Certificate Program
Medical Billing & Coding Assistant
A 12-month, 36-credit blended certificate program with online and on-campus learning plus a 160-hour administrative externship.
Program Overview
Build Coding Expertise
Prepare for rapid entry into health informatics through ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT-4, HCPCS Level II, reimbursement, compliance, claims, auditing, and EHR management.
Code diagnoses
Process claims
Audit records
Use EHR systems
Career Settings
Where You Can Work
Medical Offices
Support patient billing, insurance verification, and record maintenance in physician and outpatient offices.
Hospitals
Contribute to billing operations and documentation workflows across hospital departments.
Billing Services
Assist organizations that manage claims, coding, and revenue-cycle services for healthcare providers.
Program Details
Duration: 12 months across three continuous semesters (Fall, Spring, and Summer) Credits: 36 semester credit hours Delivery: Blended online and on-campus Externship: 160 hours.
Learning Outcomes
- Assign accurate ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT-4, and HCPCS Level II codes using official guidelines.
- Manage the revenue cycle, including insurance verification, CMS-1500 and UB-04 claims, clearinghouse edits, and denial management.
- Apply HIPAA, Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, OIG guidance, and medical-record documentation standards.
- Use EHR, encoder, billing-management, and practice-management systems.
- Audit charts, evaluate EOBs and remittance advice, process appeals, and reconcile patient billing.
Admissions Requirements
- High school diploma or GED equivalent with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- High school biology or introductory computer literacy, or a passing institutional placement assessment.
- Criminal background check and drug screening before administrative externship placement.
- Demonstrated computer proficiency and keyboarding speed of at least 35 WPM.
Three-Semester Course Plan
Semester 1: Foundations
- MBC 101 Medical Terminology and Pathophysiology for Coders — 3 credits
- MBC 103 Healthcare Legal Frameworks, HIPAA, and Compliance — 3 credits
- MBC 105 Health Information Systems and EHR Management — 3 credits
- MBC 107 Introduction to Medical Insurance and Reimbursement — 3 credits
Semester 2: Advanced Coding
- MBC 201 ICD-10-CM Diagnostic Coding Principles — 4 credits
- MBC 202 CPT-4 and HCPCS Level II Procedural Coding — 4 credits
- MBC 203 Inpatient Coding and ICD-10-PCS Systems — 4 credits
- MBC 204 Medical Claims Processing and Revenue Cycle Management — 3 credits
Semester 3: Audit and Externship
- MBC 301 Medical Chart Auditing and Quality Management — 3 credits
- MBC 302 National Certification Board Prep Seminar (CPC / CBCS / CCA) — 2 credits
- MBC 305 Medical Billing & Coding Administrative Externship (160 hours) — 4 credits
Tuition and Costs
- Tuition: $16,200 ($450 per credit × 36 credits)
- Institutional program fee: $1,200
- Coding encoder and software fee: $650
- Health informatics technology fee: $300
- Total direct institutional costs: $18,350
Estimated indirect costs: $1,100–$1,449 for coding manuals, textbooks and digital resources, background check and drug screen, national coding exam fees, and professional association membership. Estimated total program investment: $19,450–$19,799.
Financial Aid and Payment
- Interest-free institutional monthly payment plans across the 12-month program.
- Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding for eligible candidates.
- Veterans’ educational benefits, including GI Bill® and VA funding streams.
- Private student financing options for short-term healthcare administration certificate students.
Certification Pathway
Graduates are prepared to pursue nationally recognized credentials, including CPC (AAPC), CBCS (NHA), CCA or CCS (AHIMA), and the CPB (AAPC) credential pathway.