Office Administration

Female student wearing a blue winter coat standing outside.

Office Administration is a fast and easy step into many exciting career opportunities. Choose from entry-level programs that ladder from one certificate to another as well as to other programs within Okanagan College and other institutions. Taking an Office Administration program will be your first step towards a new career with exciting options.

Explore our programs

  • Legend:
  • Full program offered
  • Partial program offered
  • Credential
  • International students
Bookkeeping/Accounting Technician
  • Kelowna, Distance
  • Certificate
Administrative Assistant Certificate
  • Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Salmon Arm, Distance
  • Certificate
Office Assistant Certificate
  • Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Salmon Arm, Distance
  • Certificate

Delivery Options

In-class delivery

  • uses class management software
  • runs on a Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. schedule
  • instructor-led by fully qualified, experienced post-secondary instructors
  • hi-flex delivery: students can attend class in person on campus (scheduled days), and online
  • MAC and Chromebooks are not compatible with some courses, contact oadm@okanagan.bc.ca for more detail

If you want a classroom experience, need a set schedule, and are available for full-time course study, this option is for you.

Once you have applied and been admitted into a program, we will register you into your courses and will send you your schedule and invoice via email or you can check your myOkanagan account (Self-service > Student > Registration > Week-at-a-Glance Schedule). 

Distance Education - Online delivery

  • flexible program that allows you to choose when you study and work on your course materials
  • student-led and self-directed
  • ability to contact your instructor for any course assistance or questions
  • MAC and Chromebooks are not compatible with some courses, contact oadm@okanagan.bc.ca for more detail

This option is for you if you want a flexible full-time or part-time study option, are working around a current job or busy lifestyle, and want to pay-as-you learn for your courses. Please contact oadm@okanagan.bc.ca to see if this is available for your program of interest.

Additional Information

Downloadable PDF program fact sheets for funded students (distance education delivery). These include the total cost of tuition, fees, and books for each program.

Bookkeeping/Accounting Technician Certificate (BAT)
Administrative Assistant Certificate (ADAC)
Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate (LAA CC & LAA Lit)
Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA)
Office Assistant Certificate (OAC)

How-to Guide for Registering for Online Courses by Program:

Administrative Assistant Certificate Program

Office Assistant Certificate Program

Bookkeeping/Accounting Technician Certificate Program

Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate Program

Medical Administrative Assistant Certificate Program


For the Bookkeeping/Accounting Technician Certificate (BAT), Administrative Assistant Certificate (ADAC), and Office Assistant Certificate (OAC), the academic year runs from September to August and is broken down into three semesters: Fall, Winter, and Summer:

  1. Winter Semester – Jan., Feb., and March
  2. Summer Semester – April, May, June, and July
  3. Fall Semester – Sept., Oct., and Nov.
  • Distance education is self-directed, and you can start your courses on the first Monday of the month almost every month except August and December as we have summer and winter break.
  • Each course will still have a specified number of hours/weeks to follow and a course specific schedule for assignment/quiz due dates. You can work ahead, but not behind the course-specific schedule.
  • An instructor is assigned to each course to assist with questions and grading, so you do have someone to reach out to if needed. 
  • There is a limit of 5 courses per semester you can register in. If you want to do more, you will need permission from the Department Chair at oadm@okanagan.bc.ca.
  • No course will be full or waitlisted, so you don’t have to worry about not getting in. You can use the planning document to map out your course schedule.
  • As soon as you register for a course or courses you will pay for those courses. Only register for courses you are going to take each month. 
  • Registration for monthly courses typically opens two weeks before the first Monday of the month when the courses start and remains open for one week afterward for late registration. You can check ClassFinder to see which courses are available each month.

**Please note: There are limited courses available for the Bookkeeping/Accounting Technician Certificate in the Summer semester (April-July). If you are starting this program in the summer term, please be sure to check ClassFinder when planning your courses, or contact an advisor for help: oadm@okanagan.bc.ca

The Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate and Medical Administrative Assistant Certificate both follow a set program schedule.  Each course has a start and end date that must be followed, but there is no designated “class time” that you must be online for.  You only register for the courses you will take at a time (following the schedule).

How to register in Distance courses:

You only register for the courses you want to take each month at a time, not the entire program at once. Admitted students can find helpful resources in the OADM program Hub in Moodle.

Go to MyOkanagan, log in, and register for courses

  1. Enter MyOkanagan with the login information you received after you were admitted.
  2. Go to the Self-service Tab and click on Registration.
  3. Click on Register for Classes
  4. You will see on the left-hand side the courses in your program. Please check for prerequisites before choosing a course to register in. Those with a green checkmark you have done.  Click on one of the others with the red circle and then the course options will show up on the right. Just click Add.

The following schedule planning tools are spreadsheets that show all the courses in each program in the recommended order you take them following the prerequisite requirements, the length of the course, the maximum amount of time you have to complete that course once you start it, and you can use them to plan your weekly hours and course progression through the program.  If you are a funded student (e.g. Work BC) it is strongly recommended that you work with an advisor to build a schedule that meets your needs.

Please note that Legal Administrative Assistant and Medical Administrative Assistant follow a set course schedule.

Bookkeeping/Accounting Technician Certificate (BAT)
Administrative Assistant Certificate (ADAC)
Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate (LAA CC & LAA Lit)
Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA)
Office Assistant Certificate (OAC)

Minimum passing grade per course is 70%

Experience

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