New technologies continue to change the landscape for office administration personnel. Colleagues and clients from Oregon to Georgia can communicate quickly and efficiently like never before. In this changing environment, good office administrators who can adapt to rapidly improving technology while handling business document preparation, office procedures and etiquette, and interpersonal communications are more important than ever. Earning a degree in office administration might be just what you need to distinguish yourself in the pack of potential job candidates.
Are you considering earning a degree in office administration? Our list of the top 10 online colleges for office administration may just help you find a school that meets your educational goals. We considered a wide range of data to compile our list, including how many degrees were awarded in this subject out of all the degrees awarded at a school; admissions rate; and graduation rate.
We present our list of the top 10 online colleges for office administration. Visit our methodologies page to learn more about how we use official data to evaluate schools.
Lenoir Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System. The school offers 25 online associate degrees. Graduates of their program have the potential to find work in entry-level to mid-management roles in a wide range of businesses and industries. The college reports that student in the program can develop proficiency in:
Students must complete 73 semester credits to complete the associate degree requirements, including 57 credit hours in the program major and 15 credit hours in general education courses. Lenoir rated third in graduation rate of the schools on this list, and rose to the first-place spot for percent of degrees awarded in office administration.
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231 Highway 58Eighteen percent of the students at WCC in 2015 were enrolled solely as distance learners, and 32 percent of students were enrolled in some online classes. The college's associate of science degree in office administration requires between 65 and 66 total credit hours to complete and all students enrolled in the degree path follow a pre-planned curriculum. Students are required to take two to three semesters hours in a major elective, such as work-based learning or keyboarding.
Wayne Community College has an open admissions policy. In fall 2015, the school had a student population of 3,363, making it a perfect location for students who prefer a smaller-sized learning environment.
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3000 Wayne Memorial Dr.Pitt Community College awarded 1,736 associate degrees, diplomas and certificates to graduates of its 12,108-student population in the 2014-15 academic year. This online-friendly college offers 27 online distance education programs, including an associate degree in office administration. Students study a broad range of topics suited to working in an office environment, including:
Students must complete a total of 73 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements. Pitt Community College also offers A.A.S. degrees in office administration with emphasis in dental office and legal office. Pitt Community College ranked third in prominence out of all the schools we considered, helping it earn its No. 3 placement on this list.
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1986 Pitt Tech Rd.Founded in 1958, Guilford Technical Community College offers an associate in applied science degree in office administration, which helps prepare students for administrative support roles by developing the skills necessary to work in a variety of positions. Coursework also helps prepare students to sit for the Microsoft Office User Specialist Exam. Upon completion of degree requirements, students should be able to:
The A.A.S. degree in office administration at Guilford Technical Community College requires 65 total credit hours to complete, including 15 credit hours of student electives.
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601 High Point Rd.Wake Technical Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, serving more than 71,000 students each year. The college awarded 2,170 associate degrees for the 2014-15 academic year. The college's online associate of applied science degree in office administration requires 67 credit hours to complete. Core coursework includes study in medical law/ethics, medical records, coding and billing, office procedures and transcription. However, students can pursue study in legal transcription, legal terminology and legal office procedures if they wish to seek employment in the legal sector, giving this college a special appeal to those looking into administrative careers in a law firm.
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9101 Fayetteville Rd.Daytona State College has seven instructional sites and offers 14 fully online associate and bachelor's degree programs, including an A.S. in office administration. The program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to become successful and valued members of a business organization or help them on their career paths as entrepreneurs. Daytona State College ranked sixth for graduation rate for all the schools we considered.
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1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.Surry Community College serves North Carolina students from its flagship campus at Dobson and from four educational centers in the heart of the state. SCC offers eight online degree options. Its associate degree in office administration aims to prepare students to work in a wide range of office administrative support positions, from government to industry to business organizations. Coursework focuses on the technical and non-technical skills crucial to working in an office environment, from managing records to working with accounting and financial transactions to creating internal communications and reports. The associate degree in office administration requires 66 credit hours to complete.
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630 S. Main St.Northwest Technical College offers 19 A.A. degrees, and students enrolled at NTC can take classes through Distance Minnesota, the state's consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to providing online instruction. Students who enroll in the associate of applied science administrative assistant degree should find themselves gaining working knowledge of computers, principles of bookkeeping, administrative office support and principles of business communication. They must have at least a 2.0 grade point average and complete a third of coursework through Distance Minnesota to satisfy degree requirements. The program requires 60 credits total to complete.
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905 Grant Ave. SEEastern Florida State College has campus locations in Cocoa, Titusville, Palm Bay and Melbourne. The college's A.S. in office administration requires 60 total credit hours to complete. The first year of study provides students with the skills they need to successfully work in an office environment, while the second year hones those skills with further education and business and general education. The program also allows students to complete the following certificates that may be important to prospective employers:
EFSC had the highest graduation rate in 2014 of all ten schools on this list.
