How To Apply
Dear Prospective Student,
We are pleased that you have shown an interest in the Medical Laboratory Technology program at Pearl River Community College. The deadline to apply each year is May 1st. Please follow the steps below to ensure that your application is complete.
All of the following are due by May 1st
- ACT 18 (ACT of 16 is accepted if English and Algebra are completed with a minimum of “C”.)
- Completion of Biology and Chemistry or the equivalent in high school
- Online PRCC application – Students must complete a PRCC New Student Application before applying to the MLT Program.
- 3-5 days after completing the application you will receive your RiverGuide credentials.
- Once you receive your RiverGuide credentials, use them to access the Online MLT Program application
- Email Autobiography to mlt@prcc.edu
- Official High School Transcript or GED – eScript preferred, for mailed transcripts, see address below
- Official transcript of ALL Colleges – eScript preferred, for mailed transcripts, see address below
Pearl River Community College
Office of Admissions
101 Hwy 11 North
Poplarville, MS 39470
Admission to the MLT program is competitive based upon
- ACT Score
- General cumulative GPA
- Biology and Chemistry or the equivalent GPA (grade of “C” or better)
- Interview points
- Communication Skills
- Knowledge of the field
- Must be eligible to take College Algebra (MAT 1313/4)
- Can perform Essential Requirements
- Only the highest-ranking applicants are interviewed (Admission Rating Form)
- Class size is 20 students
- Provide documentation of the following before final acceptance:
- General physical
- Health Approval Form (PDF) for duties of a Medical Laboratory Technician.
- Hepatitis B vaccinations
- TB skin test
- Color blind test
- 2 MMR vaccinations
- Current season Flu shot
- Proof of Liability Auto Insurance
- American Heart Association CPR Certification for the Clinical Practicum
- Criminal Background Check (CBC) questionnaire. More information is below
NOTE: Priority for student admission to the program will be as follows: district, out-of-district, and out-of-state candidates. All MLT applicants must be able to master all of the essential functions in order to complete the MLT Program. All PRCC MLT program students will be required to complete a criminal background check. According to various sections of the Mississippi law, persons convicted of certain felonies and/or misdemeanors may be refused clinical placement and/or employment by healthcare facilities.
All statements related to admission criteria or announcements of the present policies are subject to revisions.
NOTE: Courses taken in the Spring semester of the year of application cannot be used to calculate GPA’s or rank due to the fact that the deadline precedes the end of the semester.
Our Obligation:
- If you are accepted into PRCC Medical Laboratory Technology prorgam, your fingerprints will be submitted to the:
- Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) to process a Criminal Background Check in accordance with section 43-11-13 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended, which covers healthcare facilities.
- Local, state, national and military records will be checked.
- Having a criminal conviction is not an automatic bar to enrollment in the MLT program.
- If you disclose a conviction and /or plea during the pre-admittance process, the details surrounding the event will be examined to determine how it relates to your clearance to proceed in the program.
- If you fail to disclose a conviction and/or plea during the pre-admittance process, this will be considered falsification of your application and/or Criminal Background Check questionnaire. Falsification is grounds for dismissal from the MLT program.
Your Obligation:
- You are obligated to fully disclose any convictions, guilty pleas or no contest plea even if you do not think it will appear during a record search.
- If you have questions or concerns about whether an incident could be considered a conviction, please share the information so a determination can be made if the incident would be considered a conviction, a guilty plea or a no contest plea.
Relevant Information:
- Applicants who have been convicted of, pled guilty, nolo contendere, attempted to commit, or conspired to commit felony crimes of violence, sex offenses or involving the distribution or dispensing, manufacturing, and production of controlled substances regardless of final disposition of the proceeding will be permanently denied the right to enroll in the MLT program.
- Applicants who have any other felony convictions or a misdemeanor conviction and the existence of aggravating circumstances, including, but not limited to, ongoing substance abuse/misuse will be denied enrollment into the MLT program for a minimum of three (3) years following the final disposition of the proceeding.
- In cases involving substance abuse/misuse, applicants must provide documented evidence of two (2) years of continuous sobriety prior to entering the challenges, temptations, and added stressors of the MLT program. The documentation must be validated by a licensed health professional who holds expertise in substance addiction treatment.
- CBC results include offenses you may not consider convictions including, but not limited to:
- Traffic related offenses (such as DUIs, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license)
- Noise ordinance violations
- Uttering/bounced check
- Malicious mischief
- Forgery, etc.
- Conviction does not necessarily refer only to convictions / pleas that require someone to be incarcerated. The terms of your conviction / plea could have required you to:
- Pay a fine
- Serve probation or house arrest
- Participate in a work release program or other mandatory training program
- Participate in a diversion / non-adjudication program
- Complete other requirements considered appropriate by the judge hearing your case
- The terms of your conviction/plea must be resolved (completed) prior to making application to the MLT program.
- Convictions do not automatically “drop off” of your record after a certain period of time (i.e. 7 years) and should be disclosed regardless of the length of time since the conviction.
- For an arrest and/or a conviction that appears on your RAP sheet, you must provide documentation attesting to all the facts related to the arrest and/or conviction.
- For a conviction that appears on your RAP sheet that legally should have been removed from your record (expunged), you must provide documentation that an order to remove the conviction was executed prior to the application deadline to remain in the MLT program.
- If you receive a RAP sheet, your continuation in the MLT program will be based upon review of all documentation provided to the Safety & Ethics Committee. There is no appeal process following the decision of the Safety & Ethics Committee.