HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology

Employment pathways:

Exit Pathways

Employment Opportunities:

• Pathology Assistant
• Laboratory Assistant
• Specimen Reception Officer
• Pathology Support Officer
• Laboratory Support Worker
• Medical Laboratory Support Assistant

Note: Completion provides industry-recognized competencies but does not guarantee employment.

Academic Prerequisites:

• Minimum age: 18 years
• Completion of Australian Year 11 or equivalent
• Physical capability to perform procedures
• Commitment to structured learning and self-directed study

Pre-Enrolment Assessments:

• Pre-Training Review (PTR)
• LLND assessment (AQF Level 3 aligned)

Domestic Students

Academic Requirements:

• Satisfactory completion of equivalent of Australian Year 11 or higher
• Demonstrated literacy and numeracy skills appropriate for AQF Level 3
• Physical capability for the role

Work Placement Requirements:

• There is no mandatory work placement requirement for this qualification specialisation.
• Additional compliance requirements may apply where learners undertake optional workplace-based learning activities.

International Students

Academic Requirements:

• English requirement (IELTS 6.0 or equivalent)
• Academic equivalent to Year 11
• Compliance with student visa requirements

English Language Proficiency (one of):

Alternative English Requirements:

• Five years English-medium education in approved countries OR
• Successful completion of Australian foundation course, senior secondary certificate, or Certificate IV within two years OR
• Evidence of studying in English for at least five years in approved English-speaking countries

Additional Requirements:

• Compliance with student visa requirements

Assessment Exemptions

Students who have completed Pre-Training Review and LLND assessment at Menzies Institute of Technology for previous qualifications in the same stream are exempt from repeating these assessments.

The qualification is delivered over a total duration of 24 weeks, structured to ensure a logical progression from foundational knowledge through to pathology assistance and laboratory support competencies.

The delivery model consists of:

• 24 weeks of structured training and assessment, incorporating classroom-based learning, practical laboratory activities, simulation exercises, and assessment activities.
• Learning is organised into five clusters to support the progressive development of knowledge and skills from workplace foundations through to laboratory practice and specimen processing.

Weekly Training Schedule
Students attend 20 scheduled contact hours per week in compliance with CRICOS delivery requirements. These are delivered across 2.5 days per week, structured as:

• 16 hours per week of supervised training, including:
  • Classroom-based learning
  • Practical laboratory activities
  • Demonstrations and simulations
• 4 hours per week of supervised assessment activities, including:
  • Practical observations and demonstrations
  • Knowledge assessments
  • Case studies
  • Portfolio and project-based evidence collection

Self-Directed Learning

In addition to scheduled contact hours, students are expected to undertake:

• 4 hours per week of independent self-directed learning

These hours may include:

• Research and revision
• Review of learning resources
• Completion of learning activities
• Preparation for assessments
• Independent study relating to pathology and laboratory procedures

Self-directed learning contributes to the total Volume of Learning but does not contribute to the Amount of Training, as these activities are completed independently outside scheduled training hours.

Assignments and Research (Additional Unsupervised Learning)

In addition to self-directed learning, students are required to complete further independent learning activities outside scheduled contact hours. These activities represent the time required to complete assessment tasks and demonstrate competency.

Activities may include:

• Completion of written assessments and assignments
• Independent research relating to pathology services and laboratory operations
• Engagement with online learning modules and digital resources
• Preparation and completion of practical and theoretical assessments
• Portfolio development and evidence collection
• Review of workplace procedures, quality systems, and infection control requirements

Practical Focus

Significant time is allocated to simulation-based learning and practical laboratory activities to support the development of pathology assistance skills, including specimen receiving, preparation and dispatch, laboratory housekeeping, infection control procedures, preparation of working solutions, and contamination prevention techniques.

Theory Integration

A balanced approach is used to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application, ensuring learners develop essential understanding in areas such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, infection prevention and control, pathology operations, workplace safety, and laboratory quality practices alongside hands-on skills development.

Practical Laboratory Integration

Practical laboratory activities and simulated workplace environments are integrated throughout the course to provide learners with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in industry-relevant contexts. These activities support competency development and enable learners to meet the assessment requirements of the units of competency within a controlled and supervised training environment.

Credit Transfer (CT), recognition of prior learning (RPL), professional experience and accreditation from a professional body can reduce the duration of your study by acknowledging your earlier, relevant experience. Credit and exemptions will be assessed consistent with the principles of the Menzies College of Nursing & Health.  

