You cannot complete medication aide certification online in Arkansas from start to finish. The Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) allows the classroom portion of Medication Assistant-Certified (MA-C) training to be delivered online through hybrid programs, but the skills lab and supervised clinical hours have to be done in person at an approved site. No fully online path exists.
What “Hybrid” Means for MA-C Training
State rules require at least 115 hours of board-approved instruction, split among classroom learning, a skills lab, and supervised clinical practice.1Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated. Arkansas Code 17-87-704 – Qualifications Some approved programs deliver the classroom hours in a hybrid format with online coursework. The skills lab and clinical placement cannot be done remotely.
Classroom instruction covers medication administration techniques, basic pharmacology, documentation, and patient observation. The clinical component places you in a long-term care facility under a licensed preceptor, where you practice administering medications under direct supervision. Programs also include training in oxygen inhalation and subcutaneous insulin administration, both required for full practice authority in Arkansas.2Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Medication Assistant Certified
If maximizing remote study matters to you, ask each program directly how it structures classroom hours. Not every program uses the same format, and the ASBN approval does not specify the delivery method.
Programs Approved by the ASBN
These are the training programs the board currently recognizes:2Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Medication Assistant Certified
- Arkansas Health Care Association — Little Rock (approved May 2023)
- Arkansas State University–Beebe — Searcy campus (approved February 2022)
- Arkansas State University–Newport (approved July 2021)
- Arkansas Tech University–Ozark (approved February 2022)
- National Park College — Hot Springs (approved January 2023)
- Northwest Technical Institute — Springdale (approved November 2021)
- South Arkansas College — El Dorado
Contact programs individually for current schedules, delivery format, and tuition. Call before you enroll and confirm whether the classroom portion is online, in person, or hybrid, and where the lab and clinicals meet.
You Have to Be Eligible to Enroll
Even an entirely remote classroom will not help if you cannot enroll. Arkansas sets the bar high, and all of the following must be true before a program can take you:3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 17-87-704 – Qualifications
- You are in good standing on the Arkansas certified nurse aide registry.
- You have been on that registry continuously for at least one year.
- You have at least one continuous year of full-time CNA work experience in Arkansas.
- You are currently employed at a nursing home or a board-approved local correctional facility.
- You have a high school diploma or GED.
- You pass a board-approved literacy and reading comprehension screening.
The current-employment rule catches people. You cannot start certification while between jobs. Your application has to show you are actively working at an eligible designated facility.2Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Medication Assistant Certified
One alternative: nursing students who have completed a portion of a nursing education program covering the same material as MA-C training can skip the separate course and go straight to the exam.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 17-87-704 – Qualifications
Background Check and Fingerprinting
Every first-time applicant has to clear a state and federal criminal background check processed through the ASBN itself. Checks done for an employer, a school, or any other agency are not accepted. If the ASBN already ran a background check on you within the past 12 months, you can skip this.4Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Criminal Background Checks
If you live in Arkansas, fingerprints must be submitted electronically at a LiveScan location. Ink cards are not accepted for in-state residents. You set up an Arkansas Nurse Portal account, submit the application and fees, then bring your payment receipt to an approved LiveScan site. Out-of-state applicants who cannot travel to a LiveScan location must request a pre-stamped fingerprint card through the Nurse Portal message center. The board does not mail it automatically.4Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Criminal Background Checks
A conviction for any offense listed under Arkansas Code 17-3-102 disqualifies you. The list covers serious violent crimes (murder, kidnapping, robbery, first-degree battery), sexual offenses at any degree, property crimes like theft, arson, and burglary, felony drug violations, and offenses against vulnerable people such as child endangerment or felony adult abuse. Attempting, aiding, soliciting, or conspiring to commit any listed offense counts the same. Expunged convictions may still trigger disqualification in some contexts.5Arkansas Department of Health. Arkansas Code 17-3-102 – Licensing Restrictions Based on Criminal Records
The Certification Exam
Once you finish training, you take a written exam administered by the state’s designated testing vendor. It has 50 multiple-choice questions, a 60-minute time limit, and an 80% passing score.6D&S Diversified Technologies. Arkansas Medication Assistant Candidate Handbook Questions cover allowable medication routes, documentation, how medications affect body systems, error reporting, administration techniques, regulations, and terminology. Your training program director handles exam registration, so you usually will not schedule it yourself.
If you fail, you can reapply and retake under ASBN policies. Exam fees for a failed attempt are not refunded.
What It Costs
- Training tuition: around $800 at ASU-Beebe, varying by program. Some programs use grant funding that reduces or eliminates out-of-pocket tuition, and the Arkansas Health Care Association has arranged for participating employers to pay students their regular wage during training.7Arkansas State University-Beebe. Medication Assistant Certified
- Background check: about $51.25 total ($36.25 state and federal, plus $15 for LiveScan), with an additional processing fee.8Arkansas Board of Nursing. Criminal Background Check
- ASBN certification fee: $35.9Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Fees
- Exam fee: paid separately to the testing vendor.
- Supplies: stethoscope and scrubs run roughly $55 depending on the program.
Background check and exam fees are non-refundable, even if your application is denied or you fail the test.
If You Are Already Certified in Another State
If you hold a medication aide certification elsewhere, the ASBN can grant Arkansas certification by endorsement instead of making you repeat the whole process. The board checks whether your original training and credentials meet Arkansas standards.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 17-87-704 – Qualifications
One point the board looks at closely is training in oxygen inhalation and subcutaneous insulin administration. If your original state’s program did not include those, you must complete additional Arkansas-approved training before endorsement. Proof of that training has to be submitted with your application.2Arkansas Department of Health. ASBN – Medication Assistant Certified