Medical Coding Specialist Professional Certificate
Boost your career with UNC Charlotte Online’s Medical Coding Specialist Certificate. This program is ideal for individuals wanting to make a career change or pursue employment in the healthcare industry and a medical records environment.
In just four months, you can pursue a new career, re-enter the workforce or refresh and broaden your current skills. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Medical Coding Specialist certificate program — offered through 100% online live learning — prepares you for a career as a medical coding specialist.
UNC Charlotte has partnered with the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) to offer our Medical Coding Specialist certification curriculum.
Why Choose the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate from UNC Charlotte?
Choosing UNC Charlotte’s online Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program offers you many advantages, including:
- Earn your certificate in just four months: No formal application process or prerequisites required—just registration. Courses start March and August.
- Live Online Courses: All courses are offered online on Monday and Wednesday evenings with live instruction.
- Learn from experienced faculty experts: Our accomplished instructors offer extensive experience and insights in medical coding, which they bring to the online classroom.
- Apply for our medical coding program scholarship: The Anne Spychala Family Charitable Foundation Scholarship for Women in Continuing Education empowers individuals to accomplish their goals.
What Do Our Participants Say?
The fact that UNC Charlotte’s Medical Coding Specialist certification program was developed under the guidelines of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) sold me. The program included instructors who are currently working in the field and have years of experience. They made it easy to learn and understand the medical coding process. I passed my AAPC certification on the first try. I highly recommend this program to those who are wanting to pursue a career in medical coding
Lenore Rebolledo, Medical Coding Specialist Certificate Program, ’19
Job Outlook for Medical Coders
UNC Charlotte Medical Coding Specialist Certificate earners have obtained job titles such as:
- Medical billing and coding specialist
- Office manager
- Administrative specialist
- Medical secretary
- Clinical research coordinator
- Project manager
Our certificate earners work for companies and organizations such as:
- Atrium Health
- Novant Health
- Emory Healthcare
- Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates
- MetLife
Pursue a career with strong earnings expectations
Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics research, collects job and salary data from UNC Charlotte graduates. Lightcast reports that the average estimated salary for selected alumni of the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program is $65,500.
Lightcast sampled 43 UNC Charlotte Medical Coding Specialist alumni who graduated from 2010 through 2023. All wage metrics are an average for the group of our selected alumni. Estimated wage is based on the median wage for their occupation in their county, and adjusted for age and degree level.
Medical Coding Specialist Certificate Requirements
Although not required, it is highly recommend that participants have experience/background (educational or professional) with medical terminology. Prospective students lacking a medical terminology background should consider enrolling and completing an online self-paced course on Medical Terminology prior to entering the certificate program. You also need to know:
- This is an exam and attendance-based certificate program.
- Students must earn a grade of 70% or above on all exams and meet minimum attendance requirements
Course Details
Course work includes:
- Introduction to Medical Coding / Healthcare Information Documentation
- Diagnosis Coding
- Procedure Coding
- Coding Guidelines and Processes for Out-Patient / In-Patient Services
On completion of the program, students will:
- Have the ability to analyze health records and assign codes for diseases, diagnosis, and procedures.
- Have the ability to abstract key information from health records for reimbursement, statistics, and research purposes.
- Have an understanding of the ethical and professional standards expected of Medical Coding professionals.
- Have an understanding of the importance of maintaining a high level of accuracy and accountability when performing medical coding documentation.
- Understanding of processes and procedures of medical record administration and documentation.
- Have the necessary education that will qualify students to sit for numerous national certification exams
Additional Information
Certification
After successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take numerous national coding certification exams. Students pursuing certification must apply directly with the organization that governs the certification of interest.
- American Academy of Professional Coders (CPC, CPC-H, or CPC-P)
- American Health Information Management Association (CCS or CCS-P)
Textbook Information
- Information on required textbooks for the program will be provided to registered students.
- Students will be able to purchase textbooks directly from vendors. The estimated cost of textbooks is $350-$400 depending on where you purchase.
Prerequisites
- High School Diploma (or equivalent) is required
- Computer Applications: Prospective students should be able to operate basic computer applications
- Technical Specifications
Get in touch
Connect with an Enrollment Specialist today to learn more about this program. Submit your information on this page or set up a time to talk. We’d be glad to help.
Emily Graumann
Enrollment Specialist