Medical CodingCertificate of Achievement

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Community of interest
Health & Public Services
Award
Certificate of Achievement
Program code
35746.00CA
Department
Medical Coding
CIP code
51.0713: Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder.
TOP code
1223.10 - Health Information Coding*
The Certificate of Achievement in Medical Coding is for students for who want to pursue a career as medical coders and/or billers. The medical coder and biller are responsible for reviewing patient health records, assigning appropriate codes to diagnoses and procedures performed by the healthcare provider, and submitting claims for reimbursement and collecting payments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting that the medical coder and biller fields are growing due to an aging population requiring more medical services.
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP

Program Snapshot

Community of interest
HPS Health & Public Services
Award
Certificate of Achievement
Program code
35746.00CA
Department
Medical Coding
CIP code
51.0713: Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder.
TOP code
1223.10 - Health Information Coding*

Next Steps

Map Class Schedule

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

Program Schedule ReportMeet with a counselor
Medical Coding
Certificate of Achievement — expand to learn about this award

A career-aligned credential built around a specific field of study or area of emphasis. Faster to complete than a degree, and the coursework typically stacks into a related AS or AA later if you choose to continue.

See the 2026-27 Catalog for official program details

Semester-by-Semester Map

Term 1

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15 units
ALH 104
Medical Terminology
3 units
course details

This course explores the specialized language used within the medical profession. Emphasis is placed on the definition, pronunciation and spelling of medical terms with focus on building medical words using prefixes, word roots, suffixes and combining forms. To further advance a working knowledge of these terms, vocabulary is taught in relation to the basic anatomy, physiology and pathology of body systems.

View full course outline for ALH 104

BCIS 18
Introduction to Business Technology
3 units
course details

This course is an examination of information and communication technologies used in today's businesses and the impact these technologies are having on today's workplaces. The course will include examination and application of a wide range of information and communication technology tools used to support and enhance business functions and processes. Focus will be placed on solving a variety of business problems, improving organizational productivity, and achieving the goals of business.

View full course outline for BCIS 18

BIOL 10
Survey of Human Systems
4 units
course details

This course is intended for students in programs such as Emergency Medical Services and Health Information Management. Topics include fundamentals of the structure and function of the human body from an organ system perspective: Key concepts and basic principles of the chemistry of life, cells and tissues, cell physiology, structural organization and physiological principles in organ systems, system integration, and homeostasis in health and disease. (Not intended for Nursing students).

View full course outline for BIOL 10

HIM 56
Introduction to Health Information Management
2 units
course details

This course is an introduction to the growing, dynamic profession of Health Information Management (HIM) and provides a foundation for those students pursuing the HIM field including medical office administration and medical coding. Foundational topics include the field of HIM; the purpose, evolution, and structure of US healthcare delivery systems; the purpose, organization, and storage of medical health records; the role of information technology in healthcare; the functions and organization of Electronic Health Records (EHR); the legal aspects of health information; and the standardized usage of classification systems to document diagnoses and procedures to support reimbursement methods, data management, and research in healthcare.

View full course outline for HIM 56

HIM 62
Introduction to Medical Coding
3 units
course details

This course introduces students to the medical coding classification systems used in the United States healthcare industry: International Classification of Diseases 10 Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Through analysis of case histories and surgical reports, students will learn to distinguish between primary and secondary diagnoses codes, to assign the proper procedural codes, and to explain the importance of accurate medical documentation and clinical records.

View full course outline for HIM 62

Term 2

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

13 units
BCIS 99
Work Experience-BCIS
0.5–8 units
course details

Work experience is an experiential course where students apply what they have learned in the classroom to a work environment. The course offers students the opportunity to develop technical skills, explore possible career choices, build confidence, network with people in the field, and transition into the world of work. Work experience may include paid or unpaid employment. Students may earn one semester unit of college credit in this course for every fifty-one hours of work experience. Students may enroll in this course up to 8 unit(s) to complete the entire curriculum of the course. A maximum of sixteen units can be earned in work experience courses during a student’s enrollment with Butte College.

