Health Information Technology AS Degree
HIT Program Mission Statement
The SBCC HIT Program mission is to provide accessible, relevant HIM education to assure academic and personal growth of all HIT students while preparing them for a meaningful future in the HIM profession and life-long learning opportunities.
The Health Information Management accreditor of Santa Barbara City College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for Associate degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2027. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.
IMPORTANT: To earn the Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology, students
must complete BOTH HIT Department Requirements and General Education Requirements, which are outlined below. A previous Associate
Degree or Bachelor's Degree does not automatically meet General Education Requirements.
All outside transcripts must be evaluated toward SBCC's requirements (see below for
link).
The degree includes both of AHIMA’s specialty tracks: revenue management (RM) and
data management (DM).
Health Information Technology prepares you for a career working in health care settings where health information is used. Health Information Technicians perform computer and manual technical and organizational activities with medical records/health information: collecting, analyzing, integrating, protecting, securing and managing health care information. Specific duties include:
- Assuring patient privacy, confidentiality, and security of health information
- Assigning a numeric code to each diagnosis and procedure using coding classification schemes.
- Tabulating and analyzing medical data for administrative, regulatory, and legislative requirements.
- Assembling health data and presenting them during legal proceedings and/or medical review groups.
- Assisting in special studies and medical research.
- Performing clinical quality assessment and improvement activities.
- Participating in design and transition to the electronic health record.
- Supervising health information management and related staff.
Supporting patient safety and quality improvement efforts and requirements in all
healthcare settings.
- 46 Graduates
- RHIT Exam Pass Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: Full Time: 83.33%, Part Time: 75%
- A follow-up survey was sent to all 46 graduates and 19 responses were received (63%).
Survey Results:
- 12 of the 19 respondents were employed within one year of graduating:
- 5 were employed in a healthcare profession while in the program;
- 4 were newly employed in a healthcare profession;
- 3 were newly employed in a non-healthcare profession;
- 4 of the 19 respondents were pursuing further education;
- 2 of the 19 respondents were not pursuing employment or further education.
- 12 of the 19 respondents were employed within one year of graduating:
The demand for health information professionals continues to rise due to the changes in the healthcare industry and the advances in information technology. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cites medical records and health information technicians as one of the fastest growing occupations in the US. See our Career Development page for more information and helpful links.
For most current salary information please reference this AHIMA Salary Survey.
Courses in the Health Information Technology Program are offered totally online; all course content and exams are delivered online. Students interested in pursuing an online degree must be highly motivated, independent learners and possess excellent organizational and time management skills. Students must have email and internet access. No on-campus attendance is required. As such, students must be familiar with use of the internet, email, uploading and downloading files, and various common word processing programs. Please review the technical requirements for the HIT/CIM department.
All HIT Associate Degree majors are required to spend a minimum of 80 hours on site at a healthcare facility. This is done through our Practicum Class, HIT 275. Review this page for more information, then direct any questions to hitcim@sbcc.edu.
Accreditation The Health Information Management accreditor of Santa Barbara City College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for Associate degree in Health Information Technology has been reaffirmed through 2027. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.
Certification As a graduate, students are eligible to apply for writing the national examination for certification as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
PSLO 1 - Apply biomedical knowledge (medical knowledge, pathophysiology, and pharmacology) to the process of clinical code assignment.
PSLO2 - Analyze and communicate clinical and statistical data to improve patient care and facilitate financial planning.
PSLO3 - Apply and demonstrate knowledge of legal, ethical, accreditation and certification standards as they relate to health information.
PSLO4 - Participate in planning and implementing clinical and administrative information systems in traditional and alternative healthcare settings.
PSLO5 - Apply federal and state mandates that regulate standards for data storage, retrieval, retention and security procedures specific to the health information management field.
PSLO6 - Demonstrate the ability to work effectively as an individual and collaboratively in a group to resolve health information management challenges in a changing healthcare environment.
Apply to SBCC here. There is no separate application for the HIT Program. These 8 steps to Apply and Enroll will guide you through the entire process and give you more department-specific information.
Here are department requirements for the HIT Associate of Science degree in their recommended sequence and a breakdown of specific course prerequisites.
Students enroll in classes prior to each semester and fees are paid prior to each
semester.
Fees are different for students who are California residents and non-residents.
