General Health Career Courses & Rapid Entry Certificates 2026

Courses & Certificates

LCC’s Community Health Services Education (CHSE) program provides a variety of rapid entry healthcare certificates that can be completed in just 1-3 semesters. No healthcare experience or previous college education is needed to enroll in these courses. The following outlines all of the general health career courses and rapid entry certificates available at LCC. For more information on these certificates and careers, visit the CHSE program webpage.

General Health Courses

These courses are perfect for the student who is uncertain if a health career is right for them or someone already in the field who needs a refresher. Many of the classes are prerequisites and/or requirements for the healthcare certificates and degrees offered at LCC.

Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, also known as CPR, is available through LCC’s Continuing Education for Healthcare.

Costs are approximate for In-District Tuition 2025-2026. For a detailed look at course costs including tuition rates for all residencies, check out LCC’s Tuition Cost Estimator.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

This Certificate of Completion will prepare an individual to be a Nurse Aide in a long-term care facility or home health care agency. Certified Nursing Assistants provide quality-of-life care to their patients. They record vital signs, perform basic medical care, give first-aid, administer medication, maintain records, and help patients bathe, dress, and eat. Upon successful completion of this course, the student is qualified to take the State Competency Evaluation Nurse Aide Examination to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. Students will complete 30 hours of clinicals. Participants can choose to complete an additional course to become a certified Patient Care Technician (PCT).

Students must comply with the guidelines outlined in the Environmental Conditions-Standard Precautions below.

Costs are approximate for In-District Tuition 2025-2026. For a detailed look at course costs including tuition rates for all residencies, check out LCC’s Tuition Cost Estimator.

Electrocardiogram Technician (EKG)

This Certificate of Completion is designed to prepare an individual to safely and skillfully work as an EKG Technician, sometimes known as a Cardiology Technician. EKG Technicians administer a variety of cardiovascular tests, including the electrocardiogram (EKG) which measures the electrical activity of your heart. An EKG technician works primarily in a hospital but could also work in an outpatient clinic or cardiology practice. Those who successfully complete this curriculum are eligible to become EKG certified through various credentialing agencies.

All courses must be passed with a minimum grade of 2.5 to earn the certificate. Courses can be taken together.

Costs are approximate for In-District Tuition 2025-2026. For a detailed look at course costs including tuition rates for all residencies, check out LCC’s Tuition Cost Estimator.

Medical Assistant (MA)

The Medical Assistant program admits once a year and starts every fall semester. This Certificate of Achievement is a cohort program that takes 1 year to complete. Check out the Medical Assistant Advising Guide for a list of admission requirements, the application process, and detailed information on the program layout and cost.

Medical Insurance Billing & Coding

This Certificate of Completion is designed to introduce students to insurance billing, diagnostic and procedure coding for physician and facilities billing, as well as billing directions for commercial insurances and worker’s compensation. Students will also learn to record charges/payments/ information, schedule appointments, ICD-10 and CPT coding, produce claim forms and patient statements, submit claims electronically, and build office databases. This is a cohort program; courses must be completed back-to-back in the sequence listed below. Those who successfully complete this curriculum are eligible to take various billing and coding certification exams.

There is a required orientation that takes place in early August. The specific date is provided as a registration note when students register for CHSE 123, and the department follows up with an email to each student with location and time.

Cohort begins in Fall and runs through Summer. Course formats are Hybrid (Face-to-Face and Online). Must have computer, keyboarding, & internet skills, and have completed CHSE 120. The approximate cost for In-District Tuition for 2025-2026 is $3,496.00.

All courses must be passed with a minimum grade of 2.5 to earn the certificate.

Semester 1 - Fall

• CHSE 120
• CHSE 123
• CHSE 131

Semester 2 - Spring

• CHSE 124
• CHSE 125
• CHSE 127

Semester 3 - Summer

• CHSE 133

Patient Care Technician (PCT)

This Certificate of Completion will prepare an individual for employment as a Patient Care Technician in a hospital or other acute care settings. PCTs provide quality-of-life care to their patients. They record vital signs, perform basic medical care, give first-aid, administer medication, maintain records, and help patients bathe, dress, and eat. Unlike CNAs, a PCT can also use an EKG machine and draw blood. Upon successful completion students are eligible to take the Certified Patient Care Technicians/Assistant Exam to become a certified Patient Care Technician. Students will complete 30 hours of clinicals over 2 semesters.

Students must comply with the guidelines outlined in the Environmental Conditions-Standard Precautions below.

Courses are offered in Fall and Spring. Course format is Face-to-Face. All courses must be passed with a minimum grade of 2.5 to earn the certificate. The approximate cost for In-District Tuition for 2025-2026 is $3,315.25.

Pre-Requisites:

• Age Restriction: 18+
• Reading 5
• Writing 4

Semester 1: CHSE 108

Semester 2: CHSE 151, NCHE 102

Pharmacy Technician

This Certificate of Completion is designed to introduce students to the skills necessary for a pharmacy technician position in a hospital or retail pharmacy. Students will be prepared to function with knowledge and accuracy in dispensing and control of drugs in either setting. Successful completion of this certificate makes students eligible to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board National Certification Exam. Students will complete 128 externship hours in CHSE 236.

