School of Cytology

Application period is open from January 5 – March 31, 2025.

UCLA Health School of Cytology operates under the aegis of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine of the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. The School of Cytology, founded in 1991, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and offers a comprehensive course in Cytology.

This is a Certificate Program. College credits are offered for students concurrently enrolled in the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), Clinical Science-Cytotechnology option certificate program only. Upon program completion, the student will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and is eligible to sit for the American Society for Clinical Pathology, Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC) examination in Cytology. After successfully passing the ASCP-BOC exam, students will be granted the professional title, Cytologist -CT (ASCP).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
Mailing address:
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727-210-2350
Fax: 727-210-2354
Email: [email protected]

Curriculum

This one-year training program trains students to detect cancer, its precursors and other medical disorders. Students will learn to perform a variety of diagnostic and research procedures in the Cytology laboratory, including microscopic examination of human cellular material and processing and staining of cytological specimens. The student will be trained to assess adequacy at fine needle aspirations and other procedures. Students will also have opportunities to learn new technologies in Cytology.

Maximum capacity of this program is six students per year. The school year begins in mid-July and concludes in June of the following year.

Program Outcomes 

First-time pass rate of ASCP-Board of Certification exam from the year of 2021-2023 is 90%.

Tuitions and Expenses 

For the 2024-2025 school year:

*Fees are subject to change without notice.
*A $50 USD non-refundable processing fee is required for the application process.

Important Notes:

1. Textbooks, gas and mileage, parking fees, scrubs, ergonomic supplies, & miscellaneous expenses/ fees (of approximately $2000-$3000) are not included in the fees listed above.
2. Housing and transportation are NOT provided by the UCLA Health School of Cytology or Department of Pathology during the training year. It is the responsibility of the students to provide their own housing, and to arrange transportation for off-campus lectures, special speakers’ lectures, and clinical rotations.
3. During the training year, students also have opportunities to participate in out-of-states national conferences, such as Annual Meetings hosted by the American Society of Cytopathology, American Society for Cytotechnology, and the American Society for Clinical Pathology. It is the responsibility of the students to provide their own housing, transportation, and expenses for these conferences if they wish to attend.

General policies and Information: click Here

Eligibility

1. Applicants 

• Application process includes either Route 1 or Route 2.
• Deadline of application for the school year starting in Fall is March 31.

Route 1:

• The School of Cytology accepts students through California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), College of Health-Human Services-and Nursing, Division of Health Sciences Program, Clinical Science - Cytotechnology Option. CSUDH will grant academic credit for the year of clinical training in the UCLA Health School of Cytology.
• CSUDH students should already have a Bachelor of Science Degree and enroll as Post-Baccalaureate candidates. A Certificate of Completion will be awarded upon successfully completion of the training program.

For more information, please visit the CSUDH website: https://catalog.csudh.edu/academics/clinical-science/

Route 2:

• Non-CSUDH applicants (with US citizens and Permanent Resident status) should possess a minimum of Bachelor of Science Degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants who have completed college degrees outside of the U.S. need to submit his/her Transcript/Degree evaluation by one of the American Society for Clinical Pathology designated agencies. See this list here 
• Non-CSUDH applicants (with US citizens and Permanent Resident status) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from an accredited college or university will be required to fulfill the following biological science courses prior to enter the program. Applicants who have completed college degrees outside of the U.S. need to submit his/her Transcript/Degree evaluation by one of the American Society for Clinical Pathology designated agencies. See this list here
• A minimum of 20 semesters (30 quarter) hours of biological sciences and 8 semester hours of chemistry, with additional prerequisite courses listed in the following section are required. A Certificate of Completion will be awarded upon successfully completion of the training program. Science Courses required for Non-CSUDH Certificate students Note: These courses need to be taken within the last 5 years of application date.
  • Cell Biology
  • Histology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Human Anatomy
  • Human Genetics
  • Biostatistics
  • Microbiology (recommended)
  • Hematology (recommended)
  • Immunology (recommended)

Cytology Program Officials 

Medical Director:  Jianyu Rao, MD and Erika Rodriguez, MD, PhD
Program Director:  Mary Levin, SCT(ASCP)
Education Coordinator:  Po Chu Fung, MBA, SCT(ASCP)  

Submit application and documentation in a package to: 

Mary Levin, SCT(ASCP)
Program Director
UCLA Health School of Cytology
UCLA Medical Center
Dept of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
CHS, AL-209 C, Box 951732
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732
TEL: (310) 825-9102
FAX: (310) 983-3289
E-mail: [email protected] 

Download application forms here: 

For CSUDH and Non-CSUDH students, download the Certificate Application.