Educational Requirements

Associate’s Degree
Completion of an accredited MLT program

....more here
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
http://www.naacls.org/
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
http://www.ascls.org/

Medical Technologist (MT)
aka Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)

BS in the biology / health-related sciences
Completion of an accredited MT program

....more here
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
http://www.naacls.org/
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
http://www.ascls.org/

PhD and/or MD in Microbiology/Molecular Biology

Post Doc through ASM’s Committee on Postgraduate Education Programs (CPEP) training (optional but desirable)
http://clinmicro.asm.org/index.php/asm-programs/professional-development/cpep

Associate, Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral level:

National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM)
http://www.asm.org/nrcm

American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
http://www.ascp.org/Board-of-Certification/GetCertified

The NRCM certifies professional microbiologists at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels in biological safety; food safety and quality; and pharmaceutical and medical device.

Additionally, the American Society for Clinical Pathology certifies clinical laboratory scientists as Technologists in Microbiology (M) or Specialist in Microbiology (SM).

Doctoral level only:

American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) - for individuals who want to direct public health or clinical microbiology laboratories
http://www.asm.org/index.php/abmm-about

Doctoral level only:

American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI) - for individuals who want to direct medical immunology laboratories
http://www.asm.org/index.php/abmli-about