Medical Office Administration, including Billing and Coding

The Medical Office Administration program prepares you for employment in administrative positions in healthcare-related areas.

Successful graduates qualify for clerical/administrative positions in medical and dental offices, hospitals, insurance companies, and other healthcare-related entities.

The program offers three Associate in Applied Science options, one diploma option, and one certificate option.

The program options are:

  • The Medical Office Administration-General AAS is designed for individuals seeking customer service-related positions in medical and dental offices, hospitals, and insurance companies. 
  • The Medical Office Administration-Healthcare Administration AAS is designed for students seeking positions as a front-line supervisor, office manager, or patient services coordinator in medical and dental offices, hospitals, and insurance companies. 
  • The Medical Office Administration-Medical Billing and Coding AAS degree track prepares students for careers as medical coders, medical billers, or insurance specialists. Upon completion, students are prepared to take the AAPC's (American Academy of Professional Coders) Certified Professional Coder's (CPC®) exam. 
  • The Medical Billing and Coding Diploma prepares students for employment as a certified medical coder. This diploma is designed for students with previous work experience or degrees in a non-healthcare related field. Upon completion of this program, students can sit for AAPC's Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) exam.
  • The Medical Billing and Coding Certificate prepares students for employment as a certified medical coder. This certificate is designed for people with previous work experience or degrees in a healthcare-related field. Upon completion of this program, students can sit for AAPC's Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) exam.

More details on each option are listed below.

Credentialing Options

Frequently Asked Questions

You will need to follow the general enrollment process for GTCC, found on the How to Apply web page. During the advising process, you will have the opportunity to indicate your desire to study within this curriculum. Your advisor will help you sign up for the specific courses you need.

If you are interested in pursuing the Medical Office Administration Certificate, you will need to meet the program admission requirements as stated in the admission packet.

Fall 2024 Medical Billing and Coding Certificate Admission Packet

Before considering applying to the program, please review the Medical Office Administration Essential Functions PDF.

The full-time faculty in the Healthcare and Office Administration department are:
  • Debbie Fondow, Program Director
  • Jo Ellen Connors, Associate Professor
  • Carol Dantzler-Harris, Assistant Professor
  • Sandra Flynn, Associate Professor
  • Hope Johnson, Instructor
  • Kim Jordan, Associate Professor
  • Samara Taft, Assistant Professor

Yes. Financial aid is available. Go to Financial Aid Information.

Yes. All the Medical Office Administration program options are offered both in a traditional (in-person) and online format. Many students currently enrolled in the program work full-time jobs and the online option gives them the needed flexibility to further their education while continuing to work.

Online Learning

Yes. Courses within this program will prepare you for Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification. OST elective courses are available, in which these certification exams can be completed (OST-136, 138, 233, 238), or the exams can be completed through Certiport®. Please speak to your advisor for more information.

Students completing the coding sequence of courses will be eligible to sit for the Certified Professional Coders Exam (CPC©) administered through the American Association of Certified Professional Coders (AAPC). The coding sequence of courses is:

  • OST 141
  • OST 148
  • OST 142
  • OST 247
  • OST 248
  • OST 249

Each course required in the program will provide a list of required course materials to the GTCC bookstore each semester. Required course materials may include items such as textbook(s), access code(s) for additional learning platforms student fees, webcam, microphone, flash drive, etc. Required course supplies will also be listed on the course syllabus as well.

It is best to take the required courses in the order they are shown in each semester layout. Most courses are only offered in one specific semester (fall OR spring). Taking courses out of order could cause a significant delay in your program completion. Also, some courses are prerequisites to other courses that are required in the following semester, meaning that one course must be completed before a student can proceed to the second-level course. If students take courses out of the layout order, they may miss a prerequisite requirement which may delay completion of the degree by a semester or more.

Students are certainly free to move at a slower pace if they cannot take a full-time load of semester hours. However, keep in mind that this will lengthen the amount of time required to complete the degree. This is not a bad thing! It is more important for a student to be working toward the goal of earning the desired degree, even if this means taking a little more time to do so.

It is always to the student's benefit to consult with their assigned advisor to discuss questions and concerns regarding the timeframe for completing the degree. The advisor can ensure that the student does not overlook completing a prerequisite course that may delay them in their program progression.