• City Colleges Of Chicago Ged Classes
• City Colleges Of Chicago Ged
• Ged At City Colleges Of Chicago

City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College is one of 28 community colleges within Cook County, IL. ​Motivated and eligible students can choose to take their GED® preparation courses online from the comfort of their own home or at any of City Colleges'.

The City Colleges of Chicago is a system of seven community colleges and six satellite sites that provide learning opportunities for residents of the Chicago area. Programs range from two-year associate degrees to several weeks-long occupational certificates, free courses for the GED and free English as a second language (ESL) courses.

The colleges have its administrative offices in the Chicago Loop.^[1] As of 2017 the system has a yearly count of more than 80,000 students and more than 4,000 faculty and staff members.

As of 2017, Juan Salgado is the chancellor of the system.^[2]

• 2Programs

History[edit]

Crane Junior College opened on September 11, 1911. The first class held by the college had 30 students. By 1929 the enrollment increased to 4,000 students, and Crane was the largest community college in the United States. As a result of the Great Depression, Crane closed. A public campaign against the closure involved nationally famous lawyer Clarence Darrow and several former students and faculty. Less than one year after Crane closed, the community college reopened with additional public and private support as Theodor Herzl Junior College (named in honor of the Jewish Zionist movement founder, Theodor Herzl). Later two new campuses of Herzl J.C. opened—Wilson Junior College established on the South Side, and Wright Junior College opened in northwestern Chicago. After the United States entered World War II the U.S. military began using the junior colleges as training locations. After the war concluded, new students entered using the financial aid provided by the GI Bill of 1944.^[3]

The Junior College system in the post-war years opened Bogan Junior College in southwest Chicago, Fenger College, Southeast College, and Truman College (for U.S. President Harry S Truman, 1884–1972), in the 1950s. Originally Truman was an evening program located at the city's Amundsen High School. Although it caused a lot of controversy, Wilson J.C. was later renamed Kennedy-King College in 1969 (for Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968), and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968)), and Herzl J.C. was later renamed Malcolm X College (for Malcolm X, 1925–1965). In the 1970s, the former Fenger and Southeast Colleges were consolidated and renamed into Olive-Harvey College.^[3]

In 1988, Nelvia M. Brady was appointed chancellor of the unified system and was the first African-American and the first female to serve as chancellor. Prior to her appointment, she served as a member of the Board of Trustees. When she stepped into the post the system was beset with problems including a demoralized staff and a troubled reputation.^{[citation needed]} Her accomplishments include the initiation of new outreach, enrollment and tracking programs; major staff and purchasing practices reorganization; a program to bring Chicago Housing Authority residents into the colleges; the appointment of the first Hispanic Vice Chancellor; and the establishment of a comprehensive 'Women Minority Business Program'. She served until 1992.

In December 2017, the CCC's television station, WYCC, was purchased by and merged into WTTW, and ceased to exist after 34 years of operation. However, on April 23, 2018, WYCC demerged from WTTW and made a resurgence on the airwaves as an MHz Worldview-affiliated station.

After a strike was avoided in January 2019,^[4] later warning they would go on strike on February 4, 2019 over contract disagreements.^[5] On April 25, 2019, City Colleges of Chicago staff set a strike date.^[6]

Programs[edit]

Reinvention and College to Careers[edit]

In 2010, City Colleges of Chicago launched 'Reinvention', an overhaul program/initiative designed to assess and recommend improvements to all City Colleges programs and operations. Its four goals are to increase the number of students earning degrees, increase the transfer rate to four-year institutions, improve outcomes for students needing remediation and increase the number of adult education and English as a second language students advancing to college-level courses.^[7]

The Chicago Tribune editorial board stated that College to Careers was a manner to address 'a chronic mismatch between public education and what employers need' through aligning its each of its campuses with a specific job sector so that students can be prepared for specific careers upon graduation.^[8]

Launched in 2011 by Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, College to Careers partners the colleges with industry leaders in high-growth fields to address the skills gap in Chicago's workforce. The initiative draws industry partners to work with faculty and staff in redesigning occupational program curricula and facilities to better match the needs of employers.^[9] College to Careers has initially focused on fast-growing industries in the Chicago region, including healthcare and transportation, distribution and logistics.

