Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI

The Sterile Processing program at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) prepares students for a vital role in the healthcare field: ensuring the safety of surgical instruments and medical equipment. This comprehensive program equips students with the knowledge and skills to properly decontaminate, clean, disinfect, and sterilize instruments, adhering to strict infection control protocols. The curriculum typically covers microbiology, anatomy, surgical instrumentation, sterilization methods (such as steam autoclave, chemical sterilization, and gas plasma sterilization), and packaging/storage procedures. A key component of the program is a clinical externship, providing students with real-world experience in a hospital sterile processing department. Graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam, the industry-standard certification. Career opportunities for sterile processing technicians are abundant in hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, and medical device manufacturing companies. The program’s duration is generally one to two years, culminating in an Associate Degree or a Technical Diploma, depending on the specific program structure at MATC.

You can view detailed information about the programs or certificates available at Milwaukee Area Technical College on the NCES website.

* Cohort Year represents the year for which students began their studies and applies to Graduation and Transfer Out Rates.
** Net Price is Average Net Price for 2022-2023 generated for full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded grant or scholarship aid from federal, state or local governments, or the institution. For public institutions only students paying the in-state or in-district rate are included. For institutions that charge students by program, net price is generated for the institution’s largest program.
NA (Not applicable) – Graduation rate, transfer-out rate and the net price are not applicable to institutions that do not have full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students in the applicable cohort year or the financial aid year.