Please refer to MITP15 RPL and Credit Transfer Policy and Procedure for further details. 

Assessment Philosophy

Principles Applied:

• Validity: Assessments measure required competencies accurately
• Reliability: Consistent assessment standards across all tasks
• Flexibility: Reasonable adjustments available for diverse learners
• Fairness: Equitable assessment opportunities for all students

Assessment Integration:

• Aligned with training delivery
• Progressive skill development
• Real-world application focus
• Industry relevance maintenance

Assessment Methods Matrix

Assessment Delivery Arrangements

Theory Assessments:

• Location: Off-campus and/or online through the Learning Management System (LMS)
• Format: Written responses, short-answer questions, case studies, research activities, projects, and knowledge-based assessments
• Submission: LMS
• Timeline: Feedback and assessment outcomes provided within two weeks of submission

Practical Assessments:

• Location: On-campus pathology and laboratory simulation environment
• Format: Demonstrations, practical skills assessments, laboratory activities, simulations, workplace scenario-based tasks, and direct observation
• Observation: Direct assessor supervision and observation
• Recording: Assessment checklists, observation records, student portfolios where appropriate
• Resources: Laboratory equipment, specimen handling materials, workplace documentation, PPE, and simulated pathology resources consistent with unit assessment requirements

Assessment Standards and Requirements

Assessment Conditions:

• Industry-realistic environments
• Appropriate time allocations for task completion
• Access to required resources and equipment
• Compliance with WHS standards

Evidence Requirements:

• Performance Evidence: Demonstration of skills in workplace contexts
• Knowledge Evidence: Understanding of underlying concepts and principles
• Assessment Conditions: Appropriate industry-realistic settings
• Foundation Skills: Integrated language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills

Melbourne, Victoria.

This course will only be delivered and assessed in Victoria and not offered for interstate students.

Monthly Intakes available, please check with Menzies for next available intake date

Information concerning students, including information submitted at enrolment, will be used by Menzies College of Nursing & Health, or other authorised organisations for the purposes of general participant administration, communication, research, statistical analysis, state and national reporting, program monitoring and evaluation. Information provided will be held securely and disposed of securely.

Menzies College of Nursing & Health is committed to upholding the Australian Privacy Principles:

• We will only collect information that is necessary to providing you the service we offer.
• We will collect information in a fair and lawful way.
• You will be told of why we are collecting it and who will have access to it
• We will take reasonable steps to ensure that the information we keep regarding you is accurate.
• We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is protected from misuse, loss or unauthorised access or disclosure.
• You can make a request in writing to access any information we hold about you and we shall provide access, unless access will impact unreasonably on someone else’s privacy.
• If there are mistakes in the information, we hold about you, we will correct them.
• We will not request sensitive information about you. Sensitive information includes information about your health, political beliefs, religious beliefs and sexual preference.
• Our courses require a Medicare or passport number for eligibility purposes. In this case you will be asked to provide this information prior to course commencement.
• Where an employer has paid the course fee on behalf of the participant and all parties have signed the training plan, then we will report the participant progress to the employer on a regular basis.

Information collected about an individual learner or intended applicant in Written Agreement and Acceptance of Offer and during the student enrolment, can be provided by Menzies College of Nursing & Health, the Commonwealth including the TPS or state or territory agencies, in certain circumstances, to the Australian Government and designated authorities; in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. In other instances, information collected on this form or during your enrolment can be disclosed without your consent where authorised or required by law.

Under the Data Provision Requirements 2012, Menzies College of Nursing & Health is required to collect personal information about any individual learner or intended applicant and to disclose that personal information to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER).

Learner’s personal information (including the personal information contained in Written Agreement and Acceptance of Offer and during the course of their study), may be used or disclosed by Menzies College of Nursing & Health for statistical, administrative, regulatory and research purposes. Menzies College of Nursing & Health may disclose your personal information for these purposes to:

• Commonwealth and State or Territory government departments and authorised agencies; and
• NCVER.

Personal information that has been disclosed to NCVER may be used or disclosed by NCVER for the following purposes:

• Populating authenticated VET transcripts.
• Facilitating statistics and research relating to education, including surveys and data linkage;
• Pre-populating RTO student enrolment forms;
• Understanding how the VET market operates, for policy, workforce planning and consumer information; and
• Administering VET, including program administration, regulation, monitoring and evaluation.

For the full Privacy Policy, please refer here