In 2012, it was announced that the City Colleges of Chicago are partnering with companies in the Chicago region to help write curriculum, teach, and place students in jobs. Recently established Richard J. Daley College (1902–1976, former Mayor of Chicago) is the system's center for advanced manufacturing. Kennedy-King College trains students for job openings in the culinary and hospitality industry, and Wilbur Wright College (1867–1912), trains students for jobs in the information technology field. Harry S Truman College focuses on education and human and natural sciences. Olive-Harvey College focuses on transportation and logistics, and Malcolm X College trains students for careers in the healthcare field.^[10]Harold Washington College functions as the center of business, entrepreneurship and professional services for all of the City Colleges of Chicago.^[11] According to EMSI, Economic Modeling Specialists Inc., these seven sectors are projected to provide more than 600,000 job openings in the Chicago metropolitan area over the next ten years.^[12]

In April 2013, delegates from the World Bank visited Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Cheryl Hyman at Harold Washington College to learn more about how the colleges partner with industries in the College to Careers program. The purpose of the initiative was to determine whether the program could be duplicated around the world.^[13]

Chicago Star Scholarship[edit]

Beginning in 2014, through the collaboration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chancellor Cheryl Hyman, City Colleges of Chicago began offering qualifying students the Chicago Star Scholarship. Students who graduated from Chicago Public Schools, beginning in the Fall 2015 semester, could receive up to three years of classes at City Colleges of Chicago at no cost if they earned a high school GPA of 3.0, tested completion-ready in math and English, and enrolled in one of CCC's structured pathways.^[14]

By its second year, The Chicago Tribune reported the Star Scholarship program helped nearly 2,000 students attend college tuition free while posting strong fall-to-fall retention and GPAs.^[15] To help support these students' academic success after completing at CCC, the Chicago Star Scholarship program partnered with 15 four-year colleges and universities. Each of these partners committed to creating an opportunity that allows Star Scholars to continue their college education following a successful completion at CCC. These packages range in monetary value between $2,500 and nearly $50,000 each year, and include some of the top colleges in the state of Illinois, including; Columbia College, DePaul University, Dominican University, Governors State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University, National Louis University, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Robert Morris University, the School at the Art Institute of Chicago, Roosevelt University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.^[16]

Partnerships[edit]

The City Colleges of Chicago have more than 150 corporate partners who work with faculty and staff at six of the City Colleges to develop contemporary curriculum and train students for careers in high-demand and high-growth fields. The partners also exist to help students secure jobs after graduation.^[12]

The system has also partnered with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to form the City Colleges of Chicago Dual Credit program in 60 high schools during the 2015–16 academic year. The program allows high school students to earn both high school and college credit and gain advanced math or English skills. CPS students also have the option to enroll in City Colleges' dual enrollment program, which offers them the opportunity to take college-level courses at CCC campuses.^[17] In the Spring of 2013, 500 students are expected to enroll in the Dual Credit program—double the number of students enrolled in the Spring of 2012.^[18] By 2016, CCC offered 3,100 seats annually for Dual Enrollment students.^[17]

Outcomes[edit]

Since the launch of Reinvention, City Colleges has seen a marked improvement in student success outcomes. As of Fiscal Year 2015, City Colleges has more than doubled the graduation rate and degree awards, increased its credit enrollment, and nearly tripled the number of students who progress from adult education programs, like GED or ESL learning, into credit-earning college classes. All of these improvement were made while maintaining a balanced budget, saving $70 million and undertaking a $500 million capital plan.^[19]

