Sterile Processing Technology
The sterile processing department is known as the heart of the hospital, as all means of sterilized equipment, medical instrumentation, and sterile supplies are under the direct responsibility of the sterile processing department team members. As a Certified Sterile Processing Technician, you will be a crucial team member for all medical departments.
Every trauma that comes through the Emergency Room, every lifesaving/altering operation in the Operating Room, and every department utilizing sterile instrumentation will depend on your expertise and bolstered technique skill sets.
This program will educate, train, and bolster students capabilities/techniques required to serve in any sterile processing department in the country. Upon completing this program, students will be able to sit for the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam provided by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) organization.
Academic support is provided through CCD's Excel Zone, which helps students succeed by offering a variety of learning opportunities. We are located on campus on the 4th floor of the Confluence building.
CCD Online offers fully online certificates and degrees, and individual online courses to help match your busy schedule.
Your first step is to see if online learning is right for you. Online and hybrid environments offer much more flexibility but require more self-direction and self-discipline. Certain work habits, learning styles and skills contribute to a successful online or hybrid learning experience.
Online Experience Questions?
303.352.6785 | TLC@ccd.edu
This program is eligible for financial aid at CCD.
Your first step is to connect with the Financial Aid office to discover how you can afford college. Our dedicated staff and support services help you wade through all the legal language and get you past the first hurdle to completing your educational goals.
In addition, CCD has $1,000,000 available in scholarships. Learn More!
CRCST (Certified Registered Central Sterile Technician)
National Estimates:
Hourly Wage: $21.61
Salary: $44,940
Applications are open year round.
Spring 2026 Start: Application closes on October 17, 2025.
Please follow the instructions below and gather the appropriate documents before you complete our online application.
If you haven’t done so, you must be a current CCD student to enroll in the Sterile Processing Program. The CCD application is free. Please select certificate, area of interest is Health Sciences and Sterile Processing Technology certificate as the option when applying.
You must attend a Sterile Processing information session.
2025/2026 Info Session Dates:
- Thursday, September 4 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, October 2 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, October 17 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, November 6 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, November 20 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, December 4 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, January 8 - 4:00pm
- Thursday, February 5 - 4:00pm
To determine your placement in this program, you must show college-level readiness in both English and math. You can meet this requirement using one of the following: ACT or SAT scores (taken within the last five years), the Accuplacer exam for math and English, official transcripts showing completed college-level math and English courses, or the CCD self-assessment tool. You will also have the opportunity to upload an unofficial transcript with your application. Please visit the Testing Center for any questions.
CCD's Sterile Processing program requires that a background check and drug screen be completed prior to your admittance into the program.
No history of criminal offenses; please read the CCCS list of disqualifying offenses.
You may order the background check and drug screen at the Colorado Community College System’s CastleBranch website. Once your order is complete, we will collect your receipt, and CCD’s Human Resources will be in contact with us upon your approval/denial. You will need to upload your results to your application. You can access your results by logging into CastleBranch and finding the results page.
Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Must be completed within a timeframe that will allow one certification to be valid through the program.
- You will be required to show proof of a (BLS) for the Health Care Providers Certification course through the American Heart Association (AHA).
As part of the application process, you will be asked to write a 500-word or less essay that includes the following topics: What do you know about the profession of Sterile Processing, and what interests you about it? What character qualities do you feel that you bring into this profession? Also, include any healthcare training and work experience and include the location of this work experience (i.e., clinics, hospitals, etc.)
Once you have completed all required forms, scan and save them to your computer. Then, upload the documents as attachments to the online application. The required documents include:
- Placement test results or ACT/SAT scores
- Background check and drug screen results
- Essay
- Completed physical exam form (within the last year, signed by your physician)
- Tuberculosis (TB) clearance: negative skin test, QuantiFERON (QFT) Gold test, or clear chest X-ray (within the last year)
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine: 2 doses or positive titer
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine: 2 doses or positive titer
- Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) vaccine: within the last 10 years
- Seasonal flu vaccine (required only for applicants applying October–March; wait until accepted and instructed before getting this)
- Hepatitis B vaccine: 3 doses or positive titer
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA) — must be from AHA
You can contact your primary care physician to obtain past vaccination records. More details about vaccine and test requirements are available on the Auraria Health Center website, and the Health Center can also provide any missing vaccines, tests, and records.
Application Process
Applications are scored on a 50-point system. Top scoring applicants will be invited for an interview, and after the interview process, a select number will be offered admission into the program.