Associate Degree
A.S. in Anesthesia Technology
A two-year, 60-credit blended program preparing students for clinical operating room practice and the ASATT Cer.A.T.T. national examination.
Program Overview
Clinical Technology for Safer Care
This program integrates biomedical technology, pharmacology, perioperative patient care, and surgical risk management. Students learn to support licensed Anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in modern operating rooms and specialty care settings.
Graduates develop practical skills in anesthesia delivery systems, hemodynamic monitoring, airway management assistance, autotransfusion, sterile processing, and emergency resuscitation. The program includes 540 hours of clinical practicum across four semesters.
Learning Outcomes
Skills You Will Build
Equipment Management
Prepare, calibrate, troubleshoot, clean, and maintain anesthesia machines, ventilators, monitors, and autotransfusion devices.
Airway Assistance
Assist licensed providers with difficult-airway interventions, fiberoptic intubations, video laryngoscopy, LMAs, and rapid sequence inductions.
Hemodynamic Monitoring
Set up and calibrate arterial lines, CVP monitoring, blood gas analysis, TEG systems, and related diagnostic technology.
Pharmacology and Asepsis
Manage anesthetic agents, emergency drugs, IV fluids, blood products, sterile fields, and infection-control standards.
Legal and Ethical Practice
Apply HIPAA, informed-consent principles, medical liability awareness, and OSHA/AORN operating room safety standards.
Crisis Response
Support Malignant Hyperthermia, cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, massive transfusion, and airway-crisis protocols.
Admissions
Prepare for Clinical Training
Applicants must meet academic, screening, and health-clearance requirements before clinical operating room placement.
Education and Prerequisites
High school diploma or GED with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. Chemistry, Biology, and Algebra are required at the high school or college level with a minimum grade of C.
Background Screening
A comprehensive criminal background check and 10-panel drug screening are required before clinical operating room placements.
Health Clearance
Complete a physical examination and provide required immunization documentation, including Hepatitis B with titer proof, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and annual tuberculosis clearance.
BLS Certification
Maintain American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification as required for clinical participation.
Four-Semester Curriculum
A 60-credit curriculum combining general education, biomedical science, simulation laboratory learning, and 540 clinical practicum hours.
Semester 1
15 credits: Anatomy & Physiology I, General Chemistry, Composition I, College Algebra and Medical Dosage Mathematics, and orientation to anesthesia technology.
Semester 2
15 credits: Anatomy & Physiology II, anesthesia equipment and delivery systems, pharmacology, and therapeutic communication.
Semester 3
15 credits: airway management lab, hemodynamic monitoring and autotransfusion, perioperative asepsis, and 180-hour Clinical Practicum I.
Semester 4
15 credits: specialty anesthesia, emergencies and resuscitation, ASATT board review, and 360-hour Clinical Practicum II.
Clinical Practicum
540 total hours in operating rooms, specialty suites, trauma bays, and outpatient surgical centers under certified preceptors.
Simulation Learning
Hands-on practice with anesthesia machines, airway devices, monitoring systems, cell-saver technology, and emergency protocols.
Board Preparation
Targeted review of ASATT Cer.A.T.T. national exam domains, practice exams, résumé development, and career transition.
Full Course Details
Review course codes, credit hours, descriptions, and the complete degree plan in the downloadable PDF.
Costs and Support
Plan Your Investment
Estimated Program Cost
Direct institutional costs total $30,100 across two years. Estimated indirect expenses are $1,885 to $2,085, for an estimated total investment of $31,985 to $32,185.
Financial Aid Options
Eligible students may use Federal Student Aid, institutional interest-free semester payment plans, veterans’ educational benefits, and qualifying hospital sponsorship or workforce grants.
Certification and Careers
Graduates are prepared for the ASATT Cer.A.T.T. examination and may pursue roles in trauma centers, teaching hospitals, ambulatory surgery, cardiac suites, and labor and delivery.
Next Step
Begin Your Anesthesia Technology Path
Review the complete degree plan, confirm your readiness for clinical training, and start your application to USJ.