Office Assistant, Advanced
Certificate of Completion
Program #3P44476
Office Assistant, Advanced certificate is designed to build upon the skills learned in the Office Assistant, Introduction certificate program and to prepare students for the next level of office and administrative support positions, including administrative assistant, administrative associate, administrative secretary, administrative specialist, administrative technician, clerk typist, department secretary, office assistant, secretary, and staff assistant. Students can be expected to learn the following: basic oral and written communications; practical keyboarding skills; basic computer application skills, including beginning spreadsheets, word processing, databases, presentations, and Outlook; critical thinking and problem-solving skills; and hands-on practice integrating Microsoft Office software into real world simulations. Students completing this program will be eligible to take the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook and the IC3 Digital Literacy certification with the completion of one elective course. This training is also ideal for incumbent workers to be able to update their existing knowledge and skills relating to this field for more advanced career opportunities.
To earn a certificate, students complete the required and elective courses as listed with a grade of P (pass). The exception is for WFPR 100 Career Skills and Resource Lab and/or WFPR 101 Virtual Career Skills and Resource Lab courses. If those courses are required or listed as an elective, students will not receive a grade and instead must complete at least 36 hours in either WFPR 100 Career Skills and Resource Lab or WFPR 101 Virtual Career Skills and Resource Lab. For programs/courses that allow credit for prior learning, at least 75% of all course work must be completed at North Orange Continuing Education. (Contact the CTE Office to learn more about which courses offer credit for prior learning).
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses (210 Hours) | ||
| COMP 685 | Computer Keyboarding - Beginning | 36 |
| OTEC 100 | Office Essentials | 24 |
| OTEC 105 | Microsoft Outlook Fundamentals | 12 |
| BMGR 415 | Written Communication-Business | 18 |
| OTEC 110 | Business Math for Office Technology | 24 |
| COMP 510 | Computer Keyboarding, Mastery I | 30 |
| COMP 511 | Computer Keyboarding Mastery II | 30 |
| OTEC 218 | Databases and Presentations for Business | 36 |
| OTEC 225 | MS Office Integrated Projects | 36 |
| Required Option (Hours 72-96) | ||
| Must select Option 1 or Option 2 | 72-96 | |
| OPTION 1 | ||
| Windows and Word for Business | 36 | |
| Excel for Business | 36 | |
| OPTION 2 | ||
| Computer Concepts and Applications IBEST | 96 | |
| Electives Course (27 Hours) | ||
| Must choose 0 of 1 Course | 27 | |
| Digital Literacy Preparation | 27 | |
| Total Hours | 345-369 | |
Plan of Study
Option 1
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 685 | 36 | BMGR 415 | 18 |
| OTEC 100 | 24 | OTEC 110 | 24 |
| OTEC 105 | 12 | OTEC 217 | 36 |
| OTEC 216 | 36 | ||
| 108 | 78 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 510 | 30 | COMP 511 | 30 |
| OTEC 218 | 36 | OTEC 225 | 36 |
| 66 | 66 | ||
| Total Hours 318 | |||
Option 1 with Elective
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 685 | 36 | BMGR 415 | 18 |
| OTEC 100 | 24 | OTEC 110 | 24 |
| OTEC 105 | 12 | OTEC 217 | 36 |
| OTEC 216 | 36 | ||
| 108 | 78 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 510 | 30 | COMP 511 | 30 |
| OTEC 218 | 36 | OTEC 225 | 36 |
| OTEC 301 | 27 | ||
| 66 | 93 | ||
| Total Hours 345 | |||
Option 2
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 685 | 36 | BMGR 415 | 18 |
| OTEC 100 | 24 | OTEC 215 | 96 |
| OTEC 105 | 12 | ||
| OTEC 110 | 24 | ||
| 96 | 114 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 510 | 30 | COMP 511 | 30 |
| OTEC 218 | 36 | OTEC 225 | 36 |
| 66 | 66 | ||
| Total Hours 342 | |||
Option 2 with Elective
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 685 | 36 | BMGR 415 | 18 |
| OTEC 100 | 24 | OTEC 215 | 96 |
| OTEC 105 | 12 | ||
| OTEC 110 | 24 | ||
| 96 | 114 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| COMP 510 | 30 | COMP 511 | 30 |
| OTEC 218 | 36 | OTEC 225 | 36 |
| OTEC 301 | 27 | ||
| 66 | 93 | ||
| Total Hours 369 | |||
List of Courses
BMGR 415 18 Hours Written Communication-Business
Provides extensive hands-on experience with all types of written business communications including letters, resumes, cover letters, memos, and reports. (Apportionment)
COMP 510 30 Hours Computer Keyboarding, Mastery I
Prerequisite(s): The student must be able to key 35 net words per minute (nwpm) timed writing or have completed COMP 685 Computer Keyboarding - Beginning with a pass grade.
