HD in Medical Laboratory Science is a higher diploma in Biomedical & Laboratory Sciences programme taught at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Canada. The programme runs for 3 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 6,168 per year for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Higher Diploma
Field:Biomedical & Laboratory Sciences
Duration: 3 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 6,168 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Medical laboratory technologists play an integral role in the healthcare system by conducting sophisticated medical laboratory tests and assisting with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. This three-year advanced diploma program will provide you with a mix of hands-on laboratory skills, classroom learning, use of state-of-the-art laboratories, simulation learning, and real-world experience through clinical placements. Throughout the program, you will take a broad array of science and mathematics courses, emphasizing laboratory analysis in five key disciplines: Clinical Biochemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, Histotechnology, and Transfusion Sciences. In the final level of the program, you will complete a series of three-week hospital rotations that will emphasize clinical procedures and acquaint you with hospital operation and administration. As a graduate of the Medical Laboratory Science Advanced Diploma, you will be eligible to write the national certification examination(s) conducted by the Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators (CAMLPR). Certification qualifies you to work across Canada or for registration with the provincial colleges, such as the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO), which is a requirement to practice in Ontario. You may choose to continue your studies and complete a degree at Conestoga College within the Bachelor of Applied Biotechnology, Bachelor of Environmental Public Health, or Bachelor of Applied Health Information Science Program. The Medical Laboratory Science program has successfully applied for accreditation status with Accreditation Canada/EQual and is currently Admitted for accreditation.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Conestoga's Medical Laboratory Science higher diploma requires an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, or mature student status for applicants 19 or older, together with Grade 12 Compulsory English at C or U or Conestoga's Preparatory Communications course (COMM1251); Grade 12 Mathematics at C or U, or Conestoga's Preparatory Mathematics (MATH1420), at a minimum of 65%; Grade 11 or 12 Chemistry at C or U, or Conestoga's Preparatory Chemistry (SCIE1030), at a minimum of 65%; and Grade 11 or 12 Biology at C or U, or Conestoga's Preparatory Biology (SCIE1010), at a minimum of 65%. Completion of the Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees, or equivalent Academic Upgrading, is accepted as an alternative. Applicants whose prior education was not in English must demonstrate proficiency under Conestoga's general policy. The program further requires a complete immunization record (MMR, Tdap, varicella, COVID-19, hepatitis B), two-step TB testing, Intermediate First Aid with CPR/AED Level C or BLS certification, and a Vulnerable Sector Screening police check completed in Canada.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca (college code CONS): for the Fall 2027 intake the online application opens 26 September 2026, the equal consideration date is 1 February 2027, offers may be issued from 1 November 2026, and accepted offers must be confirmed by 1 May 2027; most oversubscribed programs stop accepting applications after 1 February 2027, though many programs remain open afterward. Conestoga does not publish a separate equal-consideration date for its January intake. International applicants apply directly to Conestoga and are assessed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis until each program fills; no fixed international closing date is published. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