In November 2017, news stories broke that these improvements were largely an 'illusion', and that for over 10 years, City Colleges had violated its own standard as to what constitutes a degree, watered-down its curriculum, manipulated statistics, and issued thousands of degrees to current and former students who neither requested them or wanted them.^[20] During this time, enrollment sharply decreased, while the number of degrees issued more than doubled.^[21] In 2015, City Colleges adopted a program where degrees were issued to deceased students who had accumulated three-quarters of the credits necessary for graduation, further artificially inflating their graduation rate.^[21]

Governance[edit]

Officially named Community College District No. 508, CCC is a separate ('sister') agency of the city of Chicago. Its governing body is a board of trustees appointed by the mayor of Chicago and approved by the City Council of Chicago.^[22]

In 1976 the trustees of the college system established a residency requirement, requiring employees to live within the city limits of Chicago. Current employees were told that they were required to move to Chicago before July 1, 1980. Employees who did not make the move would face dismissal from their jobs.^[23]

Accreditation[edit]

City College of Chicago is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This is the same regional accreditation that recognizes institutions such as the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Illinois System.^[24]

Facilities and locations[edit]

The system has seven colleges and six satellite sites all across the city of Chicago.^[2] Satellite sites include facilities that host GED preparation classes, English as a second language (ESL) classes and more.

The seven colleges are:

The five satellite sites are:

• Dawson Technical Institute^[25]
• West Side Learning Center^[26]
• South Chicago Learning Center^[27]
• Arturo Velasquez Institute^[28]
• Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center^[29]

Notable alumnus[edit]

• Girod Jackson, III, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

References[edit]

1. ^'Procurement FAQsArchived 2011-11-01 at the Wayback Machine'. City Colleges of Chicago. Retrieved on December 14, 2011. 'District Office 226 W. Jackson Boulevard Chicago, IL 60606'
2. ^ ^ab'About City Colleges'. City Colleges of Chicago. Retrieved on September 11, 2012.
3. ^ ^ab'History'. City Colleges of Chicago. Retrieved on September 11, 2012.
4. ^https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/city-colleges-of-chicago-faculty-staff-union-contract-agreements/
5. ^https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/city-colleges-union-strike-date-faculty-professional/
6. ^https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/city-colleges-of-chicago-staff-strike-date/
7. ^'Reinvention'. City Colleges of Chicago. Retrieved on October 24, 2013.
8. ^'[1]'. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on October 24, 2013.
9. ^'[2]'. ABC News. Retrieved on October 24, 2013.
10. ^'3 City Colleges to prepare students for jobs in growth industries'. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on February 9, 2013.
11. ^'Is City Colleges doing the right thing?'. Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved on February 12, 2013.
12. ^ ^ab'Mayor Emanuel Announces Expansion of City Colleges Dual Credit Program that Allows CPS Students to Earn College Credit'. City of Chicago. Retrieved on February 19, 2013.
13. ^'World Bank Delegates in Chicago to Review College to Careers Program'. NBC Chicago. Retrieved on October 24, 2013.
14. ^Tribune, Chicago. 'CPS grads can qualify for new city college scholarships'. chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
15. ^Tribune, Chicago. 'Rising Stars: From City Colleges to Chicago universities'. chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
16. ^Tribune, Chicago. 'Northwestern University opening more doors to community college students'. chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
17. ^ ^ab'City of Chicago :: Mayor Emanuel and GE Announce Expansion of Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment Programs, More Than Doubling Participation'. www.cityofchicago.org. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
18. ^'Chicago City Colleges expands dual credit program'. abc7chicago.com. Retrieved on February 19, 2013.
19. ^'CCC Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Book'(PDF).
20. ^'A degree? Easy. Getting an education? That's another story'. Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
21. ^ ^ab'Report: City Colleges of Chicago watered down standards, issued thousands more degrees'. Illinois Policy. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
22. ^'[3]'. City Colleges of Chicago Board of Trustees. Retrieved on October 24, 2012.
23. ^'City Colleges' residency rule'. Chicago Tribune. July 29, 1976. p. A2. Retrieved on September 11, 2012.
24. ^'Database of Institutions Accredited by Recognized U.S. Accrediting Organizations'. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
25. ^Dawson Technical Institute
26. ^West Side Learning Center
27. ^South Chicago Learning Center
28. ^Arturo Velasquez Institute
29. ^Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center

