Certified Medical Assistant

Get a degree focused in medical assisting.

The Certified Medical Assistant track is a degree option within the Administrative Medical Assistant program. This degree option will prepare students for positions in physician’s offices, clinics and other outpatient health care settings through hands-on classroom and real-world clinical training. Medical assistants function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification exam that meets the requirements of the Washington State Department of Health to become a Certified Medical Assistant.

Contact Information:

Enrollment Services

Downtown Campus

7:30AM - 4:00PM

  • Get the skills you need for the career you want.

More about the program:

The Certified Medical Assistant degree is an extension of Bates’ existing Administrative Medical Assistant degree, and qualifies graduates for entry-level positions in allied health fields. Jobs include Certified Medical Assistant, front/back medical office professional, insurance billing, Phlebotomist, EKG technician, Medical Office Manager, Medical Records Support Clerk, Patient Care Representative, and Administrative Medical Assistant. The program focuses on hands-on learning that will provide real-life experiences for future professionals. 

Degrees & Certificates:

  • Associate of Applied Science: Certified Medical Assistant
  • CIP:  51.0801

Program Lengths:

  • AAS degree program length: 6 Quarters

Faculty and Other Contact Information:

Staci Horwich

253.680.7331l

shorwich@batestech.edu

Note: Information is accurate as of its original posting date. The college reserves the right to edit, change, or update information as needed throughout the year. Up-to-date information is available in Student Services.

  • Description:
    • 6 quarter AAS
    • Maximum class size: 20
    • Student to teacher ratio: 10:1
    • Enrollment point: Fall, Spring
    • This is a hybrid course with some classes being offered fully online, with over half the classes being in-person.
    • Students will being using a full phlebotomy lab with equipment; lab with CLIA-waved testing equipment; mannequin body parts for procedure simulation; BP cuff and stethoscopes.
    • Highly recommended to register for CMA (AAMA) National Exam after AAS degree completion
    • Students will need to purchase specific color scrubs, stethoscope, penlight, pocket medical dictionary, BP cuff (optional)

    Required Courses

    Course CodeCourse TitleCourse Credits
    AMA110Computer Basics1
    AMA111Introduction to Word Processing3
    AMA112Fundamentals of Medical Terminology4
    AMA113Healthcare Communications5
    AMA116Medical Office Procedures3
    AMA117Beginning Medical Terminology4
    AMA119Advanced Medical Office Procedures3
    AMA120Introduction to Spreadsheets3
    AMA121Intermediate Medical Terminology4
    AMA123Electronic Health Records4
    AMA124First Aid/CPR1
    AMA126Advanced Administrative Medical Concepts4
    AMA127Medical Insurance and Reimbursement4
    AMA128Advanced Medical Terminology - Pathophysiology4
    AMA129Medical Coding Applications4
    AMA133HIV/BBP Prevention Education1
    AMA135Practical Applications3
    CMA114Introduction to the Health Care Profession3
    CMA150Medical Office Clinical Applications I6
    CMA151Medical Office Clinical Applications II6
    CMA152Medical Office Laboratory Procedures4
    CMA153Human Diseases and Pharmacology3
    CMA154Medical Assistant Practicum6
    CMA155Medical Assistant Exam Review2
    CMA156Job Readiness & Preparation2

    General Education Requirements

    Course CodeCourse TitleCourse Credits
    ENGL175Professional Writing5
    ENGL&101English Composition I5
    ENGL&235Technical Writing5

    Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.

    Course CodeCourse TitleCourse Credits
    BIOL&160General Biology5
    BIOL170Medical Terminology2
    BIOL&175Human Biology with Lab5
    BIOL&241Human Anatomy and Physiology I5
    BIOL&242Human Anatomy and Physiology II5
    BIOL&260Microbiology5
    CHEM&121General Chemistry5
    CHEM&131Introduction to Organic/Biochemistry5
    CMST&102Introduction to Mass Media5
    CMST152Intercultural Communication5
    CMST&210Interpersonal Communication5
    CMST&220Public Speaking5
    ECON&201Microeconomics5
    HIST101A History of Science and Technology5
    HIST&146United States History I5
    HIST&147United States History II5
    HIST&148United States History III5
    HREL111Interviewing and Career Success5
    HUM&101Introduction to Humanities5
    NUTR&101Intro to Nutrition5
    PHYS&114Introductory Physics I (Algebra based Physics)5
    PHYS&221Engineering Physics I w/LAB5
    PHYS&222Engineering Physics II w/LAB5
    PHYS&223Engineering Physics III w/LAB5
    POLS&101Introduction to Political Science5
    PSYC&100General Psychology5
    PSYC& 200Lifespan Psychology5
    SOC&101Introduction to Sociology5

    Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.

    Course CodeCourse TitleCourse Credits
    MATH172Business Math5
    MATH174Math for Allied Health5
    MATH&107Math in Society5
    MATH&141Precalculus I5
    MATH&142Precalculus II5
    MATH&146Statistics5
    MATH&151Calculus5
    MATH&152Calculus II5

    Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.

  • Description:

    1 quarter Certificate of Training

    This certificate offers online, and hybrid courses. See course descriptions for further information.

    Required Courses:

    Medical Billing & Coding (8 Credits)

    Course list not provided.

No eligibility requirements have been provided.

Tuition and Fees

At Bates, our tuition is affordable and there are options to help make it even easier to gain an education. Federal aid is available for many of our students. Scholarships are also available through the Bates Foundation.

See if you qualify for other funding through our special funding programs with the Workforce Education office.

  • National Median Salary: $37,190
  • National Potential Annual Job Openings: 104,400

This information is based on data from O*Net, captured on October 2022.

The Certified Medical Assisting Program at Bates Technical College has an Exam Passage Rate of 100% of their graduates in 2019 and 2020.  

Eligibility for Medical Assistant Licensure by State: August 2020

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v), the Medical Assisting Program Director at Bates Technical College has obtained the legal opinion of the CEO and Legal Counsel for the American Association of Medical Assistants, relating to education requirements for medical assistant licensure in the United States. *

There are six states that require completion of formal medical assisting education as a prerequisite for working as a medical assistant, or to be delegated certain tasks while working as a medical assistant: Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Arizona.

The Bates Technical College Medical Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). All CAAHEP-accredited medical assisting programs meet the education requirements in these six states.

Information is current as of March 15, 2022.  Any errors are unintentional.

Learn more about this program's Advisory Committee.

No forms have been provided.