The Medical Assisting program in Hayward, California delivers career-focused education for your future success, preparing you to step confidently into healthcare through a well-rounded, skills-driven approach. This program combines engaging classroom instruction with hands-on labs, applied learning, and a supervised externship, giving you the opportunity to build real-world experience while developing both clinical and administrative skills. You’ll gain the knowledge, confidence, and practical training today’s healthcare employers expect, while also preparing to sit for nationally recognized certification exams. Students typically attend on-campus training two days per week, with morning, afternoon, or evening options available depending on location and cohort size. With new start dates offered twice each month, you can begin your training sooner and stay on track toward your goals. In as little as nine months, you can transition from student to healthcare professional, ready to support providers, care for patients, and contribute where care is needed most because healthcare needs you.
HYBRID LEARNING
Learn through a flexible blend of online coursework and hands-on lab training, helping you build real-world skills while balancing school and life.
9-MONTH ACCELERATED PROGRAM
Complete your training in as little as nine months and take the next step toward a fast-moving, in-demand healthcare career.
CAREER-FOCUSED TRAINING
Hayward MA Graduate Placement Rate
79%*
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What you'll learn.
Graduates of the Medical Assisting program at Unitek College in Hayward gain the skills needed to support patient care and medical office efficiency. Through hands-on labs and guided instruction, you’ll develop confidence in both clinical and administrative responsibilities essential to healthcare teams.
Admissions Requirements for the Hayward MA Program
Follow these simple steps to start your path toward training to become a Medical Assistant.
Meet with admissions (virtual or in person)
Begin enrollment process
Submit a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of high school diploma/GED
Complete FAFSA and financial aid appointment
Complete entrance assessments
Start classes
For a list of all admissions steps and requirements, please visit the college catalog.
Curriculum Overview
The MA program is designed to prepare you for the realities of today’s healthcare workplaces through a balanced combination of classroom instruction, hands-on simulations, and supervised clinical experience. Throughout the program, you’ll develop essential clinical and administrative skills while gaining exposure to the wide scope of responsibilities Medical Assistants perform each day. Instruction covers laboratory techniques, diagnostic and clinical procedures, pharmaceutical principles, medication administration, first aid, medical office practices, patient relations, and medical law, with a strong emphasis on ethics and professionalism. A supervised externship allows you to apply what you’ve learned in a real healthcare setting, helping you graduate with confidence and practical experience.
Core Medical Assisting subjects:
Introduction to Medical Assisting
Introduction to Medical Assisting · Pharmacology and Clinical Procedures
Diagnostic Procedures and Infection Control
Specialized Systems and Phlebotomy
I am so happy to say that I attended the MA program at this college! My instructor was the best. I would recommend this program to any student who would like to be an MA. Doing this program has taught me so many things and it has prepared me as a professional.
Hermione T.Unitek College of Nursing Graduate
The Hayward Campus
The Hayward campus offers a supportive, student-centered learning environment designed to help Medical Assisting students succeed from day one. Inside, students have access to two dedicated skills labs, a simulation lab, five lecture rooms including computer-equipped classrooms, a student lounge, and a learning resource room that supports focused study and collaboration. The campus is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), reflecting a commitment to quality education and student outcomes. Faculty and staff are known for their accessibility and support, with students often highlighting the effectiveness of the Financial Aid team and the open-door approach of campus leadership. Nearby destinations include Southland Mall, Winton Plaza, Costco, Target, and several major medical facilities, placing students within reach of both everyday conveniences and healthcare employers throughout the Bay Area.
Online Learning
Reinforce your hands-on training through flexible online coursework designed to support your understanding of key medical concepts and the reasoning behind clinical procedures. Using digital textbooks and interactive learning tools, you’ll complete assignments that complement your lab experience, allowing you to maximize time practicing skills on campus while maintaining the flexibility to balance school with work and personal responsibilities.
Skills Labs
Train in hands-on environments designed to reflect real medical office settings, where classroom instruction and skills training take place in the same space so you can immediately apply what you learn. You’ll work with industry-standard equipment and task trainers, including EKG machines, phlebotomy stations, injection arms, infant manikins, wound care simulators, autoclaves, and centrifuges, helping you build confidence and develop the practical skills needed to perform essential patient care tasks in real healthcare environments.
Campus Location
Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Hayward campus sits near Interstate 880 and Hayward Executive Airport, offering convenient access for students commuting from across the region. Often referred to as the “Heart of the Bay,” Hayward’s central location makes it an ideal hub for accessibility and connectivity. The campus is close to major roadways, including Hesperian Boulevard and multiple freeway exits, as well as public transportation options.
Our program is designed for efficiency without sacrificing quality, making it a strong fit for career changers and students who thrive in a fast-paced learning environment.
The Medical Assisting program at our Hayward campus can be completed in as little as nine months, allowing you to build essential clinical and administrative skills and enter the healthcare workforce sooner.
Yes. Graduates may be eligible to pursue professional certification exams such as the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) through American Medical Technologists (AMT), Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through the National Healthcare Association (NHA).
No. California does not require a state-issued license to work as a Medical Assistant. However, many employers prefer or require professional certification, which is why some students choose to pursue national credentials to strengthen their job prospects.
Program tuition varies based on start date and enrollment details. Your Admissions Representative will review tuition, estimated fees, and available financial aid options with you before you enroll, so you understand the full cost upfront.
Students have access to academic support, faculty guidance, Financial Aid assistance, Career Services, and student success resources designed to support you from enrollment through graduation and into your healthcare career.
The Hayward campus serves students from across the East Bay and surrounding Bay Area communities, including Hayward, San Leandro, Union City, Fremont, Castro Valley, Oakland, San Jose, and nearby areas.
Our program is designed for efficiency without sacrificing quality, making it a strong fit for career changers and students who thrive in a fast-paced learning environment.
The Medical Assisting program at our Hayward campus can be completed in as little as nine months, allowing you to build essential clinical and administrative skills and enter the healthcare workforce sooner.
Yes. Graduates may be eligible to pursue professional certification exams such as the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) through American Medical Technologists (AMT), Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through the National Healthcare Association (NHA).
No. California does not require a state-issued license to work as a Medical Assistant. However, many employers prefer or require professional certification, which is why some students choose to pursue national credentials to strengthen their job prospects.
Program tuition varies based on start date and enrollment details. Your Admissions Representative will review tuition, estimated fees, and available financial aid options with you before you enroll, so you understand the full cost upfront.
Students have access to academic support, faculty guidance, Financial Aid assistance, Career Services, and student success resources designed to support you from enrollment through graduation and into your healthcare career.
The Hayward campus serves students from across the East Bay and surrounding Bay Area communities, including Hayward, San Leandro, Union City, Fremont, Castro Valley, Oakland, San Jose, and nearby areas.
Get started today!
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*These placement rates are based on program-specific and campus-specific data reported to our institutional accreditor(s) in 2024. While the figures shown here are not separately reported to our accreditor, they are derived from those outcomes. For full details by program and campus, please visit our Disclosures page.
Unitek College’s campuses in Fremont, Hayward, San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, South San Francisco, Bakersfield, Ontario and Reno are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), a recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. The Ontario, Reno, San Jose, Sacramento, Bakersfield and Concord campuses are recognized by ACCSC as accredited branches of the Fremont main campus. The South San Francisco campus is recognized by ACCSC as an accredited branch of the Hayward main campus.