External links[edit]

Illinois uses multiple options for HSE (high school equivalency) testing, the GED®, HiSET, and TASC.

HSE testing gives persons without a high school diploma the chance to acquire an equivalent diploma.

All three options measure academic proficiency at a level comparable to that of high school graduates.

The GED must be taken on a computer while the HiSET and TASC can be done both on a computer and on paper.

The GED contains four separate tests (modules) that can be taken individually within a time frame of two years.

The four GED tests are in the fields of Social Studies, Math, Literacy, and Science.

City Colleges Of Chicago Ged Classes

TASC and HiSET have five subtests (Literacy has separate reading and writing tests) that may also be taken individually.

Illinois requires test takers also to pass the state’s U.S. Constitution Test.

Illinois HSE testing requirements

The minimum age in Illinois is 17. For 16 year old’s there are restrictions. See your nearest testing site.
GED exam fee: $120 (computer based), HiSET and TASC is somewhat cheaper.

GED Retesting: $30 per subject.

In Illinois, you MUST be a state resident.

There is no requirement to first take a GED practice test, but you also must pass the Illinois Constitution test.

You must not have a high school degree and you don’t attend another program.

Online testing is NO option

There are numerous locations in Illinois where prep courses are offered that will make you optimally prepared to take the GED, TASC, or HiSET exam confidently. Mind you that, in order to take the high school equivalency test, you need to go personally to a testing site, the exam is just not offered online.

To check what you know take a free GED Practice Test. Thea study guide.

HSE Classes in Illinois

You can prepare for the GED test by studying online.

You can also choose traditional GED Prep classes near you.

Choose your nearest city:

The GED credential is recognized as equivalent to a high school diploma by recruiters, government agencies, and colleges all across the United States. Getting the GED certificate is important for individuals who, for whatever reason, never finished high school, and gives them a second chance to obtain a comparable diploma. The GED credential gives them the chance to get a job, to improve their current employment, and get a college education.

