OFFICE PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIST

The Office Professional Specialist program prepares students for work in office environments where knowledge of office procedures, software/hardware, administrative, and interpersonal skills are required to perform duties.  

Graduates of this program exhibit strong communication, interpersonal skills; they are flexible and professional.  In addition they possess excellent keyboarding, document formatting skills, and advanced software application skills.  Graduates completing this program may be expected to supervise clerical staff.

Degree conferred: Associate in Applied Science – 65 credits

Program Contact:  Division of Business/Computers & Information Systems, (815) 921-3101

Program overview

The Office Professional program allows the student to focus on one of four areas of office administration:  General office, medical office, legal office, or office software application professionals.  Under the guidance of the Associate Dean of Business/CIS, students will be able to tailor a program that meets their unique needs.

General Office Professional
The efficiency of any organization depends in part upon office professionals  who are at the center of communications within the business. They process and transmit information to the staff and other organization. Graduates of this program will learn a wide range of skills using the latest computer technology.

Medical Office Professional
Graduates of this program are prepared for jobs in an insurance or healthcare office. Job responsibilities vary, and may include appointment scheduling, medical and general document preparation, meeting and event planning, handling receivables, and transcription.

Legal Office Professional
Graduates of this program typically perform administrative work in law firms. Areas in which they could become involved include bankruptcy, business and corporate litigation, criminal, divorce, and family law, wills, trusts, and estates, government law, trademarks and copyright law, personal injury and property damage, probate, real estate, and workers’ compensation.

Software Application Support Professional
Graduates of this program are adept in computer software and the application of PC’s to support business and office systems.  Graduates of the program find work in office support and computer user support positions in a variety of office settings.

Work and employment

Graduates from the program find jobs as administrative assistants, administrative secretaries, office assistants, in a variety of office settings.


OFFICE PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIST

Business/CIS Division Requirements        ( 38  credits)
*ATG    110       Financial Accounting        (4)
 BUS     101       Introduction to Business        (3)
*BUS    103       Business Mathematics        (3)
*MGT    270       Principles of Management        (3)
 MKT     288      Customer Relations            (3)
 OFF    115       File Management            (2)
 OFF    118       Computer Keyboarding        (1)
*OFF    121       Advanced Document Preparation and Design     (3)
*OFF    122       Office Technology Practicum        (3)
 OFF     226       Professional Development        (3)
*OFF    231      Office Procedures            (3)
 PCI    106       Microcomputer Applications/ Windows       (4)
*PCI    206       Advanced Microcomputer Applications/Windows       (3)
              

General Education Requirements         ( 18 credits)
*ENG    101       Composition I            (3)
*ENG    105       Business Communications        (3)
*SPH    131       Fundamentals of Communication    (3)
   CIS     102      Introduction to Computers and Information Systems    (3)
               

General Education Electives        (6 credits)
Choose courses with HUM or SOC prefix to address the general education & program learning outcome of diversity.

Choose appropriate option:
Option A:    General Office Professional  (9 credits)
Electives:    Choose courses with BUS, ATG, MGT, MKT, OFF, PCI  prefixes.

Option B:    Legal Office Professional      (9 credits)
BUS     200     Legal Environment in Business     (3)
Electives:                        (6)
Choose courses with BUS, ATG, MGT, MKT, OFF, PCI prefixes.

Option C:     Medical Office Professional   (9 credits)
HLT    110    Medical Terminology        (2)
OFF     144    Insurance Procedures/Medical Office    (1)
OFF     245    Introduction to Health Information Technology    (3)
BIO    171    Biology of Human Disease         (3)



Option D:     Office Software Application Professional (9 credits)
                     
PCI     180    Introduction to Computer User Technical Support    (3)
PCI     200    Microcomputer Information Systems Practicum    (3)
PCI    226    Post Advanced Microcomputer Applications/Windows Based    (3)