Skip to main content
Indiana University School of Medicine offers an online program to earn an associate degree or a certificate in histotechnology.

Histotechnology Programs

Indiana University School of Medicine offers three online program options to earn an associate of science degree or a certificate in histotechnology.

What is histotechnology?

Histotechnology is a science-based profession aimed to assist pathologists with the diagnosis of disease on biologic samples from patients. This technology integrates biology, chemistry, histochemistry, immunology, and molecular biology in order to identify cell and tissue types as well as microorganisms, pigments, and antigens. Histotechnologists perform testing procedures that may include tissue/dye reaction, enzyme histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and electron microscopy. They must be meticulous, accurate experts in the handling and preparation of tissues, as many of the samples they work with cannot be replaced.

Working as a histotechnician

a young female histotechnician wearing a lab coat stands in front of a microscope.Job openings for qualified histotechnicians can be found throughout the United States in hospitals, clinics, specialty labs (including dermatopathology and urology), pharmaceutical, industrial and medical research companies, veterinary pathology groups, marine biology teams and forensic pathology labs.

Histotechnicians have diverse functions in areas of pre‐analytic, analytic and post‐analytic processes and also have responsibilities for information processing, training and quality control monitoring wherever histologic procedures are performed.

Communications skills extend to frequent interactions with members of the health care team, external relations, customer service and patient education. The levels of analysis range from routine tissue processing to complex histopathology.

Offering options that work for you

The online distance education program in histotechnology functions as a cooperative effort between IU School of Medicine and the student’s qualifying histology laboratory. The program offers options for three types of applicants.

Certificate

For applicants who already hold an associate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. 

Students will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to sit for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) histotechnian (HT) or histotechnologist (HTL) certification exam.

Learn more

Associate degree

For applicants without a degree or histotechnician (HT) certification.

Graduates will earn an Associate of Science in Histotechnology and be prepared to sit for the ASCP HT certification exam.

Learn more

Special credit associate degree

For applicants who are already HT certified through ASCP but wish to earn an associate degree.

Students are awarded 24 special credit hours from Indiana University for their HT certification.

Learn more