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How to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist

Tests blood and tissue samples to help doctors diagnose and monitor disease.

Apply early

Selection programmes like this often close months before the standard application deadline, and marks alone don’t guarantee a place. See the Dates page for the exact closing dates.

What does a Medical Laboratory Scientist actually do?

More about this career

Analyses patient samples – blood, tissue, fluids – in hospital, public-health and private pathology laboratories, so doctors can diagnose and track illness. It is mostly laboratory work with instruments and quality control rather than patient contact. Practising needs a registered Bachelor of Health Sciences in Medical Laboratory Science and registration with the HPCSA.

Where this degree can take you

  • Clinical Pathology Technologist
  • Haematology Scientist
  • Microbiology Scientist
  • Laboratory Manager

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Physical Sciences
  • Life Sciences

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the programmes we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 7 of 7 programmes
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 7 of 7 programmes
  • Life Sciences – asked for by 7 of 7 programmes
  • Technical Mathematics – asked for by 1 of 7 programmes
  • Technical Sciences – asked for by 1 of 7 programmes

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each programme links to the page it came from.

Programmes that lead here

7 programmes at 6 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Bachelor of Health Sciences in Medical Laboratory Science

Health & Wellness Sciences

CPUT APS 38 points (method varies by programme)

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CPUT’s own prospectus course page. Mainstream needs APS 38+ with a Bachelor’s pass; the Extended Curriculum Programme takes APS 30-37 (level 3, min 48%, accepted in Mathematics or Physical Sciences subject to space). Preference goes to higher APS. Applications close 30 June 2026. CPUT calculates this programme’s APS using one of three methods, confirmed from page 3 of CPUT’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus - see CPUT_APS for the arithmetic.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Selection programme

Bachelor of Health Sciences in Medical Laboratory Science (Extended Curriculum)

Health & Wellness Sciences · 5 years

CPUT APS 30 points (method varies by programme)

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CPUT’s own prospectus course page. Extended Curriculum Programme: APS 30-37 with a Bachelor’s pass; preference goes to higher APS. A level 3 (minimum 48%) in either Mathematics or Physical Science is considered, subject to space. Applications closed 30 June 2026. CPUT calculates this programme’s APS using one of three methods, confirmed from page 3 of CPUT’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus - see CPUT_APS for the arithmetic.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Central University of Technology

Selection programme

Bachelor of Health Sciences: Medical Laboratory Sciences

Health Sciences

CUT APS 30 points out of 49

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 3 (40% or more)

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CUT’s own programme page (the page carries no intake year; applications for 2027 closed 30 September 2026). 30 CUT points minimum: a score of 35+ is admitted directly, 30-34 goes through psychometric evaluation and selector review. Level 4 in Mathematics, Life Sciences, English and Physical Sciences, level 3 in Life Orientation, Bachelor’s endorsement, and proof of job shadowing at a diagnostic laboratory.

Source: View the official page (cut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Mangosuthu University of Technology

No cut-off published

Bachelor of Health Sciences: Medical Laboratory Science

Applied and Health Sciences · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Interview and placement test – Applicants must undergo an interview and placement testing.

Medical laboratory (diagnostic) science specifically, not general biology research. RAW-CONFIRMED by a second MUT document (the user-supplied First-Year Prospectus 2026) - same subjects and 4-year duration, but still no single APS number stated in either document (a "24" appeared near these subjects in the original source table but its exact meaning was ambiguous, so it is still not published as the APS). Duration includes 6 months of work-integrated learning in year 3 and 12 months of clinical practice in year 4.

Source: View the official page (mut.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Tshwane University of Technology

Selection programme

Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Laboratory Science

Science

TUT APS 24 points

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Technical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

New row, from the user-supplied Science Faculty Prospectus (qualification code BPLS20). Highly competitive, ranked selection; a national diploma holder can also articulate in with 50% credit recognition. Medical laboratory (diagnostic) science specifically, not general biology research - filed under the closest existing career category. From TUT’s 2027 First-Year Course Information and General Information PDFs. Applications opened 1 April 2026 (fee R240).

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Johannesburg

Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Laboratory Science

Health Sciences · 4 years

UJ APS 30 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)

Read from the 2027 UJ Undergraduate Prospectus, page 67, programme code B9B01Q. Mathematical Literacy, Technical Mathematics and Technical Sciences are not accepted.

Source: View the official page (uj.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Vaal University of Technology

Bachelor of Health Sciences: Medical Laboratory Science

Health Sciences · 4 years

VUT APS 27 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)

Medical laboratory (diagnostic) science specifically, not general biology research - filed under the closest existing career category. We could not confirm whether VUT offers a separate Nursing qualification. Raw-confirmed directly against the user-supplied 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements PDF. From VUT’s 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements PDF. Academic applications close 30 September 2026 (residences 31 October 2026); fee R110.

Source: View the official page (vut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every programme above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?