Guide to MATC - Milwaukee Area Technical College

It's 1:00 a.m. and you can't sleep. You begin channel surfing and find a late night B movie about a woman scorned or a boy trying to find his manhood...or something like that. A commercial comes on with a young woman discussing her difficulties in finding employment or her dislike for another woman because she has always been the perfect one in high school.

They discuss their paths towards becoming a medical assistant or biller in only 18 months! Cue the college's spokesperson to discuss how you too can get your degree in only a year and a half. The 800 number flashes on the screen and then you wait to be informed on how you can get your free brochure 24 hours a day (because there is always somebody standing by).

The question remains (after you finally get the brochure a few weeks later): what about true hands on training? Are the course extensive enough? What are my chances of getting a job after I've completed the program? Does the school offer additional courses to help me further my career or transition into a new one?

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Wisconsin can answer those questions and more with the programs that they offer at their four Milwaukee county locations. With branches in downtown Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Mequon, and West Allis; it is easy for those living in Milwaukee county (or Wisconsin) to not only train to become a medical assistant but to also get a job and prepare themselves for a four year education.

MATC is the largest two year community based college in the Midwest and caters to students looking for GED (general education diplomas)/high school diplomas, trades, professional education and occupational degrees. Not only are many of these classes offered in a traditional desk and chair setting, there are also many classes offered online. Because there are so many options for a variety of students, MATC is a great option for transitional students (those who have been out of school for several years), working parents, and professionals trying to acquire more skills for their current profession.

MATC offers two hundred different apprenticeship programs, degrees and diplomas; with more than seventy of them being certificate programs. MATC offers certificates in medical billing and transcription and only requires 28 credits to complete. This beats the crack of dawn promises of 18 months to complete a program similar to this and can be completed in two semesters (roughly 8 to 9 months. But the training doesn't stop here! If you act immediately after you complete this training you can go on to completed other exciting two year programs related to your medical billing training!

Sixty-nine associate degree programs are also offered at MATC and many of them are directly related to the medical billing programs advertised in those midnight medical training messages. One can consult an advisor and begin talks about beginning an associates degree program in anesthesia technology, surgical technology, registered nursing or biomedical electronic technology. The variety of and similarities between certificate and associated degree programs mean more options for you as a student and a greater chance of successfully achieving greater academic heights instead of plateauing academically. But wait...there's more!

If you call now (at least between business hours Monday through Friday at 414-297-MACT) you can find out more information about the many pathways to four year universities in Wisconsin and across the country! For students who want to eventually go onto acquire a bachelor's degree, MATC has close to 400 four year college transfer agreements and has recently teamed with UW-Madison (Badger Track) and UW-Milwaukee (Panther Track) to offer guaranteed admission once all requirements are fulfilled. Up to 72 credits (in liberal arts and the sciences) can be transferred to a majority of Wisconsin based colleges and other colleges in the US. Also, many of the two year associate degree credits offered at MATC can be accepted as the first two years of a four year bachelor degree program at colleges associated with the transfer agreements. Six major HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) also accept former MATC students as juniors after two years of coursework.

With all of this information on how to take a basic medical billing certificate and turn it into a four year degree I am sure that you have one major question: how much does it cost? Well, if you act now you can (as a Wisconsin resident) expect to pay an average cost of $1,281 for twelve credits for an associates degree and $1,694 for twelve credits towards four year college transfer credits. Other fees do apply but are very affordable and still bring a semester of classes to less than $2,000. Some of them include online and College of the Air course fees (both under $10 per credit), student ID card fees ($6.75), transportation surcharge, Graduation Assessment, Student Activity, and Academic Support fees (all below $7.00 per credit, some even below $.50 per credit).

I bet you are now wondering, what about parking? We all know that college campus parking cannot only be a hassle but can also break the bank. For students that live in Milwaukee county, you can count on MCTS (Milwaukee County Transit Service) to help you with that financial burden and save you hundreds of dollars a year. The U-Pass is a year long bus pass that is given to all students, is included in your tuition and can be used on all MCTS bus routes in Milwaukee county. Also, MCTS offers non stop bus rides to all four MATC campus locations. But if you'd rather drive (especially if you live in surrounding counties that don't offer bus flyers to MATC campuses) you might be able to handle paying only $30 a year for on-campus parking in the surrounding structures. Also, if eligible, some students may qualify for reduced parking fees.

It seems as if I have you thinking a little bit more about what MATC has to offer but you are not quite sold. You are still wondering about the answer to the most important question: what about job placement? Well, MATC offers a yearly graduate report that gives details on the percentage of graduates placed in jobs, the average salary for those jobs, and projected numbers of jobs available in the state in the future (this is especially for freshmen and sophomores thinking about what they want to do as an adult). For example, 70% of medical assistants are employed once they've graduated from their certification program and make on average $26,716 per year. If you plan on going on to a two year degree in registered nursing, expect a 94% chance of employment and a yearly average salary of over $49,000.

If you are interested in more than baseline medical career but aren't able to pay four year tuition, you should check into MATC and the hundreds of programs that they offer at a fraction of the cost of four year colleges and universities. Don't wait! Visit their website at

Locations:

- Downtown Milwaukee - 700 State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233

- Mequon - 5555 West Highland Road, Mequon, WI 53092

- Oak Creek - 6665 South Howell Avenue, Oak Creek, WI 53154

- West Allis - 1200 South 71^st Street, West Allis, WI 53214

Website:

Phone Number: 414-297-MATC

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) website: www.ridemcts.com
www.matc.edu or call now! Operators are standing by. www.matc.edu