Coordinator:

• Jessica Brzyski, Ph.D.

What is a Histotechnologist?

Seton Hill’s Histotechnology 3 + 1 Program prepares students for a rewarding career in medical diagnostics. Histotechnologists play a fundamental role in the allied health profession and are an important part of the complex process of medical investigation used to establish and confirm patient diagnoses. Five skills that must be mastered to properly prepare patient specimens are preserving, processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining. As an important component of the medical profession, histotechnologists are relied upon for their dependability, precision, and attention to detail, since their initial processing of medical specimens will guide the treatment decisions made by doctors. According to the National Society for Histotechnology, the demand for individuals with this specialized training will continue to increase into the foreseeable future.

Who Should Choose This Profession?

Students who are:

• Used to paying close attention to detail, especially when working under pressure.
• Capable of working with various types of microscopes for long periods.
• Able to manipulate materials while paying strict attention to proper procedures.
• Confident when working with their hands.
• Comfortable with assuming responsibility.
• Able to work well with others as part of a larger medical team.
• Ready to become a medical professional who makes important contributions to patient care in a hospital setting.

What is the Course of Study?

Students spend their first three academic years at Seton Hill, mastering the background scientific disciplines that prepare them for advanced laboratory training. They also successfully complete the University’s Liberal Arts Curriculum. Their final year involves intensive training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Histotechnology in Pittsburgh, PA. The 10.5 month program begins in July and January of each year and combines classroom and practical training. The curriculum includes instruction in the collection and preparation of surgical biopsy material. Clinical spaces are limited, standards for admission are high, and admission to Seton Hill’s Histotechnology 3 + 1 Program does not guarantee admission to the clinical school year in Pittsburgh. After successfully completing the program requirements and training, students graduate with a B.S. degree in Histotechnology from Seton Hill University and will be eligible to take the national examination of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists Board of Certification for Histotechnicians, HT(ASCP).

Learning Objectives: Histotechnology 3 + 1

1. Use the proper language of biological science in oral and written communications.
2. Summarize and interpret one’s own data through the use of graphs, charts, and tables.
3. Access and analyze the scientific literature.
4. Identify key concepts of biological science including those from the disciplines of anatomy, genetics, cell biology, and physiology.
5. Synthesize the inter-relationships between biology and the disciplines of chemistry and mathematics on exams or in written assignments.
6. Design and implement a scientific experiment in a laboratory or field setting.
7. Apply a scientific approach to problem-solving.
8. Demonstrate proficiency with the tools of biological research including those associated with the laboratory and field studies.
9. Explain the influence that biological ideas and discoveries have had on the development of culture and society.
10. Evaluate ethical considerations associated with applications of biotechnology and express one’s own position on such issues.
11. Successfully complete clinical training to prepare for the national examination of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists Board of Certification for Histotechnologists.

All candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree in histotechnology must complete the Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements, the capstone assessment requirement, and the required courses for the major.

A minimum of 120 credits is required.