Illinois HSE testing centers

Aurora
Waubonsee Comm College – 5 E Galena Blvd, Aurora, IL 60506, 630-801-7900
Belleville
SWIC Belleville – 2500 Carlyle Ave, Belleville, IL 62221, 618-235-2700 et.x 5525
Carlinville
Regional Off of Education – 826 N Broad St, Carlinville, IL 62626, 217-854-4016
Chicago
Lighthouse for the Blind – 1850 West Roosevelt, Chicago, IL 60608, 312-666-1331
Int’l Academy of Design and Technology – 1 N State St, Chicago, IL 60602, 312-980-9200
City Colleges of Chicago, Kennedy-King Coll – 747 W 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60621, 773-451-2155
Paul Simon Chicago Job Corps – 3348 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60623, 773-890-3100
Richard J. Daley College – 7500 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60652-3011, 773-838-7774
Safer Foundation Youth Empowerment Program – 609 W Adams, Chicago, IL 60661, 773-638-8480
St. Augustine College – 1333-45 W Argyle, Chicago, IL 60640, 773-276-9196
Truman College – 1145 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, 793-907-4732
Wilbur Wright College – 4300 N Narragansett, Chicago, IL 60634, 773-481-8450
Chicago Heights
Prairie State College – 202 S Halsted St, Chicago Heights, IL 60411, 708-709-3500
Cicero
Morton College – 3801 S Central Ave, Cicero, IL 60804, 708-656-8000
Crystal Lake
McHenry Co College – 8900 US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012, 815-455-3700
Decatur
Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Ed. – 1690 Huston Drive, Decatur, IL 62526, 217-872-3721
Dixon
Lee-Ogle Regional Office of Education – 7772 Clinton St, Dixon, IL 61021, 815-652-2054
Dixon
Sauk Valley Comm College – 173 IL Route 2, Dixon, IL 61021, 815-835-6301
Elgin
Community College – 1700 Spartan Dr, Elgin, IL 60123, 847-214-7825
Evanston
Illinois Comm College Board – 1007 Church St, Evanston, IL 60201, 847-328-9795
Galesburg
Carl Sandburg College – 2400 Tom L. Wilson Boulevard, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-5323
Galva
Black Hawk College East – 26230 Black Hawk Rd, Galva, IL 61434, 309-854-1700
Geneva
Kane County Regional Off of Education – 210 South 6th St, Geneva, IL 60134, 630-232-5957
Glen Ellyn
College of DuPage – 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, 630-942-2852
Granite City
SWIL Granite City – 4950 Maryville Rd, Granite City, IL 62040, 618-235-2700 ext. 5525
Grayslake
College of Lake Co – 19351 W Washington St, Grayslake, IL 60030, 847-543-2076
Hillsboro
Christian-Montgomery Regional Off of Education – 203 S Main St, Hillsboro, IL 62049, 217-532-9591
Jacksonville
Brown-Cass-Morgan Reg Off of Education – 110 N West Street, Jacksonville, IL 62650, 217-243-1804
Lewistown
Reg Superintendent’s Office – 257 W Lincoln Ave, Lewistown, IL 61542, 309-518-8029
Lincoln
Heartland Comm. Coll. – 620 Broadway St, Lincoln, IL 62656, 217-735-1731
Loves Park
Boone Winnebago Reg. Office of Education, 300 Heart Blvd, Loves Park, IL 61111, 815-636-3060
Malta
Kishwaukee College – 21193 Malta Rd, Malta, IL 60150-9699, 815-825-2086
Morris
JJC Morris Education Ctr – 1715 N Division, Morris, IL 60450, 815-942-1552
New Lenox
Will County Regional Off. of Education – 702 W Maple St, New Lenox, IL 60451, 815-740-8360
Normal
Heartland Comm. Coll. – 1500 W Raab Rd, Normal, IL 61761, 309-268-8180
Oglesby
Illinois Valley Comm College – 815 N Orlando Smith Ave, Oglesby, IL 61348, 815-224-2720
Palatine
William Rainey Harper Coll. – 1200 W Algonquin Road, Palatine, IL 60067, 847-925-6615
Palos Hills
Moraine Valley Comm College – 10900 S 88th Ave, Palos Hills, IL 60465, 708-974-5249
Pekin
Regional Off. of Education – 414 Court St, Ste 100, Pekin, IL 61554, 309-477-2290
Pontiac
Heartland Comm. Coll. – 211 E Madison St Pontiac IL 61764, 815-842-6777
Rockford
Goodwill Mission Services Ctr – 850 N Church St, Rockford, IL 61103, 815-965-3795
South Holland
S Suburban College – 15800 S State St, South Holland, IL 60473, 708-596-2000
Springfield
Lanphier HS GED testing 1300 N Eleventh St Springfield IL 62702 217.525.3080
Sterling
Whiteside Reg. Off. of Education – 1001 W 23rd Street, Sterling, IL 61081, 815-625-1495
Stockton
Regional Superintendent of Schools – 500 N Rush St, Stockton, IL 61085-1033, 815-947-3810

Questions? Call Illinois state’s office at 217-558-5668

Are adjustments required? This is the link to our contact page.

City Colleges Of Chicago Ged

GED – How to start

If you want to sign up for the GED exam you cannot already have a secondary education credential or be registered for a school program. Contact your nearest GED prep or testing site to find out if you can enroll in the GED program.

