Office Administrative Assistant

Business & Technology
Degree awarded: Associate in Applied Science

Program Narrative
Northampton's Office Administration degree programs are designed to prepare you for a wide variety of opportunities in a modern office setting. The three degrees offered by the Office Administration department are: Office Administrative Assistant, Medical Administrative Assistant, and Legal Administrative Assistant. Each program provides course offerings and experiences to prepare the graduate to work as a team player in a specialized office environment.

Your studies will include state-of-the-art office equipment and software. You will learn the marketable skills required to work well with other people in an office environment, and these skills will be applied through a valuable internship experience related to your field of study. We emphasize development of professional attitudes, values, and ethics. As you grow through the program, you will gain critical thinking, priority setting, and decision-making skills needed in today's business environment.

Program Features
Our program prepares you to accept the responsibilities and challenges expected of a skilled administrative assistant in businesses of all sizes, from small offices to large corporations. You'll gain proficiency in technology, communication, human relations, time management and organizational skills. You'll also improve your decision-making and creative thinking. Technology training emphasizes word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics, and communications software applications. In short, you'll grow into an accurate, resourceful, and productive professional comfortable communicating with other professionals in an office environment.

Placement of graduates from this program has been consistently excellent. Employer surveys indicate a very high degree of satisfaction with graduates of this program. Our program faculty are affiliated with the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).

This program can be completed in the day or evening, on a full- or part-time basis.

Program Outcomes
Graduates of the program will:

• Master operation of state-of-the-art industry equipment and software and appropriately utilize these to accomplish work-related tasks accurately and productively in an office environment.
• Utilize and apply specific field-related knowledge, skills, and experiences to function effectively as a team member in today's challenging work environment.
• Exhibit oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills and poise necessary to work effectively with people in business.
• Utilize analytical skills and administrative techniques necessary to organize, prioritize, and manage the information flow in an office setting.
• Exemplify professionally acceptable attitudes, values, and ethics needed in business.
• Procure an appropriate position in business with a commitment to life long learning to achieve professional growth.

• For the General Education Electives, students must select one course from the list of approved courses in Mathematics (QL) or Science (SCI). In addition, students must select three courses from at least two of the following categories: Arts & Humanities (AH); Social Science: Societies and Institutions over Time (SIT); Social Science: Scientific Study of Human Behavior (SSHB).
• One course should be designated as Diversity (D).
• Completion of OFAD/BUSA 221G satisfies the Writing Intensive (WI) requirement.
• Computer competencies are included in various courses in this program. Thus, completing the program automatically satisfies the computing requirement for the program.

Career Potential: Office/Staff Manager