Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers three medical assisting tracks, two of them in its newer Clinical Medical Assistant program:
- Clinical Medical Assistant Diploma (34.5 credits)
- Health Sciences, Clinical Medical Assistant Associate Degree (61.5 credits)
- Medical Assistant Diploma, Clearwater (42.5 credits, older program)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical MA Diploma | $16,388 (online, books included) | 11 months | 34.5 |
| Clinical MA Associate | ~$29,213 | 18 months | 61.5 |
| Medical Assistant Diploma | ~$20,188 (est.) | 15 months | 42.5 |
UMA charges $475 per credit for online programs. The diploma total is published. The associate and older-diploma figures are estimates at that rate, since UMA does not publish them. The Clinical Medical Assistant program launched in late 2025 and is open only to Florida residents. Its diploma can be completed fully online, with clinical skills taught through lab kits, simulation, and webcam demonstrations, followed by a 180-hour externship near the student. The main open question is CMA (AAMA) eligibility, covered under Accreditation.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| School type | Private nonprofit career school |
| Campuses | Clearwater, FL (main); UMA Online, with a Tampa Center for online students |
| Format | Online (UMA Online); Hybrid (Clearwater blended) |
| Programmatic accreditation | None separately stated; covered by UMA’s institutional ABHES accreditation |
| Institutional accreditation | ABHES (Clearwater I-213; Online I-213-02) |
| Exams named by UMA | CMA (AAMA), RMA (AMT), CCMA (NHA); CMA eligibility not independently confirmed |
| Externship | 180 hours (Clinical MA); 220 hours (older MA diploma) |
| Start dates | About 20 per year online; about 10 per year at Clearwater |
| Enrollment | Florida residents only (Clinical MA) |
Clinical Medical Assistant Diploma
The online diploma costs $16,387.50, books included, and takes about 11 months. See the official program page.
Diploma Curriculum
Structure. Coursework mixes live sessions and self-paced work with instructor-set deadlines. Online students learn clinical skills through lab kits, screen-based simulation, and live demonstrations, and need a webcam and microphone. Clearwater students attend in-lab sessions on campus with instructor supervision.
- Medical Terminology: 3 credits
- Student Success: 1 credit
- Medical Assistant Foundations: 4 credits
- Clinical Medical Assisting Procedures: 4 credits
- Phlebotomy, Point of Care Testing, and Lab Procedures: 4 credits
- ECG and Cardiovascular Procedures: 4 credits
- Wellness, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology: 4.5 credits
- Career Success: 2 credits
- Medical Office Administration: 4 credits
- Clinical Medical Assistant Externship: 4 credits
Distinctive elements. Phlebotomy and ECG each get a full 4-credit course. For online students, the externship is the first time they perform these skills on real patients under supervision, so the quality of the externship site matters more than in a campus program.
You Should Know
- The program is new. UMA announced it in November 2025, with classes starting that December. No class has published outcomes yet.
- The Clearwater on-campus lab cadence is not clearly stated.
- Retaking a failed course is charged at the full original course cost.
Diploma Externship
- 180 hours, 20 hours above the 160-hour minimum CAAHEP sets
- UMA matches students with a site in their area
- Planned at a minimum of 30 hours per week, about six weeks
- BLS and CPR training, plus demonstration of physical competencies such as bending, walking, and standing, are required first
- Pay is not clearly stated
Diploma Admissions
- High school diploma or equivalent
- No standardized test required
- Florida residency
- Computer with webcam and microphone for online students
You Should Know
- Online students complete a skills assessment as provisional students. They get one attempt, and scoring at the lowest level in any area cancels enrollment.
Health Sciences, Clinical Medical Assistant Associate Degree
The associate degree costs about $29,213 (derived at $475 per credit) and takes about 18 months.
Associate Curriculum
Structure. The degree includes the full 34.5-credit diploma sequence, including the 180-hour externship, plus 27 credits of general education and electives. At Clearwater, core classes run during the day and general education runs in the evening.
