Histotechnician
Allied Health
A.A.S. Degree (W)
Histotechnology is the art of preparing tissue through specialized cutting, embedding, and staining procedures for both research and diagnostic purposes. The histotechnician is the skilled specialist who prepares and stains these thin tissue specimens for examination by pathologists, dermatologists, researchers, and biologists. They are also trained to perform immunohistochemistry, complex molecular biology and genetic testing procedures using high-tech instruments. Histotechnicians may be employed in hospitals, dermatology laboratories, outpatient laboratories, veterinary facilities, or research laboratories. They work with pathologists, dermatologists, pharmaceutical companies, or forensic investigators. The specimens they prepare can be of human, animal, marine, or plant tissue. The program is fully accredited through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, (773) 714-8880 and prepares students to sit for the A.S.C.P. examination. Academically ready students can apply to the program following the guidelines of the Allied Health competitive admission process. Interested applicants should review the information provided here and contact their program advisor for application requirements.
Program Graduate Competencies
The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.
- Receive and accession tissue specimens accurately.
- Prepare tissue specimens for microscopic examinations, including all routine procedures.
- Assist with frozen section procedures in histopathology.
- Identify tissue structures and their staining characteristics.
- Perform preventive and corrective maintenance of equipment and instruments or refer to appropriate sources for repairs.
- Explain factors that affect procedures and results, and take appropriate action within predetermined limits when corrections are indicated.
- Perform and monitor quality control within predetermined limits.
- Apply principles of safety to all clinical laboratory procedures.
- Demonstrate professional conduct and interpersonal communications skills with patients, the public, laboratory and other health care personnel.
- Describe the responsibilities of other laboratory and health care personnel and interact with them with respect for their jobs and patient care.
- Explain and act upon individual needs for continuing education as a function of growth and maintenance of professional competence.
- Exercise principles of management, safety and supervision within the clinical laboratory environment.
Core Curriculum Competencies
The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:
- Apply clear and effective communication skills.
- Use critical thinking to solve problems.
- Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
- Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
- Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
- Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.
Graduation Requirements
Core Courses
Program/Major Courses
Program/Major Support Courses
| BIO 100 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| BIO 120 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 5 |
| BIO 121 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 5 |
| BIO 125 | Introductory Microbiology | 4 |
| CHM 110 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CHM 111 | Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry | 4 |
| CIS 107 | Introduction to Computers/Application | 3 |
Suggested Pathway to Graduation (Course Sequence Sheet)
PROGRAM SPECIFIC ADVISEMENT STATEMENT
Delaware Tech does not apply blanket age limits to courses for the purposes of transfer in, meeting selective admission programs' ranking/entrance procedures, or meeting program requirements for award completion. There is a five year age limit used in the selective admission procedures for the Histotechnician program for BIO 120, CHM 110, and MAT 153/MAT 180.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 71 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on your need for developmental education courses and the elective choices you make (if electives are a part of the program). Some programs also have college-level courses that you must take if you do not score at a certain level on the College Placement Test. If this applies to your program, the courses are listed at the top of the sequence sheet before the first semester of the course list.
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