Best Online Schools for Medical Office Administration

Overview of Medical Office Programs Online

Although medical office administration does not necessarily require any formal education, professionals who hold degrees may have more job opportunities. Online school for medical office administration can improve skill level, hireability, and further a graduate’s career.

There are four main educational pathways to consider:

Find an Accredited Online Medical Office Administration Degree

Before enrolling in an online medical office administration degree program, students should verify that their institution is accredited.

Accreditation is important for many reasons. First of all, accredited schools have had their faculty, course work, grading systems, facilities, and student resources assessed by independent organizations to ensure that the schools provide quality education that meets national educational standards.

Online Certificate in Medical Office Administration

People who are not interested in committing to a full undergraduate degree program have the option of participating in an undergraduate medical office administration certificate program. This type of program does not result in an associate or bachelor's degree, yet it still delivers the education needed to begin a successful career in the industry. Certificate programs consist of 47 to 57 credit hours and students can typically complete them in a year, or sometimes a little longer.

Among the required courses are Medical Office Management, Medical Insurance Billing, Patient Prioritizing and Instruction, Medical Coding, Disease of the Human Body, Medical Office Accounting, Medical Records Management, and Medical Terminology. Depending on the program, students may also need to complete an externship that will give them hands-on experience prior to graduation.

Certificate programs are available at community colleges, universities, and vocational schools.

Admission Requirements

Below are some of the requirements when applying for a medical office administration certificate online:

Online Associate Degree in Medical Office Administration

Students can earn an online associate degree in medical office administration at community colleges, state colleges, and universities. Students enrolled in an online associate degree program can typically graduate in around two years by completing 60 semester credit hours.

Examples of the different courses students encounter during their studies include Keyboarding, Healthcare Systems and Operations, Insurance Claims, Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals, Ethics and Health Information Management, and Computer Applications. In some cases, students must also complete a case study research project as well as an internship.

Admission Requirements

Below are some of the key requirements for prospective students seeking an associate degree in office administration:

A Medical Office Administration Bachelor’s Degree

Students can pursue online bachelor's degrees in medical office administration at colleges and universities. Bachelor's degree programs help prepare students for roles in this field through around 120 credit hours of study over the course of four years.

Curriculum at this level comprises classes such as the following: Introduction to Management, Healthcare Finance, Medical Law and Ethics, Healthcare Human Resources Management, Healthcare Quality, Accounting, Leadership and Organizational Behavior, and Principles of Microeconomics. Bachelor's programs online, or in-person, may also require that students participate in an internship or complete a capstone project.

Admission Requirements

Below are some of the requirements for applying to a bachelors in medical office administration:

Online Master's Degrees in the Medical Field: Next Steps

Our list of online schools above does not feature master's degrees because this next level of education is highly specialized. To explore the best online master's degree programs in this field, check out our articles about healthcare administration and healthcare management. You can even get a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management if you're interested in becoming a healthcare administrator, clinical research coordinator, or clinical ethicist, to name a few possibilities.

Students can typically complete their master's degree studies in two years and are required to take up to 39 semester credit hours of classes. Coursework covers such topics such as healthcare policy and law, strategic healthcare planning, project management and team leadership, healthcare consumerism and marketing, healthcare policy drivers, and human capital management in healthcare.

Bottom Line

The field of medical administration has a variety of career options that require different levels of education. Whether you’re interested in earning a certificate — and working as a medical assistant — or pursuing a bachelor's or master’s degree and leading entire departments, there is an online program for you.