Prerequisite: Permission of Work Experience Education instructor and employment supervisor

View full course outline for BCIS 99

HIM 58
Healthcare Law and Ethics
2 units
course details

This course introduces students to legal and ethical issues they will encounter while working in the field of Health Information Management (HIM). Topics include an overview of legal issues relating to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), healthcare delivery, ethics, judicial processes, and standards of care. This course also includes bioethical and moral issues related to HIM and how they affect the day-to-day operations of medical offices.

View full course outline for HIM 58

HIM 63
Reimbursement
3 units
course details

This course introduces students to the reimbursement methodologies used in healthcare in the United States. The focus of the course will be on the accurate preparation and maintenance of clinical records and medical documentation. Students will analyze insurance plans spanning government and private sectors and learn to properly complete the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claim form (CMS 1500) used in medical outpatient facilities. Topics include working with specific insurance companies, filing error-free claims, resubmitting denied claims, utilizing effective collection strategies, and handling the appeal process.

View full course outline for HIM 63

HIM 64
Advanced Medical Coding
3 units
course details

This is an advanced course in medical coding for both outpatient and inpatient procedures and services. The course will include a brief review of International Classification of Diseases 10 Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). By following steps in the coding selection and sequencing process, students will assign appropriate procedure and service codes. Students will use the International Classification of Diseases 10 Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) and CPT (including Evaluation & Management Code (E&M), Audits, Modifiers, and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)) classification systems in this process.

Prerequisite: HIM 62

View full course outline for HIM 64

HIM 76
Electronic Health Records
3 units
course details

This course introduces students to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and their place in healthcare. The curriculum reinforces the relationship between all of the components needed for a complete patient medical record including the clinical, administrative, and reimbursement components. Topics in this class are based on the national curriculum competencies developed by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

View full course outline for HIM 76

Career Connections

2-Year Degree Paths

Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.

Example roles: 1

  • Medical Records Specialists

4-Year Degree Paths

Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.

Example roles: 1

  • Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars

Graduate School Paths

Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the graduate-school pathway for this program.

Local Job Market

Medical Records SpecialistsSOC 29-20726 nearby openings

Search keyword used: medical records specialist · Search window: last 90 days, 100-mile radius · Avg listed salary: $46,075/yr

Top employers in sample

  • Sharecare 3
  • MRO Corporation 1
  • Main Template 1
  • Pulmonary Medicine Associates 1

Where the postings are

  • Sacramento, Sacramento County 3
  • Cedar Ravine, El Dorado County 1
  • Galena, Washoe County 1
  • Rosemont, Sacramento County 1

Sample current postings

  1. ROI Medical Records Specialist - RemoteSharecare · Sacramento, Sacramento County · 3 days ago
  2. ROI Medical Records Specialist - RemoteSharecare · Sacramento, Sacramento County · 2 weeks ago
  3. Medical Records Clerk - Mental Health 325Main Template · Cedar Ravine, El Dorado County · 3 weeks ago
  4. Medical Records Specialist Full Time TemporaryPulmonary Medicine Associates · Rosemont, Sacramento County · 4 weeks ago
  5. Data Entry Specialist - Medical Records (Remote)Sharecare · Sacramento, Sacramento County · 5 weeks ago

See all openings on Adzuna

Health Information Technologists and Medical RegistrarsSOC 29-90212 nearby openings

Search keyword used: medical registrar · Search window: last 90 days, 100-mile radius

Top employers in sample

  • CommonSpirit Health 1
  • Middlesex Health 1

Where the postings are

  • Middletown, Lake County 1
  • Redding, Shasta County 1

Sample current postings

  1. Tumor RegistrarMiddlesex Health · Middletown, Lake County · 1 day ago
  2. Medical OncologistCommonSpirit Health · Redding, Shasta County · 4 weeks ago

See all openings on Adzuna

Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 90 days within up to 100 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.

Source Notes

Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.

Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.

Last generated 2026-07-05T17:05+00:00