Best Online Medical Assisting Associate’s Degree Programs
The online degree also expands the types of healthcare facilities where you can choose to work. A Medical Assistant Associate degree lets prospective employers know you are serious about a medical assistant career.
Medical assistants help deliver essential healthcare services. They perform an array of administrative and clinical tasks to help medical facilities operate efficiently.
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Almost two-thirds of medical assistants work in doctor’s offices. Some medical assistants work in hospitals, inpatient and outpatient facilities, long-term care centers, and other types of healthcare settings. Medical assistants sometimes also select a specialty, such as ophthalmology or pediatrics.
Medical assistant employment growth:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts 29 percent employment growth for medical assistants from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average employment growth across all occupations (which, according to the BLS, is around 10 percent).
Online Medical Assistant Associate’s degree ranking guidelines:
We selected the top programs based on the courses provided, program quality, and reputation, including the schools’ reputation for effectively providing online degree programs.
RANKING METHODOLOGY
Methodology for College Rankings
The motto of TheBestSchools.org is Finding the best school for you. Here is how we do it:
The value of any ranking list of schools and/or degree programs depends on having a methodologically sound assessment of each school’s/program’s characteristics, especially insofar as these can be objectively measured. A college or university is a complex entity, with numerous factors to consider, and distilling these down to the place where meaningful comparisons can be made to form a defensible ranking list becomes part science and part art.
To meet this challenge—and thereby provide you with the most useful and insightful educational rankings on the Internet—TheBestSchools.org formulates our rankings based on five informational categories (six, when considering online schools). The major metrics and qualities for which we rank are these (with expanded, detailed considerations and weights listed):
1. Academic excellence based on a school’s curriculum generally or within the selected discipline [weight = 25%]
Weighs school against known leading schools in that discipline
Weighs number of core curricula listed as advanced courses within that discipline and compares against introductory courses
Weighs school’s curriculum against known knowledge needs of major employers in that discipline
Considers number and types of specializations offered within that discipline
Considers faculty expertise in that discipline
Considers range of electives within that discipline
Considers quality of online environment offered to students (if applicable), particularly within that discipline
2. Strength of faculty scholarship [weight = 25%]
Considers education background of the faculty
Considers years of faculty experience both inside and outside of academia.
Considers faculty membership and leadership within relevant, prominent associations
Considers academic papers published by faculty in relevant, prominent periodicals
Considers awards and recognitions given to faculty members from prominent organizations and from other sources
3. Reputation [weight = 20%]
Considers a school’s reputation among academic peers and employers regarding the following:
Faculty
Curriculum
“Freshness” of academic knowledge
Adaptability to changes in employment sectors
Suitability of graduates for the workplace
4. Financial aid [weight = 10%]
Mandatory: Requires full accreditation from an agency endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and listed on the federal register to accept student federal financial aid
Considers range of school-sponsored financial aid such as scholarships and grants
5. Range of degree programs [weight = 20%]
Considers range of degree levels: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral and professional
Considers range of degree subjects offered, such as art & design, computers & technology, education & teaching, criminal justice, and business
6. Strength of online instruction methodology (if applicable) [weight = 25%; subtract 5% from each of the above for online schools/programs]
Considers the following of the online classes:
Types of online technology used to deliver content
Pedagogy style: asynchronous, synchronous, or both (depending on the degree)
Extent and quality of the online, community learning environment, including options for communication, interactivity, and collaboration between students and also between students and instructors
Variety, breadth, and depth of coursework, and its support, including project options and online tutoring
Considers the following of instructors:
Extent of training for teaching within an online learning environment
Amount of timely, consistent feedback to students
Extent of collaboration with prospective employers to ensure suitability of instructional materials for achieving desired skills
Ratio to number of students in a class
Number and quality of internships in a student’s geographical area for applicable degrees
Because students tend to review a variety of information when choosing a school, the weight a student gives any one criterion will vary. For instance, it’s not enough to offer a carefully constructed ranking of great schools if many are too expensive or too difficult to get into.
To better serve the needs of prospective students, we are therefore increasingly offering filters that help you better use our rankings to find the schools that match your specific needs. These supplement our ranking criteria and include:
Accreditation
Public or private status
Acceptance rate
Retention rate
Graduation rate
ACT/SAT requirements
Cost in-state / out of state
Undergrad, grad, or both offered
Region
State
City
Get the best rankings here AND get them to suit your personal needs. That’s TheBestSchools.org advantage!
If you have any questions about our ranking methodology, please contact us.
