Associate of Science in Surgical Technology (ASST)

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(Please see the Herzing University Undergraduate Program Offerings by Location chart in the catalog for a list of Herzing locations offering this program.)

Program Description

This surgical technology program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to function in the operating room or as an important member of the surgical team along with surgeons, nurses, and other medical personnel to ensure proper surgical care before, during, and after a surgical procedure. Each student will be prepared for entry-level surgical technology positions in the operating room or surgical setting.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

Perform expanded entry level functions in pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative case management
Articulate the role and responsibility of a patient focused surgical technologist.
Communicate and interact effectively within the surgical environment.
Describe the use of surgical technology including robotics, lasers, and laparoscopic devices.

Potential Occupational Titles

Potential occupational titles for this program include, but are not limited to, surgical technologist.

Program Delivery

The Surgical Technology program is delivered on-ground. Several courses, however, including all general education courses are available online. The courses marked with a hashtag (#) may be taken in an online format.

Program Content

A minimum of 65.00 semester credit hours is required for graduation.

General Education Prerequisites

The following general education prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C (70%) or better for a student to be continued in the Surgical Technology program:

Anatomy and Physiology with Lab
General Microbiology with Lab

All other general education courses must be passed with a grade of D (60%) or better to be continued in the Surgical Technology program.

A student who is dropped from the program for failing to achieve the minimum grade specified in the general education courses, but who otherwise meets the academic standards of the University, may transfer to another Herzing degree program and/or may reapply to the Surgical Technology program in a future cycle.

Required Support Course

12.00 semester credit hours are required.

HC 101 - Medical Terminology Semester Credit Hours: 1.00
SC 146 - Anatomy and Physiology I Semester Credit Hours: 4.00
SC 166 - Microbiology Semester Credit Hours: 3.00
SC 246 - Anatomy and Physiology II Semester Credit Hours: 4.00
Note: Students enrolled at the New Orleans location must have Dean approval to take science courses online.

Required Surgical Technology Courses

All courses, 33.00 semester credit hours, are required.

ST 102 - Introduction to Surgical Technology Semester Credit Hours: 2.00
ST 102L - Introduction to Surgical Technology Lab Semester Credit Hours: 2.00
ST 111 - Surgical Pharmacology Semester Credit Hours: 2.00
ST 211L - Surgical Principles and Practice I Semester Credit Hours: 2.00
ST 220 - Surgical Procedures I Semester Credit Hours: 4.00
ST 231L - Surgical Principles and Practice II Semester Credit Hours: 2.00
ST 240 - Surgical Procedures II Semester Credit Hours: 4.00
ST 251 - Clinical Practicum I Semester Credit Hours: 6.00
ST 261 - Clinical Practicum II Semester Credit Hours: 6.00
ST 270 - Surgical Technology Examination Preparation Semester Credit Hours: 3.00

General Education Requirements #

Students enrolled in this associate degree must complete a minimum of 24.00 semester credit hours in general education (◊includes 6.0 credit hours from Anatomy and Physiology listed in above required) distributed among the following disciplines. Refer to the General Education section of this catalog for Herzing University courses that would satisfy these requirements.*

9.00 Semester Credit Hours in Communications
3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Humanities (must include 3 semester credit hours of cultural diversity)
3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Social or Behavioral Science
3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics

◊Science Semester Credit Hours are satisfied through Anatomy and Physiology requirement listed above.

* Transfer students may transfer courses that are within 1.00 semester credit hour of the courses listed above to meet these discipline requirements. Any resulting deficiency in the total of 24.00 semester credit hours required in general education may be made up with general education electives from any of the listed disciplines.

Personal and Professional Development Courses

2.00 semester credit hours are required.

# PD 121 - Professional Development I Semester Credit Hours: 1.00
# PD 202 - Professional Development II (Semester Credit Hour Course) Semester Credit Hours: 1.00