Medical assistant programs in Alaska need to fit more than a course calendar. At the University of Alaska Anchorage, the required full-time practicum is a substantial commitment that belongs in your travel, childcare and work plans from the start.
Our review focuses on UAA's 29-credit Occupational Endorsement Certificate. The useful comparison is between its concentrated clinical training and the time you can realistically make available, especially if attending in Anchorage would mean more than a daily commute.
Edited by Taylor RupeB.A. Psychology, University of Washington · B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State UniversityUpdated
Compare Training Options in Alaska
Compare Medical Assistant Programs in Alaska
This page profiles a reviewed medical assisting option in Alaska. Each card explains the reasons for its selection. The review methodology describes how training, credential fit, cost, and attendance shape our picks. Use the school’s linked requirements to check your fit before applying.
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Anchorage, AK · PublicClinical Training Required
University of Alaska Anchorage
Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Medical Assisting
Why We Recommend It
For Alaska applicants able to attend in Anchorage, UAA combines a CAAHEP-accredited certificate with a defined 240-hour practicum. We value that connection between the academic sequence and supervised practice. Your decision should account for the unpaid placement as well as the 29-credit curriculum.
Award / Training Route
Occupational Endorsement Certificate
Credits
29
Supervised Experience
240 Hours
Plan Around the Anchorage Practicum From the Start
UAA's Occupational Endorsement Certificate is a focused option for Alaska students who want clinical preparation without starting with an associate degree. The 29-credit curriculum connects Medical Terminology and Administrative Procedures with insurance, billing and healthcare documentation. Clinical Procedures I and II add the practical sequence that leads into supervised workplace training. This gives you a concrete course map to discuss with an adviser before arranging attendance in Anchorage.
The central scheduling issue is the required six-week, 240-hour unpaid practicum. Treat that as a full-time commitment when planning paid work, travel or temporary accommodation. CAAHEP accreditation applies to the medical assisting certificate, while the semester sequence governs how you move through it. A smaller credit total won't eliminate the need to attend the clinical portion at the required time.
A Good Fit For
Alaska applicants who can commit to a sequenced certificate and a full-time practicum.
Plan Around
Budget for six unpaid practicum weeks, including any travel or accommodation your placement requires.
Accreditation:CAAHEP. Medical Assisting Certificate Program
Budget for the Unpaid Practicum
The UAA certificate requirements specify a six-week, 240-hour unpaid practicum. Tuition is only one part of deciding whether that schedule works. Write down the wages you would forgo, the childcare you would need and any transport or accommodation costs associated with your assigned site. Ask the department when placements are confirmed so you can make arrangements in time. Our medical assistant program cost guide separates school charges from living and clinical expenses, a useful distinction when attendance in Anchorage requires changing your usual work or home arrangements.
Follow the Clinical Course Sequence
UAA's semester-by-semester catalog plan places clinical preparation within a defined certificate sequence. Ask an adviser how transferred coursework would fit that plan and when you could begin the required clinical classes. Finishing a general course elsewhere doesn't necessarily change the timing of a skills course or practicum. Compare the resulting calendar with the degree alternatives described in our certificate versus associate guide. For an Alaska applicant, the relevant question is the actual period you must be available for the program, including placement, rather than the credit total considered on its own.
Medical Assistant Pay in Alaska
$52,560Annual Median
$46,06010th Percentile
$65,04090th Percentile
BLS’s May 2025 survey counts 2,140 medical assistant jobs in Alaska. The $52,560 median is the midpoint of occupation wages, with a 10th-to-90th-percentile range of $46,060 to $65,040. These figures cover workers across experience levels and employers, rather than the earnings of a particular program’s graduates. Read the BLS Medical Assistant Wage Data and Compare the National Salary Picture.
Alaska Medical Assistant Program Questions
How Many Credits Is Uaa’s Medical Assisting Certificate?
The Occupational Endorsement Certificate requires 29 credits. Its catalog also lays out a semester sequence, so use the course plan as well as the credit total when estimating your time in school.
Is the University of Alaska Anchorage Practicum Paid?
The required practicum is unpaid. UAA specifies six weeks and 240 hours, making it important to plan living expenses and paid-work arrangements before reaching that part of the program.
Can I Plan UAA Attendance Around a Part-Time Practicum?
The catalog describes a full-time six-week practicum. Ask the department about your individual circumstances before enrolling, and base your initial plan on the published requirement.
What Should an Applicant Outside Anchorage Confirm First?
Confirm the location and dates of clinical labs and the practicum, how placement sites are assigned and whether you would need accommodation away from home. Those answers make the attendance budget more useful than tuition alone.
Sources for This Comparison
School sources were reviewed in September 2026. Check current program and campus details before applying.
