Find out what skills you'll learn in an associate's degree program in office management. Discover online program options and popular careers in the field.
What Is an Associate's Degree Program in Office Management?
The field of office management, also called office administration, is concerned with the management of day-to-day operations and procedures in a business office. Associate's degrees in this field can be found online or on traditional college campuses. This is a 2-year course of study that sometimes includes internships and prepares you for entry-level positions in office environments. Some programs may allow you to specialize in a specific type of office administration, such as medical or legal office administration.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Program Length</b></td><td> Two years</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td> Business correspondence, writing, business law, bookkeeping, publishing</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Online Availability</b></td><td> Online programs are available</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Possible Careers</b></td><td> Administrative assistant, executive secretary, clerical supervisor, facilities manager.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td>$40,990 <i>(Secretaries and Administrative Assistants)</i></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-2029)</b></td><td>9% decline <i>(Secretaries and Administrative Assistants)</i></td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatSInTheCurriculum">What's in the Curriculum?</h3><p>Coursework in office management associate's degree programs combines general education courses with training in communication, math and basic business practices. You could learn about writing, keyboarding, business law and bookkeeping. You might also learn about relevant administrative software. If you focus your studies on medical office administration, you will take additional classes in medical billing and coding. Training in this program may include the following subjects:
</p><ul><li>Business correspondence
</li><li>Desktop publishing
</li><li>Document processing
</li><li>Organizational leadership
</li><li>Financial accounting
</li><li>Team dynamics
</li></ul><h3 id="section---CanIEarnTheDegreeOnline">Can I Earn the Degree Online?</h3><p>Many schools offer you the option of earning an office management degree in person or through online classes. Online programs may require you to log onto virtual classroom software to take part in lectures, participate in online discussion forums, turn in homework or take tests. In general, you take the same courses you would take on campus and complete the program in the same amount of time.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatJobsCouldIGet">What Jobs Could I Get?</h3><p>One popular entry-level job is administrative assistant. In this position, you might be responsible for managing communication, organizing information, communicating with managers and other staff, scheduling meetings or fielding telephone calls. If you graduated from a specialized program in medical or law office training, you may obtain work as a law clerk or medical coder. Other potential jobs available to you may include executive secretary, clerical supervisor or facilities manager.</p>
