Surgical Technology

The program is delivered in Keiser University's signature one-class-at-a-time format over four-week terms, with new classes starting every month and a small student-to-faculty ratio (about 14:1). Full-time students typically complete the Associate of Science in Surgical Technology in about 20 months, earning a total of 74 credit hours across roughly 21 courses.

Because of its laboratory and clinical requirements, the program is offered on-campus (Clearwater and Ocala) rather than fully online. Coursework progresses from foundational sciences and healthcare essentials into technical surgical training in campus labs and simulated operating-room settings, followed by supervised clinical externship rotations in affiliated hospitals and surgery centers. Students must meet the program's academic and clinical progression standards, including satisfactory grades in prerequisite and major courses, to advance into and through the externship sequence.

The curriculum combines general education and foundational sciences with technical surgical technology coursework and supervised clinical externship rotations. Representative courses are listed below.

Required Courses

Tuition is charged per 16-week semester based on the number of scheduled credit hours. At the full-time rate (12–17.99 credits), tuition is approximately $12,408 per semester per Keiser's Undergraduate Tuition & Fee Disclosure (subject to annual review). Across the roughly five full-time semesters needed to complete the 74-credit program, estimated total tuition is on the order of $62,000. Students also pay a one-time $55 application fee and a one-time $145 registration fee at enrollment. As a health-sciences program, additional per-course resource or lab fees, along with costs for books, uniforms/scrubs, and required immunizations or background screening, may apply; refer to the campus's current cost disclosures for exact figures.

Keiser University participates in a full range of financial aid programs for those who qualify, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Work-Study, as well as Florida's FSAG and EASE aid, institutional scholarships, and veterans' and military education benefits. Students should complete the FAFSA (School Code 015159) annually. A Net Price Calculator is available at https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/NPC-index.html.

Estimated total program tuition of about $62,040 (full-time semesters at ~$12,408/semester); actual cost varies with pace and transfer credit.

Graduates are prepared for entry-level employment as surgical technologists, serving as members of the surgical team in a variety of settings, including hospital operating rooms, ambulatory and outpatient surgery centers, and physicians' offices and clinics that perform sterile procedures. In these roles, surgical technologists prepare the operating room and sterile field, arrange and pass instruments and supplies, and support the surgeon and surgical team before, during, and after procedures.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the national Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). Certification requirements and any state-specific licensure or registration rules vary; prospective students should review Keiser University's professional licensure disclosure and confirm requirements with the applicable state entity.

Expect a structured, hands-on program that moves from classroom and science foundations into intensive technical and clinical training. In the one-class-at-a-time format, you focus on a single course during each four-week term, building knowledge in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, microbiology, pharmacology, aseptic technique, surgical instrumentation, and surgical procedures and specialties.

Skills are practiced in campus labs and simulated operating-room settings before you enter supervised clinical externship rotations in real surgical environments. Clinical rotations involve early hours, standing for extended periods, and adherence to strict sterile-technique and patient-safety protocols. Prior to clinical placement you will typically need to complete a background check and drug screening (when applicable) and submit current, physician-signed immunization records. The program is demanding and detail-oriented, and it is offered on-campus because of its lab and clinical requirements.