Citations: For a broader account of our ranking methodology, especially as it relates to TheBestSchools.org’s underlying educational philosophy and, in other ranking articles, looks beyond academic excellence (as here) to such factors as return on investment or incidental benefit, see our article “Ranking Methodology: How We Rank Schools at TBS.” Reputation of schools and degree programs can at least in part be gauged through the rankings of other well-known educational ranking companies. At TheBestSchools.org, we keep track of such social and peer validation: “Making Sense of College Rankings.” For nuts-and-bolts information about colleges and universities, we look to the National Center for Education Statistics and especially its College Navigator. Insofar as salary and inflation data are relevant to a ranking, we look to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Finally, nothing beats contacting schools and degree programs directly, which our researchers often do, with the result that all the entries in this article should be considered as belonging to this citation!
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Featured Online Programs
Herzing University - AS - Medical Assisting Services
Keiser University - AS - Medical Assisting
Ultimate Medical Academy - AS - Health Information Technology
Featured Schools
Herzing University
Herzing University
Brookfield, WI & Online
AS - Medical Assisting Services
As a private, nonprofit institution, Herzing is accredited for business programs by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Its online programming includes bachelor's and associate degrees in business management and marketing, as well as pre-professional programs in nursing, legal studies, and public safety.
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Online Associate’s Degrees in Medical Assisting
1. Liberty University Online
Liberty UniversityLiberty University is a Christian school that has been training Champions for Christ since 1971 and pioneering distance education since 1985.
Liberty University Online is one of the world’s biggest online universities, with over 90,000 students. It offers more than 160 fully accredited programs of study in eight-week sub-terms. These classes allow customization and flexibility. Due to the complexity of the subject matter, the university teaches some core classes only in a regular 16-week term.
The online medical assistant associate degree prepares students for assistant positions in numerous healthcare environments, including healthcare clinics, local and state public health offices, hospitals, and doctor’s offices. The program prepares students for a variety of jobs in the medical field, such as office manager and medical billing manager.
The Associate in Medical Office Assistant program, which consists of 61 semester units, includes courses such as Introduction to Health Professions, Medical Terminology, Medical Office Billing and Bookkeeping, Medical Office Systems and Procedures, and more.
2. Kaplan University
Kaplan UniversityKaplan University, a private, for-profit university, offers a 92-quarter-unit online medical assistant associate’s degree, focused on important basic knowledge and skills such as anatomy, physiology, office management, and medical coding. The program prepares students for multi-faceted jobs as assistant healthcare professionals.
Students learn to assist doctors in patient preparation and examination. They also learn to perform laboratory tests including blood work, urinalysis, venipuncture, and electrocardiograms.
The Associate’s in Medical Office Assistant online degree program includes courses such as:
Diseases of the Human Body
Medical Coding and Insurance
Medical Law and Bioethics
Medical Office Management
Medical Terminology
Pharmacology
Students must complete clinical training and an externship at a healthcare facility.
3. Midway College
Midway CollegeMidway College, a non-profit, private liberal arts college, located in Midway, Kentucky, is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The main campus day college remains a women-only college—the only remaining all-women’s school in the state of Kentucky.
The school provides online undergraduate and graduate programs. Midway College invites men and women to apply for admission to the online degree programs.
The Associate in Medical Assisting degree includes accelerated instruction. The program emphasizes written communication, oral communication, computer skills and application, anatomy, and biology.
Students learn to perform administrative procedures, clinical procedures, and patient care management. The program includes two externships.
The Medical Assisting Associate’s online degree covers subjects such as medical office management, medical assisting clinical procedures, laboratory procedures, software applications, and microbiology for medical programs.
4. Harrison College
Harrison CollegeHarrison College, a for-profit college based in Indianapolis, has campuses across Indiana and Ohio. The college, which has approximately 6,000 students, boasts five schools of study: Business, Health Studies, Information Technology, Criminal Justice, and Veterinary Technology. The college also has a separate culinary school.
The online medical assistant associate’s degree consists of 96 quarter units. The program prepares students to work at doctor’s offices, laboratories, and public health agencies. Students learn to perform both front-office and back-office procedures.
The program also prepares students to assist with surgeries, take vital signs, distribute medicine, and work ECG machines. The medical assistant associate online degree includes a medical assistant externship.
The curriculum covers subjects such as:
Anatomy
Medical calculations
Medical law and ethics
Medical office administration
Medical office software
Pathophysiology
Pharmacology
Physiology
5. Herzing University
Herzing UniversityHerzing University, a for-profit university based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers career-focused, flexible learning opportunities.
Herzing University offers more than 50 undergraduate programs in technology, business, healthcare, design, and public safety. Small class sizes allow the school to maintain an 18-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.
