Medical clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, private coding agencies, consulting firms, and home offices offer various employment settings for Coding Specialist. Coders may pursue a certified coding specialist rating by passing the National Certification Examination that measures proficiency and competency in the standards set by the American Health Information Management Association.  Medical coding specialists pursue a lifelong program of continuing education.

*Students are eligible to participate for the national examination that qualifies them for a certificate as a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS).

Program Entry Requirements

A. All applicants must meet general admission requirements to South Texas College .
B. Degree option: Demonstrate proficiency in state-mandated general knowledge content through approved means; i.e., Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) with program specific exemptions accepted.
C. Certificate options: Complete college placement test with minimum scores or complete developmental classes with a grade of "C" or better for course placement as follows:
    Completion of READ 0080 or equivalent.
    Completion of ENGL 0081 or equivalent.
    Completion of MATH 0085 or equivalent .
D. Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for all the courses completed at STC.
E. Satisfy program specific requirements for clinical practice.
F. Submit a completed Health and Medical Administrative Services program application.
G. Participate in individual student advisement with Health and Medical Administrative Services faculty prior to registration.

NOTE: See department for additional information regarding above requirements.

Program Application

Program applications are available from HMAS faculty and will be discussed and completed during advisement prior to registration.  If you have questions, please call for an appointment (956) 872-3116.

NOTE: Please see program WEB page for up-to-date information regarding admission requirements, curriculum changes, selection criteria and procedures, and application revisions at www.southtexascollege.edu/nah.

Graduation Requirements

To earn the Medical Information Specialist Certificate, the Medical Transcriptionist Certificate, the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate or an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Information Technology, a student must meet all college graduation requirements and complete all coursework as prescribed in the specific degree plan with a minimum grade of “C.”