- Diploma core: 34.5 credits
- General education (21 credits): Computer Fundamentals, Interpersonal Professional Communications, English Composition, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, College Math, General Biology, Sociology
- Electives (6 credits): Mental Health Foundations for Medical Assistants; Trauma and Trauma Informed Care for Medical Assistants
The degree adds about $12,825 over the diploma but no additional clinical hours. It makes sense for students who plan to continue into nursing or another degree. For students who only want to start working as a medical assistant, the diploma covers the same clinical content.
Associate Admissions
- Same requirements as the diploma, including Florida residency
Medical Assistant Diploma, Clearwater (Older Program)
UMA’s older blended Medical Assistant diploma runs about 15 months. UMA does not publish its tuition. At the $475 per-credit rate UMA charges elsewhere, its 42.5 credits would cost about $20,188.
Older Diploma Curriculum and Externship
- 42.5 credits (diploma); 60.5 for the related associate degree
- Blended delivery at Clearwater
- 220-hour unpaid externship during site business hours
- Exam named: RMA (AMT)
You Should Know
- Enrollment status is not clearly stated. The program is absent from the current online tuition chart, while the Clearwater supplement still lists 2026 evening modules. Ask admissions which program is open for your start date.
Tuition
UMA charges $475 per credit hour for online diploma and associate programs. Its tuition chart, effective September 8, 2026, lists the online Clinical Medical Assistant diploma at $16,387.50 with books included. The other figures apply that per-credit rate to each program’s credits. Clearwater diploma tuition is listed only as “See Catalog,” so confirm it with admissions.
| Track | Credits | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical MA Diploma (online) | 34.5 | $16,387.50 (published) |
| Clinical MA Associate | 61.5 | ~$29,213 (derived) |
| Clinical MA Diploma (Clearwater) | 34.5 | ~$16,388 (est., online rate) |
| Medical Assistant Diploma (older, Clearwater) | 42.5 | ~$20,188 (est.) |
- Financial aid is available to those who qualify; UMA’s net price calculator estimates cost after grants.
- UMA says it covers some certification exam fees once location-specific requirements are met.
Be aware that:
- No technology, kit, uniform, or exam fees are listed. Confirm whether the lab kit and exams are fully covered.
- Course retakes are charged at full tuition.
- UMA reports that 96% of its students receive federal student loans. Program-specific median debt is not published.
Outcomes
UMA has not published outcomes for the Clinical Medical Assistant program, which is too new to have them. Its 2026-2027 consumer information document reports outcomes for the older Clearwater programs (ABHES reporting period July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025):
| Program | Retention rate | Placement rate |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant Diploma (Clearwater) | 86% | 74% |
| Health Sciences, Medical Assistant AS (Clearwater) | 83% | 86% |
- Institution-wide graduation rate: 55% within 150% of normal time (2022 cohort)
- Credentialing exam pass rates: Not reported
- Online medical assistant outcomes: Not reported
These figures describe a different, campus-based program and do not predict results for the new online track.
Why Choose This Medical Assistant Program?
UMA’s online diploma fits a Florida working adult who needs to start soon and study from home.
Flexibility. About 20 online start dates a year, with self-paced coursework and a local externship.
Cost. $16,387.50 is high for a medical assisting diploma. Indian River State College’s CAAHEP-accredited certificate costs about $3,549 for Florida residents, but requires nine months of full-time daytime attendance with one Fall start.
Drawbacks. CMA (AAMA) eligibility is less clearly documented than at a CAAHEP program, the program has no outcomes yet, and online students first perform clinical skills on patients during the externship.
Degree option. The associate degree adds general education for students who plan to continue into nursing, at about $12,825 more.
Accreditation
UMA is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), a national accreditor, with Clearwater as the main campus (I-213) and UMA Online as a separate campus (I-213-02). UMA’s accreditation page lists no separate medical assisting accreditation, though CHEA’s database lists the online Clinical Medical Assistant diploma and associate degree under UMA’s ABHES accreditation. UMA is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education and describes itself as “not a university or college,” so credits may not transfer to state colleges or universities. CMA (AAMA) eligibility requires graduating from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program. The AAMA does not say whether a program covered by a school’s institutional ABHES grant qualifies, and UMA does not state that this program does. The CMA application asks for an accreditation code from the program director, so students who want the CMA should request that code before enrolling. The RMA (AMT) and CCMA (NHA) have their own eligibility routes.