The Health Information Technology (HIT) program offers an introductory career-focused educational path into the healthcare industry. This program is designed for students who aspire to become healthcare professionals in the Health Information Technology (HIT) career field that includes professional opportunities for Medical Coders and Billers. This program is designed to prepare students to successfully attain a variety of professional coding certifications such as the Certified Coding Professional (CPC) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). The knowledge and skills upon completion of the Health Information Technology (HIT) Associate’s Program will allow students to enter the vast opportunities that are available in the healthcare industry.

This selective admissions program requires students to submit a separate application or to take additional action before enrolling.

For more information on the Health Information Technology program, including the application process, visit the program website.

Related Degrees and Certificates

• Medical Billing, Basic Certificate
• Medical Coding, Advanced Certificate
• Health Information Technology, Associate in Applied Science

Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
General Education Coursework
BIOLOGY 116	Introduction to Anatomy And Physiology	4
or BIOLOGY 226 & BIOLOGY 227	Human Structure and Function I and Human Structure and Function II
ENGLISH 101	Composition	3
MATH 125	Introductory Statistics	4
PSYCH 201	General Psychology	3
SPEECH 101	Fundamentals of Speech Communication	3
Required Program Core
CIS 120	Introduction to Computer Applications	3
HIT 101	Foundations of HIT	3
HIT 102	Medical Billing	4
HIT 103	Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding	3
HIT 104	Basic CPT Coding	3
HIT 105	Pharmacology for HIT Professionals	2
HIT 108	Advanced ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding	3
HIT 109	Advanced CPT Coding	3
HIT 110	Medical Terms for HIT Professionals	3
HIT 201	Fundamentals of Medical Science	3
HIT 203	Reimbursement Methodologies	3
HIT 204	Health Statistics & Registries	2
HIT 213	Supervisory and Legal Aspects (HD)	3
HIT 214	Quality and Performance Improvement	3
Required Work-Based Learning Courses
HIT 221	Professional Practice I	3
HIT 222	Professional Practice II	4
Total Hours		65

One course must fulfill the Human Diversity (HD) requirement.

Pathway

This is an example course sequence for students interested in earning a degree in Health Information Technology. It does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If this pathway is followed as outlined, you will earn a Basic Certificate (BC) in Medical Billing, an Advanced Certificate (AC) in Medical Coding and an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Health Information Technology.

The Health Information Technology (HIT) program prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to organize and manage health information data in both paper and electronic systems. Students will acquire knowledge and develop application skills for a variety of classification systems to code for reimbursement, databases and registries, and the maintenance of patients’ medical and treatment histories. Program graduates will be eligible to earn the following: a basic certificate in billing, an advanced certificate in coding and/or an AAS degree in Health Information Technology. Completion of this program leads to roles in data collection, data abstraction, enhanced coding and monitoring, maintenance and reporting activities. The Basic Certificate will prepare students to obtain entry level positions as medical billers in hospitals, physician private practices, as well as insurance companies. The Advanced Certificate in medical coding equips students for roles as medical coders in hospitals, physician private practices, as well as insurance companies. The AAS will prepare students for advanced biller/coder roles as well as for entry-level roles in the information systems department of healthcare systems and insurance companies.

Semester-by-Semester Program Plan for Full-Time Students

All plans can be modified to fit the needs of part-time students by adding more semesters.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
CIS 120	Introduction to Computer Applications 1	3
	Hours	3
Semester 2
BIOLOGY 116	Introduction to Anatomy And Physiology 1,2,3	4
HIT 101	Foundations of HIT 1	3
HIT 105	Pharmacology for HIT Professionals 1	2
HIT 110	Medical Terms for HIT Professionals 1	3
	Hours	12
Semester 3
ENGLISH 101	Composition 2	3
HIT 102	Medical Billing	4
HIT 201	Fundamentals of Medical Science	3
PSYCH 201	General Psychology 2	3
	Hours	13
Semester 4
HIT 103	Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding	3
HIT 104	Basic CPT Coding	3
MATH 125	Introductory Statistics 2	4
SPEECH 101	Fundamentals of Speech Communication 2	3
	Hours	13
Semester 5
HIT 108	Advanced ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding	3
HIT 213	Supervisory and Legal Aspects	3
HIT 214	Quality and Performance Improvement	3
HIT 221	Professional Practice I	3
	Hours	12
Semester 6
HIT 109	Advanced CPT Coding	3
HIT 203	Reimbursement Methodologies	3
HIT 204	Health Statistics & Registries	2
HIT 222	Professional Practice II	4
	Hours	12
	Total Hours	65

¹

Program prerequisite

²

General Education Requirement

³

This course requirement can also be fulfilled by taking both BIOLOGY 226 and BIOLOGY 227.

Choose your courses with your College Advisor.

Special Admission Requirements

• Completion of pre-admission HIT requirement courses with a grade of C or higher:

  Course List

  Code	Title	Hours
  BIOLOGY 116	Introduction to Anatomy And Physiology	4
  or BIOLOGY 226 & BIOLOGY 227	Human Structure and Function I and Human Structure and Function II
  CIS 120	Introduction to Computer Applications	3
  HIT 101	Foundations of HIT	3
  HIT 105	Pharmacology for HIT Professionals	2
  HIT 110	Medical Terms for HIT Professionals	3
  Eligibility for MATH 125

• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

• Submit High School Transcripts or GED Equivalent.  

• Submit official college transcripts from all colleges attended outside of City Colleges of Chicago to the Malcolm X College Office of Registrar Services. 

• On-campus/virtual interview, in-person interview. 

• Submit one Letter of Recommendation at the time of interview. 

• Once accepted to the program and prior to registration; students must complete the following: 

  • Background check 

  • Drug screen 

  • Provide current immunization records

• Students need to have transportation to and from their clinical sites.

For more information on the Health Information Technology program, including the application process, visit the program website.

Careers

This program can prepare students for the jobs listed below. Click on each one to learn more, including average earnings, annual job openings, and how much education people in that field have. For additional guidance and resources on career options, current City Colleges students and alumni can contact the Career Services Office.

Medical and Health Services Managers

Job Description

Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.

Salary Based on Experience Level

Take a look at the average hourly/annual earnings for this career in Cook County

Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES data from the BLS and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.

• View Annual Wages
• View Hourly Wages

Annual Wages

Entry-Level 10th Percentile	$73,651
Median 50th Percentile	$112,442
Senior-Level 90th Percentile	$225,569

Hourly Wages

Entry-Level 10th Percentile	$35
Median 50th Percentile	$54
Senior-Level 90th Percentile	$108

Annual Job Openings

761 annual openings in Cook County

National Education Attainment

Here, you can see the level of education that people in this career complete.

Degree Program	% of Jobs
A high school diploma or less	3.57%
A certificate	7.14%
Some college	3.57%
An Associate degree	10.71%
A Bachelor's degree	46.43%
A Master's or Professional degree	25.00%
A Doctoral degree or more	3.57%

75.00% continue their education beyond an associate degree