By the time you think you are ready to take on the GED test(s), go to MyGED at GED.com where you will be guided through the entire process. On taking the exam, be sure to be totally prepared. A pretty effective way to get all set is also available through this website’s services: video lessons and practice tests that cost you nothing!

Check also:

One GED subtest at a time

The GED exam contains four independent sub-test. You can take one of these four tests (on Math, Social Studies, Science, and Literacy) when you optimally prepared within a two-year time frame. The TASC or HiSET modules may also be dealt with separately. Come to the GED exam prepared, take it confidently, and earn your GED credential. To obtain your Illinois High School Equivalency Certificate, you also need to pass the high school-level United States and State of Illinois Constitution exam, or present proof completion.

Ged At City Colleges Of Chicago

At your community bookstore, they surely have preparation materials, and you can find as well a lot of GED prep classes that offer preparation in your area often free of charge. Just check an area by clicking on a major city near you in the above list. This website also offers great and free online GED video instruction.

GED vs. HiSET/TASC

The Illinois Community College Board has approved that the HiSET and TASC exams can also be used in the state. The HiSET and TASC exams are available in both paper-delivered and computer-based formats and are less costly than the GED exam. After passing the four GED tests (or the five HiSET or TASC tests), and the Illinois Constitution Test, you’ll be awarded the Illinois HSE (high school equivalency) Certificate. This credential will surely help improve your life as it allows for continued education in college, and offers better job opportunities. This page lists all facilities in key Illinois areas where you can attend GED courses to get ready for the exam. Choose a city near you.

Lowered GED passing score

The GED (General Education Development) passing score was reduced to 145 just two after it was introduced. So you need to score at least 580 points in total. In Illinois, you additionally must pass the “United States and State of Illinois Constitution” test. Successful test takers are also required to pay a $10 administrative fee to receive their certificate. The HiSET requires you to score (on a 1–20 score scale) at least 8 points on each of the five sub-tests and a combined score of no less than 45. Your essay must have a minimum score of 2 points. The TASC requires you to score no less than 500 (out of 800) on each of the five subtests and your essay must have no less than a 2-score.

What is on the GED exam

The latest version of the GED exam is very different from the earlier versions. The exam is computer-formatted and will take about 7.5 hours to complete, but you can take one of the four tests at a time (in maximally two years). The much-needed revision of the GED exam has aligned it again with contemporary high school standards, university requirements, and industry demands. The overhaul resulted in the fact that the GED certificate is credible again as a true high school degree equivalency.

Your diploma will surely result in far better and well-paying employment opportunities and also opens the doors towards a great college education. You may even earn college credit if you score high on the GED test! So study hard, online or in a class, and get your credential! Upon request, you will not only receive your diploma, but also the transcript of your scores. Contact your dream public or college and learn all about their admissions policies and see if you meet all prerequisites.

GED timed exam

The difficulty level of the GED exam is comparable to that of a current high school diploma. Multiple-choice has for a great part disappeared in favor of essay-based answering. Critical reasoning and problem-solving are the focus elements of the GED exam. If a student needs some accommodation, please make a timely request at a testing center. There is no online testing option. You must come to an official Illinois testing facility.

At the GED exam, you are allowed the following time: English Language Arts: 150 minutes including a short break, Mathematical Reasoning: 115 minutes, Science: 90 minutes, and Social Studies: 70 minutes. The HiSET and TASC exams have five tests that cannot be taken individually but spread out over a few days. The Language Arts section has separate reading and writing tests.

Are GED-HiSET-TASC prep classes free?

All across the state of Illinois, you can find GED preparation classes at adult education centers, libraries, or churches, that are mostly free of charge. More information and practice tests are available at GED.com, but our website also includes free GED practice tests. A great advantage of the new GED test is that you can register and schedule your tests online. Go to GED.com, or call 1-877-392-6433.

