Surgical technologists are allied health professionals who are an integral part of the team of medical practitioners providing surgical care to patients in a variety of settings.

The surgical technologist works under medical supervision to facilitate the safe and effective conduct of invasive surgical procedures. This individual works under the supervision of a surgeon to ensure that the operating room or environment is safe, that equipment functions properly, and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety.

A surgical technologist possesses expertise in the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique and combines the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures, and implementation tools and technologies to facilitate a physician's performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.
  • Overview

  • Is This Program for You?

    Students who are successful in this field:

    • Possess a strong sense of responsibility, considerable patience and concern for others
    • Function well as a team member
    • Possess manual dexterity and fine motor coordination
    • Perform accurately and efficiently under pressure
    • Psychological and physical stamina

    Program Basics

    • Face-to-Face and Online courses
    • Shared courses with the Nursing Program
    • Financial aid available to those that qualify
    • Summer program start date
    • May take some courses immediately upon program acceptance
    • Students must achieve a grade of a C or better in each course of the program curriculum to be eligible to progress.
    • Current Healthcare Provider CPR certification must be maintained throughout the program. (Courses must include CPR, and a hands-on exam must be taken.)
    • Students who complete this program can pursue transfer to bachelor degree programs.
  • Curriculum & Costs

  • Cost of Attendance (COA) 26-27

    Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

    Category Amount
    Tuition and Fees $5,240
    Living Expenses (Housing and Food) $10,910
    Books and Supplies $1,463
    Personal Expenses $3,084
    Transportation 3,899
    Charger Tech 360 Fee $700
    Loan Fees $85
    Yearly Total (Living Away from Home) $25,381
    1 Semester Total (Living Away from Home) $12,691

    Based on Wisconsin Residents.

    Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

    Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

    These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

  • Admissions & Requirements

  • Admission Requirements

    • Submit Application
    • Admissions Preference Policy
      This is a high-enrollment program, which means applications are reviewed on scheduled dates based on where you live. If the program is full, you may be placed on a waiting list.

      Learn more about our Admissions and Wait List Policy and review the Waiting List section on this page for more information about how the process works for this program.

    Academic Preparedness Requirements

      Before you can be fully accepted into your program, you need to complete the requirements below. These are the same requirements you may see in your SWTC Student Portal.

    • Submit Official High School, College, Military Transcripts, and Test Scores
      Have documents sent directly to:
      • Email: admissions@swtc.edu
      • Mail: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809
    • Take a Test or Provide Previous Education or Scores
      You only need to complete one of the following:
      • Submit an official college transcript showing that you have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
      • OR submit your high school transcript and ACT scores. You must have:
        • A cumulative high school GPA of 2.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale
        • AND a cumulative ACT score of 18 or higher from within the last 4 years
      • OR take the TABE 13 (Test of Adult Basic Education) for Reading and Math scoring at TABE level D. You must meet these minimum scores:
        • Reading: 501 or higher
        • Math: 496 or higher

        Schedule Your TABE 13 Test

        If you do not meet the minimum TABE scores, you may still be accepted to the program with a plan for extra academic support added to your Student Success Plan. This plan will help prepare you for required General Education and Surgical Technology courses.

        You will work with your advisor and Surgical Technology instructor to review your progress and update the plan as needed.

    • Meet with Your Advisor for an Admissions Meeting
      Schedule an admission meeting with your program advisor to complete your student success plan, including a career assessment and academic map and support plan.

      To schedule your meeting, go to the Appointments page. Find your advisor in the list, then select Make an Appointment under their contact information.

      Appointments are available on campus or virtually.

      • If you want to check which of these requirements you still need to complete, log in to your SWTC Student Portal, go to My Profile → Document Center, and make sure All Programs is selected.

  • Waiting List

  • This program uses a waiting list because of limited capacity and high demand. That means there are often more applicants than available seats. The waiting list helps make admission fair, consistent, and transparent.

    What the waiting list means for you

    In-District Applicants
    What this means: You live within the Southwest Tech district – Southwest Tech maps of the region, our district and campus

    • Review Dates: Fall – November 1 | Spring – March 1 | Summer – August 1
    • Applications received before the review date are held until preparedness requirements are complete.
    • On the review date, applications are reviewed in the order they were received. If requirements are complete and there is space, you are accepted.
    • If the program is full, you are placed on the wait list based on your application date.
    • You may remain on the wait list from term to term until you are admitted, as long as you renew your status.

    Out-of-District Wisconsin Applicants
    What this means: You live in Wisconsin but not within the Southwest Tech district. If you’re unsure, check our Southwest Tech District Map.

    • Review Dates: Fall – January 1 | Spring – April 1 | Summer – October 1
    • Your application is reviewed after in-district residents.
    • If you meet requirements and there is space, you are accepted.
    • If the program is full, you are placed on the wait list in order of your application date.
    • You may remain on the wait list from term to term until you are admitted, as long as you renew your status.

    Out-of-State Applicants
    What this means: You live outside of Wisconsin.

    • Review Dates: Fall – March 1 | Spring – May 1 | Summer – December 1
    • Your application is reviewed after in-district and out-of-district Wisconsin residents.
    • If you meet requirements and there is space, you are accepted.
    • If the program is full, you may be placed on the wait list, but only for the term you applied for.
    • Out-of-state applicants cannot carry their wait list status into future terms. If you are not admitted for the term you applied for, you will need to submit a new application.

  • Outcomes

  • Program Outcomes

    At the completion of the program, students are expected to be able to:

    • Apply healthcare and technological science principles to the perioperative environment
    • Maintain principles of sterile technique in the surgical environment
    • Provide a safe, efficient, and supportive environment for the patient
    • Prepare the patient, operating room and surgical team for the preoperative phase
    • Perform intraoperative case management in the scrub role
    • Perform postoperative case management
    • Function as an ethical, legal, and professional member of the healthcare team as determined by governing bodies

    Minimum Expectations:

    To prepare competent entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

  • Career Opportunities

  • Opportunities include working in:

    • Surgical Technologist Scrub Role
    • Central Supply Technologist
    • Surgical Technologist/Private Scrub
    • Second Assisting Technologist (with additional education Surgical First Assistant)
    • Laser/Endoscopic Technologist
    • Tissue/Organ Procurement
    • GI Technologist
    • OB Technologist
    • Surg Tech Instructor
    • Vet Technician

    Southwest Tech's Career Services Center offers services to assist students looking for job placement.

    Find a Job
  • Transfers
  • Prior Learning

  • Credit for Prior Learning

    Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

    Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

    For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

    Surgical Technology Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:

    Course # Course Title
    Challenge Exam
    (Demonstration)
    Challenge Exam
    (Standard)
    CLEP
    Credential
    Portfolio
    10-501-101Medical TerminologyYes
    Available online
    10-801-136English Composition IYes
    CLEP Test - College Composition
    10-801-198SpeechYes
    10-809-196Intro to SociologyYes
    10-809-198Introduction to PsychologyYes
    CLEP Test - Introduction to Psychology
  • Accreditation