Medical Terminology
Self-paced online Medical Terminology course (Health 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →OregonHealth careers
Medical Terminology for college credit: who asks for it
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Medical Terminology for college credit is a common prerequisite for allied health programmes such as radiography, and a useful elective inside the associate degree Oregon paramedics need under OAR 333-265-0025. Whether it counts is up to the programme or the degree-granting college, so ask in writing before you enrol.
Who usually asks for Medical Terminology
Allied health programmes often list Medical Terminology with Anatomy and Physiology, College Algebra, English and Psychology among their prerequisites. Radiography, health information, surgical technology and medical assisting programmes are typical examples. Each programme publishes its own prerequisite sheet, and that sheet is the only list that counts.
For Oregon paramedics the course plays a different role. It is not a licensing requirement, but it can fill an elective or health science slot inside the associate degree OAR 333-265-0025 asks for.
Prerequisite sheets also set conditions beyond the course name. Some ask for a minimum grade such as a C, some ask that health courses be recent, and some list the exact course number from a partner community college. Read the whole sheet, not just the course list, and write down anything that is unclear so you can ask about it in the same email.
- Allied health programme prerequisites.
- Health science and general studies degree electives.
- Degree completion programmes in health administration.
What the course covers
A college-level Medical Terminology course teaches how medical words are built from prefixes, roots and suffixes, then applies them body system by body system. Paramedics and rad tech students use the same vocabulary every shift, which is why many find it one of the quicker courses to finish.
Most courses end with a proctored final exam. The vocabulary is cumulative, so students who review a body system each week tend to do better than those who cram. If you already work in EMS, many terms will be familiar, and the course mainly gives them a structure you can show on a transcript.
Questions to ask the programme or college
Send these before you start, and keep the written replies.
- Do you list Medical Terminology as a prerequisite or as an elective?
- Do you review ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses for it?
- Is there a minimum grade, and does the course have to be recent?
- Must it arrive via a college transcript from a specific type of institution?
Where it fits next to the other courses
Medical Terminology works best paired with the general education courses most degrees need. A paramedic working toward the Oregon degree rule might plan the block below and confirm each line with the degree-granting college.
| Course | Typical slot |
|---|---|
| Medical Terminology | Health elective or programme prerequisite |
| English Composition 1 | Written communication |
| College Algebra | Math |
| Introduction to Psychology | Social science |
Cost and timing
On UPI Study PRO, Medical Terminology is one of every course included for $99 a month. Many students finish it in two to four weeks. The credit reaches your programme or degree college via a college transcript, and that school decides how it is used.
Plan the order with your deadline in mind. If you are an Oregon paramedic on a Transitional licence, start with the courses your degree plan needs most, such as English Composition and math, and add Medical Terminology where the college confirms it has an open elective slot. If you are applying to a rad tech programme, check its application date and finish the prerequisite with enough time for the transcript to arrive before that date.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college that will grant your associate degree, in writing, which ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses it will count, and ask the OHA EMS Program in writing that the college meets the accreditation rule, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Is Medical Terminology required for an Oregon paramedic licence?
No. The Oregon rule asks for an associate degree or higher from an accredited institution. Medical Terminology can be one course inside that degree if the degree-granting college counts it.
How many credits is Medical Terminology?
The UPI Study course carries a 3-credit recommendation. The college or programme you send it to decides how many credits, if any, it posts and where they go in your degree plan, so ask for that answer in writing before you start the course.
Do rad tech programmes take Medical Terminology from online providers?
Policies differ by programme. Some review ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses and some only take courses from a college. Ask the programme in writing before you enrol, and keep the reply with your application papers in case the admissions staff changes.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Anatomy and Physiology I
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology I course (Biology 211). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Every course in one plan; work through the general education courses your college agrees to in writing.
Sources
- Oregon Health Authority: EMS Provider Licensing (official)Initial paramedic applicants submit an associate degree or higher and current NREMT paramedic certification; fees: Paramedic $290, Transitional $340, Transitional renewal $200. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- ARRT: Education requirements for primary certification (official)ARRT asks for an associate degree or higher in any subject from an institution accredited by an ARRT-recognised agency, earned before or after the programme but before the exam. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.