical laboratories internationally, the CMT advanced certificate program at URMC served as the specific structural path I needed to formalize my extensive background within the U.S. healthcare system. Instead of rebuilding my scientific foundations from scratch, the program effectively aligned my prior experience with local regulatory standards, providing the immediate institutional credentials necessary to step directly into professional growth. For future CMT students, this program offers an efficient, fast-track route to translate existing scientific degrees into recognized professional practice. By merging intensive clinical rotations with a direct path to ASCP board eligibility, it delivers the exact credentials required to enter the laboratory workforce immediately as an essential, job-ready professional What keeps me going despite the daily challenges of a high-volume laboratory environment is knowing that every barcode we scan represents a life, a family, and a critical piece of a clinical puzzle. I am inspired daily by the legacy of mentorship within our department and the students I have the privilege of training as a teaching faculty member. To my fellow healthcare and laboratory professionals: what we do behind the scenes is the very bedrock of accurate medicine. Never underestimate your impact. By continuing to formalize our technical skills, embrace rapid technological advancements, and mentor the next generation, we ensure our vital profession remains strong and highly visible."
Marfas Marakankadavu Parambu
Med Tech Specialist, MLS (ASCPi)(CMSCiCM)