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1519 Clearlake Rd.Broward College serves Florida students from campus locations in Davie and Coconut Creek and from various educational centers, as well as through Broward College Online. The online college offers an associate in science degree in office administration with concentrations in either office software or medical office. Both concentrations require 60 total credit hours to complete. They also provide students with a solid educational foundation in office management principles, keyboarding, business ethics & communications and software applications. Students who complete the degree requirements also are eligible to sit for the Microsoft Office Specialist certification.
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111 E. Las Olas Blvd.An office administration degree can open up a world of opportunity for graduates to assist a wide array of companies, from large corporations to small start-up businesses. Virtually every company needs someone to run their office or assist with administrative tasks, so graduates with this degree certainly keep their options open for finding a workplace that suits their interests best. There can be a lot of variety between office administration programs at different schools, but some of the courses and what they can teach you will be fairly similar from program to program.
An associate or bachelor's degree program in office administration is meant to cover integral coursework in the fields of technology, business, the humanities and more. These programs are typically structured to combine written and spoken communication skills with technical know-how in order to best prepare students for careers as executive assistants, office managers, and the like. The most common courses required during this degree include:
For programs with a concentration that focuses specifically on medical office administration, students should also expect to encounter courses such as medical terminology, medical billing and coding, and other healthcare practices.
Typically, office administration programs comprise two years of work leading to an associate degree, or sometimes even less time, simply leading to a certificate. A few bachelor's degree programs are offered in office administration, but graduate-level degrees are quite rare.
Throughout their coursework, students should find themselves honing a wide range of skills to assist them in an office-centric workplace. Great communication skills for both internal and external correspondence are key, since office administrators often dabble in customer service as well as human resources issues within their company. Graduates should also be familiar with budgeting, records management, office systems, data entry, desktop publishing and, of course, specific computer software such as the suite of Microsoft Office programs.
While the aforementioned skills are generally listed and provided through direct instruction during a course, there are other, more passive skills that students should be working to improve during their school careers. Understanding how to manage time efficiently, provide leadership to others, pay attention to fine details, and make fast-paced decisions is all critical to excelling in this field, as much as understanding how to use Microsoft Office. However, since these skills are not directly taught by courses, they can be easy to forget in the light of assignments and coursework. Don't let this happen: pay attention to time management and detail orientation while you write your papers and take your tests, and hone your leadership and decision-making skills through groupwork and communication with your fellow students!
The front office of an organization is the domain of the office manager, who may also oversee other key areas, like the mailroom or the lobby. Office managers need some know-how about the computers, phones and even networked systems of a department, and definitely a clear and deep understanding of the office copy machine and mail processes.
Office manager careers could include interesting or even intriguing aspects, like designing the layout of a department, ordering ergonomic office equipment or being the point person for department-wide projects. Communication, organization and initiative are essential skills as are good time management and leadership abilities.
A bachelor's degree is commonly required for the job, as is at least two years of professional office experience.
Ever wanted to be the person to take and type up notes from a meeting? How about the one to share important and timely news with the chief executive officer? Executive assistant careers can be exciting, and vary broadly in setting, meaning there is room for movement. Careers could land people in a field like business, finance, health care, technology or even turnkey real estate.
With the world becoming more automated, information skills are a must, and executive assistants need to be up-to-date in programs like Outlook, Excel, Word, or their similar counterparts. They may even want to have the latest apps on their phones to be able to communicate succinctly with their bosses or team members. Executive assistants usually build their skills on-the-job, but prior experience and a post-secondary degree could lead to improved opportunities.
Customer service representatives, desktop publishers, information clerks, even police dispatchers — all of these occupations are considered administrative support worker careers and the range of their titles shows how extremely diverse the field is. No job is one and the same, but what they all have in common in this field is the need for strong communication skills, patience and the ability to problem solve.
Office and administrative support workers careers are typically 9-to-5, but in the case of some occupations, like emergency dispatchers, swing or graveyard shifts may be available. A high school diploma is usually a requirement for a position, but often employees fine-tune their skills on the job. Those with a degree may find that they have a head start when competing for positions.
Scheduling meetings, transferring important calls, keeping an eye on what's important for the boss — or the bosses — are the everyday responsibilities of a secretary. Secretary careers can be both interesting and challenging. Of utmost important is the ability to communicate well with others, including those in upper-level management as well as departmental employees.
Secretarial tasks could entail typing up memos, sending out emails for the boss and distributing important notices. While secretarial careers do not typically require a college education, individuals who have completed some college coursework or earned an associate or bachelor's degree may be able to attract some of the better opportunities.