Medical Information: Medical Coder CCC

The medical coder certificate prepares you to become a valuable member of a health information service team. Coding professionals use a classification system to assign code numbers and letters to each symptom, diagnosis, disease, procedure, and operation that appears in a patient's chart. These codes are used for insurance reimbursement, research, health planning analysis, and to make clinical decisions. A high degree of accuracy and a working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology are important skills for these professionals.

Career opportunities include hospital inpatient/outpatient coding specialist, reimbursement specialist, coding abstracting or insurance claim analyst, managed-care coding specialist, procedural coding specialist, and physician’s office or clinical coding specialist.

HCC’s Medical Coder and Medical Office Billing programs (CCC.MEDCODE, CCC.OA.MED.BIL) are designed to prepare students for the AAPC Medical Billing and AAPC Medical Coding Certification.  This is a national certification, academic requirements for this industry certification in other states may vary based on organization and/or employer. HCC has not yet determined the status of the industry and/or employer requirements in all states.  

For more information:   

• View the AAPC Exam Certification FAQs
• Contact the program’s Department Chair, Maggie Medina mmedina51@hccfl.edu 

This curriculum is from the current college catalog and is meant to provide prospective students an example of courses taken in this degree/certificate.  It is not intended to be used for graduation requirements. Students should consult an advisor for graduation information.

These courses are designed to prepare students for state certification in order to establish a career in the medical coding industry. Students are part of a cohort and should take the courses in the sequence listed below.

Medical Information: Medical Coder CCC - CCC.MED.CODE Update

Application Process

Admission to the Medical Coding CCC is limited access and requires a separate program application. Space is limited to 25 students per cohort, with up to 5 students placed on a waiting list. 

• Apply to HCC – Select Medical Office Administration A.S. Billing Option as your program of study on the HCC application.
• Meet Prerequisites – All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to entering the Medical Coding Cohort. Courses must be completed with “C” or better prior to entering in final semester of coding cohort.
• Submit Program Application – Applications must be submitted online by the posted deadline. Applications will open June 2026.
• Provide Required Documents:
  • Completed program application
  • Unofficial transcript(s) will be needed to complete the application.
  • Professional statement of interest (1–2 pages)
  • Two professional references  
  • Acknowledgment & Commitment form
• Participate in Interview – Eligible applicants will be scheduled for an in-person interview with the selection panel.
• Notification – Top 25 applicants will be notified and acceptance will need to take place within 3.5 days of notification; 5 students will be placed on a waitlist. Notification is sent via Hawkmail after the evaluation period. Be aware that the evaluation period is subject to change depending on the number of applications received. Evaluations can take about 5-6 weeks after the deadline. 
   

Please check your HCC Hawkmail regularly for program updates and admission notifications. Some messages will come from the “Innovation Labs” be sure to review and respond promptly.

Selection Criteria
 
Applicants are reviewed using a scoring rubric: 

• GPA Students will be ranked by their  GPA.
• Completion of Pre-requisites
• Professional statement
• Medical and/or healthcare experience (if applicable)
• Completion of Healthcare Support or Medical Office Certificate (if applicable)
• Professional References
• Interview performance
• Acknowledgment & Commitment Agreement 
   

Medical Coding Application Deadline:

• The final deadline for program application submission to be considered for the 2026 Spring Cohort is closed and applicants are under review. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
• ALL prerequisites MUST BE FINISHED with “C” or better before being admitted to the Medical Coding cohort.
• Be advised that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Programs are highly competitive.  
   

Note: 

• If you do not initially meet admission requirements, you may still pursue other Medical Office programs such as AS Medical Billing, CCC Medical Billing , or AS Medical Office Management.
   
• The Senior Waiver may not be used for the Medical Coding College Credit Certificate. 

**The application for the Spring 2026 Cohort is now closed. **

Application Form

CCC.MED.CODE (37 Credit Hours)

Program Required Courses 

YEAR I – First Semester

HIM        1112C      Electronic Health Records - 2 cr.

†HIM      1453 Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Coding or BSC 2085/2085L, Human Anatomy and Physiology I - 4 cr.

†HSC     1531        Medical Terminology - 3 cr.

YEAR I – Second Semester

†HIM      1000         Introduction to Health Information Management - 3 cr.

†HIM      1433         Principles of Disease - 4 cr.

†HIM      1442         Pharmacology - 2 cr.

†OST     2854C      Office Applications for Business - 3 cr. 

YEAR I – Third Semester

†HIM      2253        CPT Coding - 3 cr.

†HIM      2724        ICD-10 Coding - 3 cr.

†HIM      2275C     Medical Billing and Insurance I - 3 cr.

YEAR II – First Semester

†HIM     2283         Advanced Coding - 3 cr.

HIM       2941         Clinical Coding Practicum - 3 cr.

Elective** - 1 cr.

**Select 1 credit hour from the following:

HIM         2960         Credentialing Exam Review - 1 cr.

OST          2943         Internship in Medical Office (up to 4 credits) - 1 cr.

†Courses symbolized with a dagger (†) are offered online in addition to the traditional delivery methods. Online availability may vary by academic term.

NOTE: Coursework applies to the Medical Office Administration AS degree.

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