Don’t forget to check our article about how to sign up for your GED exam with the online portal MyGED.

There is no need to take the complete GED exam at once. You can take each of the four tests individually and on different dates, or you can choose to take more modules on the same day. The Illinois GED test fee is $30 per module, and as we’ve seen, there are four modules. In Illinois, you additionally have to pay for administrative costs.

So now, in Illinois, three versions of the HSE (high school equivalency) exam are available in Illinois, though not at all testing centers. The ICCB announced that more and more testing sites are now offering multiple combinations of choices. The GED test costs $120 and offers practically immediate scoring results. The HiSET test and the TASC are available in computer-based and paper versions cost respectively $90 and $92 in Illinois.

Do you want to become a Medical Assistant?

Your GED diploma allows for a fine college education and increasingly more students want to get into the medical profession. Check out this summary of how to become a medical assistant:

• Medical assistants are required to complete a two-year vocational program
• Average Salary: $31,230
• Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,370,000

Medical Assistant – Education

Medical assistants (or CMA – Certified Medical Assistants) are usually required to complete a two-year vocational program before they can begin to look for employment in this field. These vocational programs are offered by a vast array of different organizations such as community colleges, vocational schools, and junior colleges.

These programs usually require the aspiring medical assistant to complete courses in pharmaceutical technology, diagnostic procedures, ethics, and clinical procedures. Students may also be required to complete on-the-job training offered by their employer and are usually required to be computer literate.

Top Certified Medical Assistant Schools

1. Keiser University

2. Kaplan University

3. South University

4. Finlandia University

5. Concordia University Wisconsin

6. Allied Health Institute

7. Baylor College of Medicine

8. Quinnipiac University

9. Mountain State University

10. Herzing University

Medical Assistant – Certification

Most employers in the healthcare industry prefer (or even insist) that the Medical Assistants they employ are certified. Certification mostly is done by The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). This organization provides certification to graduates schools that offer medical assisting programs that are accredited by the CAAHEP (The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) or by the ABHES (The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools).

Medical Assistant – The Job

Certified Medical Assistants usually work to support physicians and are working mostly in outpatient or ambulatory healthcare facilities, such as medical clinics and offices. Medical Assisting belongs to America’s most rapidly growing professional options, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

This job growth is due to aspects such as the foreseen increased number of outpatient care facilities and physicians’ offices, the rapid development of technological advancements, and the continuously increasing number of elderly patients who are in need of medical treatment. Certified Medical Assistants generally are cross-trained so they can perform both clinical duties and administrative tasks.

Medical assistants are tasked with various administrative duties that are necessary to keep the offices of medical professionals running smoothly. Medical assistants are usually employed by podiatrists, chiropractors, and physicians. The tasks that they are usually required to perform may be as basic as answering phones or as complicated as organizing billing records and interviewing patients.

Medical assistants employed in a clinical role may be required to complete the medical histories of patients, explaining treatment alternatives to patients and ensuring that patients are prepared for their appointment with the physician.

Medical Assistant Employment Opportunities

Professionals in this field work in a medical setting and can, therefore, expect a clean, well-lit environment for their day-to-day work activities. They can also expect to work in an environment where they must usually handle more than one job at a time, so it is imperative that they have good multitasking skills. The majority of medical assistants work over 40 hours per week, but there are instances where they may work on a part-time basis.

Medical assistants usually have plenty of advancement opportunities available to them. This is especially true if they take additional training on their own or through their employer. Medical assistants can advance to a number of different positions which include office management and administrative support management.

Employment prospects for medical assistants are excellent and the field is expected to grow at a much faster rate than average over the next ten years. Though the earnings of medical assistants vary from state to state, most professionals in this field can expect a median income of approximately $31,000 per year. Applicants new to this field generally make around $23,000 per year and those with the most experience make in excess of $42,000 per year.

So now you’ve learned all about getting your GED in Illinois!