Surgical Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree
ST13
Availability: North Metro Campus
Program Accreditation: The Surgical Technology degree level program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA)
Program Description: The Surgical Technology program prepares students to become qualified surgical technologists. The program provides learning opportunities that introduce, develop, and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. A clinical rotation at a hospital is a vital part of the education experience.
Graduates are prepared to function as an integral part of the team of medical practitioners that provide surgical care to patients in a variety of settings. They work under medical supervision to facilitate safe and effective surgical procedures. Duties of the surgical technologist may be performed in operating rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, central supply, labor and delivery area, cardiac catheterization laboratories, private physicians’ offices, organ procurement organizations, and other areas where invasive procedures are performed. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination.
Program Length: A fulltime student who has successfully completed all pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C” or better and who has been admitted into the Surgical Technology program can complete the program in three semesters.
Admission Requirements: Students must meet all admission requirements of the college and have reached the age of 17. Students are required to achieve the appropriate scores on the ASSET/COMPASS placement exams in order to qualify for admission into the required degree level prerequisite courses. Students who intend to apply for the degree level Surgical Technology program must enroll in the college’s Health Sciences Certificate program level pre-requisite courses. The completion of the pre-requisite courses does not guarantee admission into the Surgical Technology program. Admission into the Surgical Technology program is competitive, and the program does not maintain a waiting list. Please consult the Surgical Technology webpage on the college’s website for specific program admission information.
Degree Requirements
GENERAL EDUCATION CORE
Required Minimum: 15 Semester Credit Hours
General Education Core Area I Language Arts/Communication - 3 credit hours
General Education Core Area II Social Behavioral Sciences - 3 credit hours
General Education Core Area III Natural Science Mathematics - 3 credit hours
(Choose one of the Following)
General Education Core Area IV Humanities Fine Arts - 3 credit hours
(Choose one of the Following)
General Education Core Additional Requirements - 3 credit hours
To meet the minimum required 15 semester credit hours in General Core courses an additional 3 semester credit hours must be selected from a course in Area I, Area II, Area III, or Area IV. Science courses in BIOL, CHEM, and PHYS may also satisfy this requirement.
Occupational Courses
Total Credit Hours: 76