Incorporated in 1917, the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a Certificate and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree for medical assistants. In order to graduate, students need a minimum of 36 credits for the certificate program and 63 credits for the AAS degree. Students must earn a grade ‘C’ or better to graduate. The course includes topics like medical terminology, human disease, fundamentals of anatomy and physiology, clinical procedures, first aid and CPR, and more. A medical assisting practicum also provided to the students at the end of the session.

A 60 credit AAS degree in medical assisting is offered by the University of Alaska Anchorage. Graduates of this program will be eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) examination, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The university’s retention rate as of Fall-2020 – 2021 was 56.4%. A 6-week clinical externship is also provided to the students during the summer. The college provides 24 seats in clinical core courses annually.

The University of Alaska Southeast offers a 180-hour medical assisting certificate program for all those who wish to create their foundation in the healthcare field. In order to qualify, the students need a minimum grade of ‘C’ or a GPA of ‘2.0’ or higher. Topics like the introduction to psychology, fundamentals of CPR and first aid, anatomy, physiology, and MA procedures are a part of the course. A total of 37 credits are required by a student to graduate.

Certification is offered by Alaska Career College for MAs. The college focuses on preparing young and aspiring medical assistants for future job opportunities. The day program can be completed within 9.5 months, while the evening and weekend programs take 14 months to complete. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the licensure exam. All the qualified students are expected to work as Medical Administrative Assistant, Assistant Medical Office Manager, Health Unit Coordinator, and more.

Charter College offers a certificate program in medical assisting that can be completed in a span of 10 months and helps you become a professional MA within a year. It has an externship of 180 hours, which can be completed at the partnered medical facilities. After being certified and holding a nationally recognized certification, the students can also further their education by pursuing an associate’s degree at the college. However, in order to get admission into this program, one must have completed a minimum of 54 quarter credit hours. The A.A.S. degree can be completed in 30 weeks and a total of 600 contact hours.

In order to qualify for both the programs, the school wants you to have a high school diploma or equivalent. Also, you must pass the HiSET or TASC tests, that are recognized by the state. They have an open admission policy, hence, they take admissions all year long.  You must pass the theory and lab courses separately in order to graduate the associate’s degree.