The first of two keyboarding courses designed to increase keying speed and accuracy to employment levels of 50+ nwpm. (Apportionment)
COMP 511 30 Hours Computer Keyboarding Mastery II
Prerequisite(s): The student must have completed COMP 510 Computer Keyboarding - Mastery I with a pass grade.
The second of two keyboarding courses designed to increase and maintain keying speed and accuracy to employment levels of 50+ net words per minute (nwpm). (Apportionment)
COMP 685 36 Hours Computer Keyboarding - Beginning
Stop hunting and pecking at the keyboard with this short course. Learn the keyboard layout to build speed and accuracy. Course covers proper technique at the computer keyboard as well as 10-key keyboarding. Textbook Required. (Apportionment)
OTEC 100 24 Hours Office Essentials
A course that prepares students for an entry-level position in an office. Includes units on the office environment, becoming a professional, work ethics, and several elements of customer service. Textbook Required. (Apportionment)
OTEC 105 12 Hours Microsoft Outlook Fundamentals
This course introduces students to Microsoft Outlook. Students will learn how to organize and manage emails, schedule appointments, create and manage task and contact records, and customize Outlook. (Apportionment)
OTEC 110 24 Hours Business Math for Office Technology
Provides coverage of personal and business-related mathematics as well as reviewing the basic operations of arithmetic. (Apportionment)
OTEC 215 96 Hours Computer Concepts and Applications IBEST
This course introduces fundamental workforce skills in computers and information processing, hardware, system software; networks, security, and privacy; troubleshooting and maintenance; application software; the Internet, digital ethics and awareness, cloud computing, Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel. It also prepares students for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and IC3 Digital Literacy certifications. (Apportionment)
OTEC 216 Windows and Word for Business
Recommended Preparation: Basic keyboarding skills This course introduces students to fundamental workforce skills necessary to succeed in an office environment: Windows operating system and Microsoft Word. This is the first of three courses (OTEC 216, 217, 218) and prepares students for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification. (Apportionment)
OTEC 217 Excel for Business
Advisory: Completion of OTEC 216 Windows and Word for Business.
This is the second course in a series of three courses (OTEC 216, 217, 218) that serves as a foundation for working in the office environment and focuses on the entry level skills students need to succeed in the workforce. Part II introduces students to fundamental workforce skills in Microsoft Excel. The course series will also help prepare students for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and IC3 Digital Literacy certifications. (Apportionment)
OTEC 218 36 Hours Databases and Presentations for Business
Prerequisite(s): OTEC 211 Computer Concepts and Applications II or OTEC 215 Computer Concepts and Applications IBEST or OTEC 216 Windows and Word for Business and OTEC 217 Excel for Business.
This is the third course in a series of three courses (OTEC 216, OTEC 217, and OTEC 218) that serves as a foundation for working in the office environment and focuses on the entry level skills students need to succeed in the workforce. Part III introduces students to fundamental workforce skills in using a database and presentations. The course series also helps prepare students for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and IC3 Digital Literacy certifications. (Apportionment)
OTEC 225 36 Hours MS Office Integrated Projects
Prerequisite(s): OTEC 211 Computer Concepts and Applications II, and OTEC 212 Computer Concepts and Applications III or OTEC 215 Computer Concepts and Applications IBEST or OTEC 216 Windows and Word for Business, OTEC 217 Excel for Business and OTEC 218 Databases and Presentations for Business.
This course is designed to apply knowledge and skills gained from Computer Concepts and Applications II and III to the business environment by giving students the opportunity to work in real world simulations. This is the capstone course for those students completing the Administrative Professional certificate program. (Apportionment)
OTEC 301 Digital Literacy Preparation
One of four courses that prepares learners for the IC3 Digital Literacy Certification exam. This course not only validates a learners' ability to do more than simply consume technology, it enables them to comprehend the possibilities and form the foundational set of skills necessary to support our modern digital economy. This course covers Level 1 certification: foundational understanding of computer hardware, software, operating systems, peripherals, and troubleshooting. (Apportionment)