Health Information Management - Application Process

Consideration

To be considered for admission, the following criteria must be met:

  • A completed formal application submitted to Volunteer State Community College, volstate.edu/admissions
  • All high school transcripts, GED scores, and previous college transcripts forwarded to Admissions. Transcripts must be official, and copies will not be accepted. Vol State does not evaluate transcripts faxed or student copies. Transcripts should be mailed to:

Admissions Office
Volunteer State Community College
1480 Nashville Pike
Gallatin, TN 37066

  • If you are a new or returning college student, you will be required to take the ACCUPLACER placement exam unless you have recent satisfactory ACT or SAT test scores. The ACCUPLACER exam is used to evaluate your proficiency level in reading, writing, basic mathematics, and algebra. Please contact the Advising Office as soon as possible to obtain approval to schedule the ACCUPLACER placement test. The Advising Office can assist you in scheduling the tests you need. You may email them at advising@volstate.edu or you may call them at 615-230-3702. The results of these tests will determine if you will be required to take any remedial/developmental courses prior to any college level courses.
    • The ACCUPLACER test is administered to degree-seeking students who are at least 21 years of age and have never attended college or are transfer students who do not have college credit which exempts them from placement testing.
    • The test may also be administered to non-degree-seeking students who are seeking to enroll in courses that have reading, writing and/or math pre-requisites.
    • The ACCUPLACER test consists of three sections: Reading, Writing, and Math.
    • The ACCUPLACER test is administered online and is untimed.
    • Students receive their test scores immediately following testing and are then referred to an academic advisor for interpretation of the results.
    • Free online practice
  • Please declare your major as Health Sciences A.S. with emphasis in HIM. Once you are accepted into the HIM Program your major will be updated to Health Information Management, A.A.S.

Minimum criteria to be considered for OFFICIAL acceptance into the HIM program:

  • Any developmental/remedial courses must be successfully completed to be considered for admission into the Program.
  • Successful completion of the following courses (grade of C or better):
    Please note, when you screen in the spring you may not have completed all the required courses, so if you are accepted in to the HIM Program it is contingent on you making a “C” or better by the end of the spring semester in all the required courses.
    • HIMT 1301 - Introduction to Health Information Management
    • INFS 1010 - Microcomputer Literacy & Applications
    • BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
    • BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
    • AHC 115 - Medical Terminology
    • ENGL 1010 – English Composition
  • If you are planning to attend school full time, you will also complete the following courses by the end of the spring semester you are screening for acceptance into the HIM Program:
    • MATH 1530- Introductory Statistics
    • PSYC 1030 – Introduction to Psychology
    • PHIL 1040 – Introduction to Ethics
  • If you are planning to attend school part time, you will complete the following courses during your first three semesters after being accepted into the HIM Program:
    • MATH 1530- Introductory Statistics (summer semester)
    • PSYC 1030 – Introduction to Psychology (fall semester)
    • PHIL 1040 – Introduction to Ethics (spring semester)
  • The following weighted criteria will be used to determine acceptance into the program:
    • BIOL 2010 grade
    • Number of successfully completed required general education courses for the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Information Management
    • Interview score
    • GPA of general education courses
    • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better
    • Strength of personal references
    • Formal acceptance will only be confirmed after the required background check has been successfully completed.
    • A drug screen is required prior to going on PPE (Professional Practice Experience) in the fall semester.

HIM Program Application Packet:

Please contact Valerie D. Bowling, HIM Program Director at Valerie.bowling@volstate.edu in January to request an HIM Program Application Packet. You will be given an official Health Information Management Program Application Packet to complete during the spring semester. The Application must be completed and turned in to the Program Director early in spring semester to be considered for the HIM program beginning in the summer.

Selection and Notification:

The selection process is held once a year and the maximum class size is 25 students per year. Formal admission into the program is a competitive process. The Program adheres to the College’s equal opportunity policy.

The HIM Admissions Committee will select each year’s class from the pool of applicants who meet minimum admission criteria. No applicant will be considered unless the minimum admission criteria are met. The student will be notified of acceptance in writing prior to the summer semester.