California resident enrollment fee = $46 per unit
Non-resident tuition and fees = $331 per unit
Cost of HIT Department Requirements:
California residents = $46 x 48 units = $2,208
Non-residents = $331 x 48 units = $15,888
(Transfer credit will reduce the cost. If GE classes are taken through SBCC, then
that will increase the cost.)
Additional fees will apply. A full list of fees is available from the Cashier's Office.
For procedures to verify completion of HIT prerequisites and for course advisories, see the Course Prerequisites page. See the Transcript Evaluation page for instructions on how to complete a transcript evaluation.
This plan only includes the HIT Department requirements. Students must also include General Education requirements to earn the HIT AS Degree. This is a rigorous pace that is not recommended for students who work full time.
| FALL YEAR 1 | SPRING YEAR 1 |
| HIT 135 | HIT 102 |
| BMS 146 | HIT 210 |
| HIT 101 | HIT 240 |
| COMP 101 | HIT 265 |
| SUMMER 1 | SUMMER 2 |
| HIT 204 | HIT 201 |
| FALL YEAR 2 | SPRING YEAR 2 |
| HIT 202 | MATH 117 |
| HIT 203 | HIT 275 |
| HIT 255 | MGMT 101 |
| HIT 220 |
This plan only includes the HIT Department requirements. This pace is suitable for someone who works full time.
| FALL YEAR 1 | SPRING YEAR 1 |
| HIT 135 | HIT 101 |
| BMS 146 | COMP 101 |
| SUMMER 1 | SUMMER 2 |
| HIT 204 | HIT 201 |
| FALL YEAR 2 | SPRING YEAR 2 |
| HIT 102 | HIT 202 |
| HIT 210 | HIT 203 |
| SUMMER 1 YEAR 2 | |
| MGMT 101 | |
| FALL YEAR 3 | SPRING YEAR 3 |
| HIT 255 | HIT 240 |
| HIT 220 | HIT 265 |
| FALL YEAR 4 | |
| MATH 117 | |
| HIT 275 |
Information is available from SBCC's Financial Aid Office. You can chat or email them from the Financial Aid homepage, or call them at: (805) 730-5157. They can also give you information about Board of Governors Fee Waivers, scholarships, etc.
Please note that advance planning is required to complete the necessary paperwork in short time frames!
Once you have registered and paid for your courses, please review our Orientation for Enrolled Students. During the first week of class, you will complete online orientation exercises designed to familiarize you with the course and the online classroom. If you have any problems or difficulties with one or more of these steps, contact us immediately.
Once you have registered for your class(es) and the online bookstore has opened for the semester, you may purchase or rent textbooks online at sbccbooks.com.
Below are the required General Education areas, with SBCC's fully online course options
in parentheses following each category. Certain classes meet two GE areas (example:
GE Area B + GE Area E-2).
A. Natural Science with lab (4 units)
B. Social and Behavioral Science + E-2. American Institutions (BLST 101 or CHST 101 or ETHS 101 or HIST 101 or 102 or POLS
101)
C. Humanities + E-5. Multicultural/Gender Studies (AJ 105 or ART 215 or BLST 102 or CHST 102 or FS 116
or MUS 115 or 118)
D-1. English Composition (ENG 110) English Composition requirement is met if you have a BA/BS degree from a regionally
accredited institution in the U.S.
D-2. Communication and Critical Thinking + E-4. Oral Communication (COMM 121 or 122 or 131 or 141 or 161 or 162)
E-1. Mathematics (MATH 117 Elementary Statistics -- this class is required toward the
department requirements as well)
F. Information Competency (LIBR 101)
Students must complete all department requirements with a grade of 'C' or better. Pass grading is not permitted in a student’s major area of study. An overall grade point average (gpa) of 2.0 is required at SBCC and across all colleges attended.
Candidates must complete at least 20% of the HIT department requirements through SBCC.
Students who are newcomers to online learning, or have a low comfort level with computers, may want to limit their first semester to 3 units. Students who work full-time and have family and personal commitments are advised to limit enrollment to 6 units per semester. Students who work 20 hours per week, and have family and personal commitments, are advised to limit enrollment to 9 units per semester. It is recommended that students limit their enrollment in SBCC's short 6 week summer session to one HIT/CIM class.
For more information, see our Course Load Guidelines.