Students must comply with the guidelines outlined in the Environmental Conditions-Standard Precautions below.

Courses are offered in Fall and Spring in Face-to-Face format. All courses must be passed with a minimum grade of 2.5 to earn the certificate. The approximate cost for In-District Tuition for 2025-2026 is $1,196.00.

Pre-Requisites:

• Age Restriction: 18+
• Reading 5
• Writing 4
• Math 10 (College-Ready with Support)

Semester 1: CHSE 235

Semester 2: CHSE 236

*LCC’s Pharmacy Technician curriculum is a Pharmacy Technician Certification Program Recognized Education/Training Program.

Phlebotomy Technician

This Certificate of Completion is designed to prepare an individual to function as a Phlebotomy Technician. It will provide the knowledge, skills, and externship experience that is necessary to safely and skillfully obtain a blood specimen from a patient. A phlebotomist may work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, outpatient labs, physicians' offices, or clinics. Successful completion of the LCC certificate qualifies the student to take the ASCP National Certification Exam. Students will complete 100 externship hours in CHSE 144. Externship sites are within a 100-mile radius of downtown Lansing. The student is responsible for transportation (and associated cost) to the site where they are placed.

Students must comply with the guidelines outlined in the Environmental Conditions-Standard Precautions section of this document.

Courses are offered all semesters in Face-to-Face format. All courses must be passed with a minimum grade of 2.5 to earn the certificate. The approximate cost for In-District Tuition for 2025-2026 is $1,104.00.

Pre-Requisites:

• Age Restriction: 18+
• Reading 5
• Writing 4
• or
• Reading 4
• Writing 4 and
• ENGL 099 concurrently

Semester 1: CHSE 143

Semester 2: CHSE 144

Registration Process

You must be an LCC student to be eligible to complete these courses. Enrollment is on a firstcome-first-serve basis. Due to legal requirements of our clinical partners, some programs require a minimum age of 18 to participate; please inquire with the program director before registering for classes to ensure that you will be able to proceed with all program requirements. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Apply to LCC

   • If you are not currently and have never been an LCC student, apply to the college. It’s FREE!

2. Get Placement Levels

   • Before you can register for classes, all students need to establish their skill-levels in Reading, Writing, and Math. Visit LCC’s Placement Testing page for more information.

3. Register for Classes

   • LCC has 3 semesters – Fall, Spring, and Summer. Students can view class offerings and enroll in courses using the Banner system. Go to LCC’s Registration page for instructions on how to sign-up for classes. *When searching for a course in Banner, CHSE classes are in the “Community Health Services Education” subject area.

Academic Advisors are available in the Gannon building StarZone. To schedule an appointment, visit Academic Advising.

Check out LCC’s Academic Calendars for important dates.

Criminal Background Check

In order for these courses and programs to be in compliance with Michigan Public Act 26 of 2006, a Criminal Background investigation is required for all students. Directions for completing a Background Check, which may include fingerprinting and drug testing, will be given once classes begun. Please note digital fingerprinting may also be required by the State of Michigan at the time of application for career licensure. To comply with State and Federal statutes, clinical/externship privileges will be denied for any of the following:

• Any felony conviction within 15 years + three years’ probation prior to application.
• Any misdemeanor within 10 years prior to application that involved or is similar to the following:
  • Abuse, neglect, assault, battery
  • Criminal sexual conduct
  • Fraud or theft against a vulnerable adult (as defined by the Michigan penal code)

It is the student’s responsibility – prior to pursuing the program – to know whether they are prohibited from providing clinical services.

The Michigan Workforce Background Check Program provides detailed information regarding the types of crimes and their implications to employment suitability in health care facilities and agencies.

Any student who has been charged with a felony or a misdemeanor crime after admission to the program must contact the Program Director within 72 hours of the charge. Students convicted of certain crime(s) may become ineligible for clinical/externship privileges and/or professional certification/licensure, and therefore, may be dismissed from the Program.

Environmental Conditions - Standard Precautions

Applicants must be aware students in these courses and profession will be exposed to blood, body tissues, and fluids. There is the potential of exposure to electrical hazards, hazardous waste materials, radiation, poisonous substances, chemicals, loud or unpleasant noises and high stress emergency situations. Students enrolled in these courses and career path are at risk for exposure to blood and body fluids and transmission of blood-borne and other infectious diseases, including HIV. The Americans with Disabilities Act forbids discrimination against patients with infectious diseases; therefore, students are required to treat all patients assigned, regardless of the disease-state of the patient. Standard precautions must be followed when treating each patient.

Chosen/Preferred Name

LCC has adopted a policy providing all members of the campus community the opportunity to use their chosen or preferred name in records and communications across the campus. A chosen/preferred name refers to a first name which is different than the legal first name. Students may request this option via their LCC profile. The student's Chosen/Preferred Name may be used in many contexts, including class rosters, ID Cards (by request), Desire to Learn (D2L) course sites, and more. However, LCC is legally required to use a student's Legal Name for some things. This includes at all clinical and externship sites, on immunization and medical records, official transcripts, diplomas, financial aid records, and more.

Contact Selective Admissions

Questions about the application process and/or about your application status, should go to:
Selective Admissions selective_admissions@star.lcc.edu