Career Outlook & Professional Certifications
Increasing Job Opportunities
A degree in Medical Laboratory Science, Cytology, or Biotechnology is sure to give you ever-expanding career options as you move forward. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the demand for laboratory experts is expected to grow in the next 10 years above the national average of other professions, due in part to continued advances in medical laboratory science, cytology and biotechnology. Clinical diagnostics positions are expected to grow at the same rate, with numerous upper-level technical and supervisory positions becoming available as the laboratory workforce shifts.
The skills of the trained laboratory scientist are valuable in a variety of settings:
- Hospitals, clinics, and laboratories in the academic, corporate, government, forensic, veterinary, environmental, research, and public health sectors
- Outside the laboratory, in education or sales and marketing in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical equipment industries
- Advanced education in medicine, veterinary science, the basic sciences. or health systems
Student Resources & Alumni Success
Recent Medical Laboratory Science, Cytology and Biotechnology program graduates have been recruited by labs from all over the country, demonstrating strong performance in Professional Board of Certification Exams.
Thomas Jefferson University graduates are in demand at laboratories across the country. Our Medical Laboratory Science, Cytology and Biotechnology students often receive many different job opportunities due to resources such as our:
- Center for Career Success, which offers resume review, mock interviews, career assessments, and other support.
- Biannual on-campus interprofessional job fairs, which provide access to about 100 employers from the Philadelphia region and beyond.
- Networking opportunities with alumni and employers, including panel discussions and other special events throughout the year.
Professional Certifications
Employers seek certified individuals because they know that people with professional credentials can be counted on for the value-added expertise that is in such high demand today.
National certification in a specialty area of laboratory practice is proof of knowledge and competence in a field. While National Certification is not required to graduate from any of the programs within the department, our faculty members feel strongly about the importance of acquiring and maintaining certification, and expect that students will complete their certification exams as soon as they successfully complete their programs.
To learn more about national certification in your profession, visit the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification.
Biotechnology
There is no national generalist certification in biotechnology. With a combination of academic preparation and work experience, biotechnology graduates may prepare for special qualification or certification examinations in molecular genetics, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and other areas of laboratory practice.
Cytology
Students of the Cytology program are eligible to sit for the cytologist national certification exam after completion of their degree. Upon successful completion of the exam, graduates will receive their CT(ASCP) certification. Graduate students are eligible to sit for the specialist in cytology national certification exam after completion of their master’s degree. Upon successful completion of the specialist exam, graduates will receive their SCT(ASCP) certification. The national certification exams are administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification.
Students will also have the opportunity to achieve their Hologic ThinPrep® and BD SurePath® certification while enrolled in the Cytology program.
Medical Laboratory Science
Medical Laboratory Science graduates are eligible to take the Medical Laboratory Scientist, MLS (ASCP) examination administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification.