Office Support

Overview

Office support programs include topics such as:

• Keyboarding skills
• General business correspondence
• Office equipment operation

Concentrations

In office support programs, students may be able to specialize in:

• Banking and financial support
• Receptionist
• Business technology

Schools

Many career and technical schools as well as most community colleges and two-year schools offer certificate and associate degree programs in office support. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program usually takes two years of full-time study.

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in office support. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

• Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science
• Data Entry and Processing
• Legal Secretarial Studies
• Medical Billing and Coding
• Medical Office Support
• Medical Reception
• Medical Secretarial Studies
• Medical Transcription

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

• Copy Machine Operators
• Data Entry Keyers
• File Clerks
• General Office Clerks
• Mail Clerks
• Order Clerks
• Receptionists
• Telephone Operators
• Typists and Word Processors

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

• Bank Tellers
• Billing Clerks
• Counter and Rental Clerks
• Court Clerks
• Credit Checkers and Authorizers
• Customer Service Representatives
• Hotel Desk Clerks
• Human Resources Assistants
• Human Resources Specialists
• Insurance Policy and Claims Clerks
• Interviewing Clerks
• Library Technical Assistants
• License Clerks
• Loan Clerks
• New Accounts Clerks
• Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
• Secretaries
• Shipping and Receiving Clerks
• Stock Clerks

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program of study by getting your high school diploma or GED.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

• Business and Applied English
• Business Math
• Keyboarding
• Office Aide
• Office Machines
• Office Procedures
• Word Processing

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

A training program in office support should include topics such as the following:

• Internet Fundamentals
• Introduction to Computers and Windows
• Keyboarding and Formatting
• Office Communications
• Professional Development
• Spreadsheet Operations
• Ten-Key Data Entry by Touch
• Win-Win Office Techniques

Things to Know

Office technology changes constantly. Expect to take classes throughout your career to keep your skills up-to-date.

Schools

East Side Area

Big Bend Community College

• Business Information Management--Customer Service Associate
• Business Information Management--Office Assistant
• Business Information Management--Office Clerk

Walla Walla Community College

• Office Assistant

Walla Walla Community College (Clarkston)

• Office Assistant (1 year certificate)

King-Snohomish Area

Bellevue College

• Advanced Business Technology Specialist
• Business Technology Specialist
• Human Resources Assistant
• Office Assistant

Edmonds Community College

• Business Information Technology--Advanced Office Skills
• Business Information Technology--Basic Business Skills
• Business Information Technology--Office Applications
• Computer Information Systems--Application Specialist

Everett Community College

• Business Technology--Administrative Support
• Business Technology--Office Assistant
• Business Technology--Sustainable Office Skills (I-BEST)

Green River College

• Business Management--Contact Center Specialist
• File Clerk
• Office Support 1
• Office Support 2

Highline College

• Business Technology Management
• Introduction to BTECH in Spanish
• Introduction to Business Technology
• Introduction to Customer Service
• Introduction to Office Assistant

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

• Business Technology (I-BEST)

Orion Industries

• Contact Center Training
• Office Skills & Customer Service

Renton Technical College

• Office Assistant/Receptionist

Seattle Central College

• Business Technology Management

Shoreline Community College

• Business Technology--Microsoft Software Applications

Kitsap Area

Olympic College

• Business Technology--Customer Service Specialist
• Business Technology--File and Data Entry Clerk
• Business Technology--General Office Support

Olympic College (Poulsbo Campus)

• Office Technology

Spokane Area

Spokane Community College

• Administrative Clerical Assistant
• Business Occupations
• Customer Service Representative
• Front Office Professional
• Legal Clerical Assistant
• Legal Receptionist

Spokane Falls Community College

• Office Assistant

Tacoma Area

Bates Technical College

• Basic Office Support
• Office Fundamentals

Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region

• Computer Skills & Office Support

Pierce College Fort Steilacoom

• Accounting Office Assistant
• Bookkeeping Office Assistant
• General Office Assistant
• Integrated Business Technology (I-BEST)

Pierce College Puyallup

• General Office Assistant
• Integrated Business Technology (I-BEST)

Tacoma Community College

• Accounting Office Associate
• Business--Customer Service

Vancouver Area

Charter College--Vancouver

• Business Office Administration

Clark College

• Front Office Assistant
• Office Assistant

West Side Area

Bellingham Technical College

• Office Assistant
• Receptionist

Centralia College

• Business Office Technology--Office Assistant

Grays Harbor College

• Formatting/Publishing Business Documents

Lower Columbia College

• Business Technology--Administrative Support
• Business Technology--Basic Office Skills

Peninsula College

• Administrative Office Systems
• Administrative Office Systems--Office Assistant I & II
• Administrative Office Systems--Receptionist
• Computer Applications Technology--Excel Proficiency

Skagit Valley College

• General Office Support
• Office and Administrative Support

South Puget Sound Community College

• Business Operations Coordinator
• Office Technology--Clerk/Receptionist (Customer Service Specialist)
• Office Technology--Office Assistant

Whatcom Community College

• Office Administration--Clerical Assistant

Yakima Area

GMC Training Institute

• Computer Training

Yakima Valley College

• Business Technology--General Office Assistant
• Business Technology--Legal Receptionist
• Information Technology--Microsoft Access
• Information Technology--Microsoft Excel
• Information Technology--Microsoft Office Suite