Health Care (AASHC) Associate's Degree

<p>A health care (AASHC) associate's degree is generally offered in the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) format. This degree program provides you with training on varied medical and office responsibilities in a health care environment. Related degree programs include AAS degrees in health care administration and health sciences. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Fields</b></td><td>Health care, healthcare administration, health sciences</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td>Nutrition, medical terminology, physiology, microbiology</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Program Format</b></td><td>Online or on campus</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Career Options</b></td><td>Medical assistant, medical management</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $35,850 (<i>for medical assistants</i>)* <br /> $104,280 (<i>for medical and health services managers</i>)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatWillILearn">What Will I Learn?</h3> <p>Your curriculum may consist of coursework that will help prepare you for clinical duties. Topics may include anatomy, physiology, nutrition, microbiology and medical terminology. Coursework geared for administrative duties may provide you with training on subjects, such as business communications, health care management, human resource management and health care finance. </p> <p>If your degree is in health care administration, you may primarily serve in a non-clinical role. Your duties may include completing insurance forms, arranging hospital admissions and maintaining patient records. If your degree is in health science or allied health, you may have more supervised clinical duties, such as preparing patients for examinations and lab testing, recording vital signs and changing medical dressings. </p> <h3 id="section---CanIObtainThisDegreeOnline">Can I Obtain This Degree Online?</h3> <p>Associate's degree programs in health care are available online, and are usually administered through virtual classroom software, such as Blackboard. Online programs usually have similar system requirements, such as a minimum version of operating systems and Internet browsers. However, some schools have specific requirements for full accessibility and functionality. Check with your school for more information. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatIsMyJobOutlook">What Is My Job Outlook?</h3> <p>Your associate's degree may facilitate job opportunities as a medical assistant or in entry-level administration/health care management. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the employment rate for medical assistants is projected to increase by 19% during the period of 2019 through 2029 (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). The employment rate for health care managers is expected to increase by 32% during the same period.</p>