Lake Superior College is located in Duluth, on the western tip of Lake Superior, in the northeastern section of Minnesota. The certificate program in phlebotomy is one of 18 offered by the health sciences department. By law, applicants are required to furnish the school with health documentation and must all be immunized against hepatitis B. Aspiring caregivers must also consent to a criminal background check.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area is served by the Minneapolis Community and Technical college. Phlebotomy is a profession requiring manual dexterity and excellent people skills, so the program includes hands-on training, and a clinical experience rotation, as well as classroom coursework. Coursework in a phlebotomy program includes topics such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and blood collection procedures.
South Central College, as the name suggests, serves the area south of Minneapolis. The school's campuses in North Mankato and Faribault offer instruction in a range of academic and vocational programs, including phlebotomy at the Faribault campus. The phlebotomy program offers both summer and fall admissions, giving students the option of entering the job market at a time when there are fewer other graduates to compete with.
Aspiring phlebotomists in the west-central area of the state are served by the Alexandria Technical and Community College in Alexandria. The phlebotomy program requires only one semester and awards a vocational certificate, though students may opt to take additional courses in order to graduate with an associate's degree in science or applied science. This gives the student opportunity to add other, more technical clinical credentials later.
The northwest area of Minnesota is served by the Northland Community and Technical College, with campuses in Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks. The phlebotomy program is delivered at the East Grand Forks campus, near the North Dakota border. The phlebotomy program itself requires 16 course credits, but the school also requires that courses in English and mathematics be taken before entering the program.