Become an Office Administrator in 2 Years at Centennial College

Whether it’s the education, corporate, insurance, financial, government or small business sector, office administrators are a vital part of the team. Specifically, the field of Office Administration – Executive entails a wide range of responsibilities and positions. For example, jobs include administrative assistants, administrative support officers, senior secretaries and executive secretaries. Despite the different positions, there are some common tasks in Office Administration. For example, most employees in this field are responsible for ensuring that the office in which they work is running efficiently. This is carried out by the answering of phones in a pleasant manner and taking messages, preparing daily appointments for supervisors, greeting visitors, monitoring departmental supplies and replacing them, typing and filing reports, sending out e-mails, and keeping minutes at meetings. In order to be a successful office administrator, you must have the ability to juggle multiple tasks, be organized, communicate efficiently, and possess a post-secondary education.

At Centennial College, students can partake in the Office Administration – Executive program, which takes two years to complete. In order to apply, students must prove that they have completed an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or are 19 years of age or older. In addition, they must also have the English 12C or U credit or a skills assessment or equivalent. Please note that being able to meet minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission into this office administration program.

The focus of this Centennial College undertaking is to train students to become office administrators who work in upper-level management. Faculty members with experience in the business world ensure that students are learning the most current trends and skills to be successful in this field by covering both office and business skills. Emphasized are: document production, note-taking and related computer skills, client service, communication and time management. Courses within the program include Financial Procedures, Microcomputers, Computerized Bookkeeping and Integrated Software Applications, Introduction to Word Processing, and Executive Communications. In addition to the in-classroom learning, students also participate in an office administrator field placement during their last semester. Students work in a variety of settings alongside professionals who can help to instill more knowledge and skills in them. In addition, students also have the opportunity to apply all that they have learned in the program.

To graduate from the Office Administration program, students must achieve a minimum C grade average and an overall minimum GPA of 2.0 as well as a minimum keyboarding speed of 40 words per minute. Once students complete their studies, they have two options. First, they can continue with their education in an articulated program with selected universities, institutes, and professional associations. These partnerships allow graduates to apply academic credit towards further study. Secondly, they can enter the workforce.