Medical Assistant
A.S. Degree Medical Assisting · Antelope Valley College · 2026-2027 Catalog
The Medical Office Assistant program provides comprehensive education and hands-on training for individuals seeking employment in outpatient and ambulatory healthcare settings such as physician offices, clinics, and specialty practices. The curriculum integrates administrative and clinical competencies required of entry-level allied health professionals and reflects current standards of professional practice and patient safety. The program is designed to prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession. Students develop knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology principles, infection control, and legal and ethical responsibilities in healthcare. Administrative instruction includes appointment scheduling, patient reception, electronic health records, billing and coding fundamentals, insurance processing, and communication skills. Clinical training includes patient preparation, vital signs, assisting with examinations and procedures, specimen collection, medication administration (within scope), aseptic technique, and emergency response procedures. The program emphasizes professionalism, cultural sensitivity, confidentiality, teamwork, and patient-centered care. Through supervised laboratory practice and an externship in a healthcare facility, students apply theory to real-world practice while working under the direction of licensed healthcare providers. Successful completion of the program prepares graduates for entry-level employment in medical offices and clinics and qualifies them to pursue nationally recognized credentialing examinations.
Program Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant AS: Complete all of the following | 48 | |
| Required Courses: Complete all of the following | 41 | |
| BIOL 100 | Elementary Human Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| BIP 110 | Keyboarding I | 1 |
| BIP 111 | MS Word I | 1 |
| BIP 112 | MS Excel I | 1 |
| BIP 120 | Keyboarding II | 1 |
| BIP 121 | MS Word II | 1 |
| BIP 122 | MS Excel II | 1 |
| BIP 130 | Keyboarding III | 1 |
| BIP 131 | MS Word III | 1 |
| BIP 132 | MS Excel III | 1 |
| BIP 151 | Basic Principles of Coding for the Medical Office | 3 |
| BIP 152 | Beginning Medical Insurance | 3 |
| BIP 205 | Medical Office Procedures | 3 |
| MOA 101 | Beginning Medical Terminology | 3 |
| MOA 102 | Advanced Medical Terminology | 3 |
| MOA 110 | Beginning Medical Office Assisting | 4 |
| MOA 111 | Advanced Medical Office Assisting | 7 |
| NF 100 | Nutrition | 3 |
| Required Course - ENGL Honors Option | 4 | |
| ENGL C1000 | Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
| ENGL C1000H | Academic Reading and Writing - Honors | 4 |
| Required Course - COMM Honors Option | 3 | |
| COMM C1000 | Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
| COMM C1000H | Introduction to Public Speaking - Honors | 3 |
Recommended Pathway
Medical Assistant AS
Fall Term (16 units)
- NF100 - Nutrition (3)
- BIOL100 - Elementary Human Anatomy and Physiology (3)
- ENGLC1000 - Academic Reading and Writing (4)
- BIP110 - Keyboarding I (1)
- BIP111 - MS Word I (1)
- BIP112 - MS Excel I (1)
- Any AVC GE Area 2 (3)
Intersession (3 units)
- COMMC1000 - Introduction to Public Speaking (3)
Spring Term (15 units)
- MOA101 - Beginning Medical Terminology (3)
- BIP151 - Basic Principles of Coding for the Medical Office (3)
- BIP152 - Beginning Medical Insurance (3)
- BIP120 - Keyboarding II (1)
- BIP121 - MS Word II (1)
- BIP122 - MS Excel II (1)
- Any AVC GE Area 6 (3)
Summer Term (6 units)
- Any AVC GE Area 3 (3)
- Any AVC GE Area 4 (3)
Fall Term (16 units)
- MOA110 - Beginning Medical Office Assisting (4)
- BIP205 - Medical Office Procedures (3)
- MOA102 - Advanced Medical Terminology (3)
- BIP130 - Keyboarding III (1)
- BIP131 - MS Word III (1)
- BIP132 - MS Excel III (1)
- Any AVC GE Area 5 (3)
Spring Term (7 units)
- MOA111 - Advanced Medical Office Assisting (7)