Become a Medical Lab Assistant
- 32-week Medical Lab Assistant Certificate (Full-Time program)
- BCSLS Approved – British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science recognized
- Earn $30/hr in hospital labs, diagnostic centers, and clinical laboratories
- 640 hours total: 520 hours classroom + 120 hours clinical experience
- Preferential hiring – Health Authorities and LifeLabs prefer BCSLS graduates
- 97% employment rate – High demand for lab professionals across BC
- Flexible scheduling: Morning, evening, and weekend classes available
- In-house financing available
Request Info
BCSLS Approved Program
As a Medical Laboratory Assistant, you will play a vital role in diagnostic healthcare by collecting blood samples (phlebotomy), processing biological specimens, performing cardiac procedures, and ensuring laboratory safety protocols in hospital laboratories, diagnostic centers, and clinical research facilities across British Columbia.
Our Medical Laboratory Assistant Program is fully approved by the British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science (BCSLS). This approval is critical – only graduates of BCSLS-approved MLA programs receive preferential hiring by BC Health Authorities and LifeLabs. Upon program completion, graduates are eligible to seek BCSLS certification, opening doors to employment across all BC healthcare laboratory facilities.
Medical Lab Assistants work in diverse settings including hospital laboratories, private diagnostic centers, research facilities, and public health laboratories. The comprehensive curriculum covers phlebotomy techniques, specimen collection and handling, infection control, laboratory fundamentals, cardiac procedures, and professional laboratory practice. Your MLA certificate with BCSLS approval is your gateway to a stable, respected, and essential healthcare career.
Program Details
Hours: 640
Weeks Full-Time: 32
- Grade 12 (High School Diploma) or equivalent Or Mature student status (19 years or more)
- Keyboarding test with a minimum typing speed of 40 gross words per minute
- English Language Proficiency
Students will need to submit a proof of English Language Competency by any one of the following options:
Option 1: Secondary Education English 11 with a minimum grade of “C” or higher. Evidence that three years of full-time secondary education (Grades 8-12) have been successfully completed in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages. This includes successful completion of a BC Adult Graduation program.
Option 2: Post-Secondary Education Evidence that two years of full-time post-secondary education have been completed in English at an accredited institution in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages. Language development (ELL) courses cannot be included.
Option 3: Standardized Language Test Achievement of minimum scores on a recognized standardized language test. Test results be dated no more than two years before the start date of the program:
Name of English Language Assessment/Test
| Name of English language assessment/test | Minimum score(s)/level(s)* |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | Minimum overall score of 5.5 |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) IBT | Minimum overall score of 46 |
| Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) | Minimum overall score of 40 |
| Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) | Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, and Writing 5. |
| Duolingo English Test (DET) | Minimum overall score of 95 |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic | Minimum overall score of 43 |
| Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First exam (FCE) | Minimum overall score of 160 or ‘C’. Institutions may include other Cambridge Qualifications at a higher level (i.e., C2 Proficiency (CPE)). |
| Cambridge Linguaskill | Minimum overall B2 level |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | Minimum overall B2 level |
| The Michigan English Test (MET) | Minimum overall B2 level |
| iTEP Academic | Minimum overall score of 3.5 |
| EIKEN | Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1 |
Validity period of above Language Assessment Tests is two years.
Approved English-Speaking Countries
The following countries are considered as those with English language systems / institutions, where English is a primary and official language, and the language used for education.
| American Samoa | Ghana | Saint Lucia |
| Anguilla | Gibraltar | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Grenada | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Australia | Guam | Seychelles |
| Bahamas | Guyana | Sierra Leone |
| Barbados | Ireland | Singapore |
| Belize | Jamaica | South Africa |
| Bermuda | Kenya | Tanzania |
| Botswana | Lesotho | Trinidad and Tobago |
| British Virgin Islands | Liberia | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| Canada | Malta | Uganda |
| Cayman Islands | Mauritius | United Kingdom |
| Dominica | Montserrat | United States |
| Falkland Islands | New Zealand | United States Virgin Islands |
| Fiji | Nigeria | Zambia |
| Gambia | Saint Helena | Zimbabwe |
Western Community College offers a variety of financial aid opportunities to ease students’ stress and allow them to focus on their studies. If you need extra support, we have flexible funding to accommodate all our students, no matter their financial situation.
- BC Student Loan
- In-house Financing
- Student Line of Credit
- Scholarships
- Bursaries and Government grants available while studying and after graduation too.
Our dedicated Financial Aid Officers will help you every step of the way.
- Medical Laboratory Assistant: Collect and process specimens for testing.
- Phlebotomist: Draw blood samples from patients.
- Laboratory Technician: Assist in laboratory testing and experiments.
- Pathology Assistant: Support pathologists in examining specimens.
Clinical Support Worker: Provide assistance in clinical laboratory settings.
Only graduates of BCSLS Approved MLA programs get preferential hiring by health authorities and Lifelabs in BC. Make sure that the MLA program you choose is BCSLS Approved. Medical Laboratory Assistant Program at Western Community College is approved by British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science (BCSLS). Upon completing BCSLS-approved programs, graduates are eligible to seek BCSLS certification.
Request Info
Student Testimonials
© 2025 Western Community College. All Rights Reserved.