The associate’s degree in medical assisting prepares students for jobs such as medical assistant, medical records clerk, medical lab tech, medical office assistant, medical secretary, and medical administration assistant.
The program includes 60 semester units and takes approximately 20 months to complete.
Students in the online Medical Assistant Associate’s degree program take classes such as:
Healthcare finance
Managing healthcare teams
Medical law and ethics
Principles of marketing
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Featured Schools
Herzing University
Herzing University
Brookfield, WI & Online
AS - Medical Assisting Services
As a private, nonprofit institution, Herzing is accredited for business programs by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Its online programming includes bachelor's and associate degrees in business management and marketing, as well as pre-professional programs in nursing, legal studies, and public safety.
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Sponsored
6. Penn Foster College
Penn Foster CollegeFounded in 1890, Penn Foster College, a private, for-profit, distance-learning college based in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers over 150 specialized programs.
Graduates of the online Associate’s degree in Medical Assisting can take the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) and the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) examinations.
The online Medical Assistant associate degree has 65 semester units, including coursing such as:
Anatomy
Medical coding
Medical terminology
Nutrition
Pharmacology
Physiology
Students learn a wide variety of skills, including billing processing, taking patient medical histories, appointment scheduling, and health record management.
7. Keiser University
Keiser UniversityKeiser University, a not-for-profit university based in Fort Lauderdale, has campuses throughout the state of Florida.
Keiser University’s online division—known as “eCampusonline”—offers online degrees in business, criminal justice, health studies, information technology, legal studies, education, psychology, and political science. Students attend only one class at a time. The classes take four weeks to complete.
The online Medical Assistant Associate’s degree program provides students with opportunities to train under doctors and learn important skills, such as taking vital signs, assisting in surgeries, taking patient assessments, processing insurance and billing, and maintaining patient records.
The program prepares students for jobs in physician’s office, clinics, and other medical settings.
The online Associate degree in Medical Assistant program focuses on clinical duties and administrative tasks, preparing students for career opportunities and credential exams.
8. San Joaquin Valley College
San Joaquin Valley CollegeSan Joaquin Valley College (SJVC), a for-profit junior college established in 1977, has several campuses throughout the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere in Southern California.
San Joaquin Valley College specializes in associate’s degrees and continuing education in the fields of health, business, and technology. Students can complete many of the degrees in just 14 months.
The online Associate in Clinical and Administrative Medical Assistant (CAMA) program provides students with both front-office and back-office skills. The program focuses on a wide range of skills, including patient care, office procedures, laboratory practices, medical administration, medical history assessment, vitals, accounting, bookkeeping, and billing.
Graduates of the SJVC CAMA program can take the Registered Medical Assistant exam.
9. Stratford University
Stratford UniversityFounded in 1976, Stratford University has seven campuses throughout the state of Virginia and one campus in New Delhi, India.
Stratford University offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in business administration, computer information systems, health studies, nursing, culinary arts, and hotel management. Most associate’s degrees take about 15 months to complete.
The associate degree in medical assisting includes 90 quarter units. The program covers clinical and administrative tasks. Students learn to take vitals, provide patient care, collect specimens, assist with physical exams, administer medicine, schedule patient appointments, and manage medical records. The program includes an externship.
The program includes courses such as medical terminology, medical law and ethics, phlebotomy procedures, pharmacology, computer office applications, medical computer applications, exams and specialty procedures, electrocardiography, and more.
The online Medical Assisting Associate’s degree prepares students for jobs in the healthcare field such as:
Medical and clinical laboratory technologist
Medical assistant
Medical records and health information technician
Medical secretary
10. Anthem College Online
Anthem CollegeFounded in 2003, Anthem College Online is owned and operated by the Anthem Education Group, a Florida-based system of for-profit technical schools.
Anthem College Online offers degrees in accounting, technology, business management, criminal justice, health information management, healthcare management, medical assisting, medical office administration, and paralegal services.
The college based its Associate’s in Medical Assisting degree-completion program on a curriculum consisting of emergency care, workplace safety, patient assessment, ethics, communication skills, computer skills, and psychology. The program also covers healthcare compliance—including workplace safety and agency guidelines—as well as ethics and communications for healthcare professionals. Students also learn about computer applications.
Students seeking admission to the Associate’s in Medical Assisting degree-completion program must have worked at least one year in the field, or else they must have completed their clinical externship.
Featured Schools
Herzing University
Herzing University
Brookfield, WI & Online
AS - Medical Assisting Services
As a private, nonprofit institution, Herzing is accredited for business programs by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Its online programming includes bachelor's and associate degrees in business management and marketing, as well as pre-professional programs in nursing, legal studies, and public safety.
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