Office Administration Program Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

OFAD 133 – Business Communications
Business Communications I covers language skills necessary for written business communications. Topics include spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and number usage.

OFAD 135 – Administrative Procedures
Administrative Procedures I incorporates practical and professional approaches to learning office skills. Students solve on-the-job situations to encourage critical thinking. Ethics cases presented to students promote thoughtful discussions. Students also research new ideas and learn to work independently.

OFAD 150 – Employability Skills
Employability Skills teaches the skills defined in the Office Administration and Applied Business Technology Provincial Curricula. These skills are considered to be essential requirements for today’s workforce. Employees need to be adaptable and capable of meeting the challenges of change in today’s economy, advances in technology, and changes in the way work is organized. This course covers communication, goal setting, ethics, problem analysis, decision making, job application, and other employability skills.

OFAD 155 – Keyboarding 1
This course is designed to develop students’ keyboarding skills. Accuracy and keyboarding speed are emphasized. In each lesson, you are shown correct touch typing techniques and review the alpha-numeric keyboard. This course also introduces timings of various durations.

This course is designed for students with limited keyboarding experience in basic business keyboarding requirements.

OFAD 157 – Business Calculators
Business Calculators covers the basic skill of using the 10-key touch keypad for numeric calculations. Students apply the use of memory functions to cross check totals and use the multiplication function to calculate percents, discounts, and taxable amounts. Frequent skill assessments promote accuracy and speed in the use of the desktop calculators.

OFAD 158 – Windows, Outlook & File Management
Students learn terminology and use of Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Outlook 2010 and Internet Explorer. Managing electronic files, scheduling, and privacy are also covered.

OFAD 160 – Word Processing 1
Word Processing 1 introduces students to word processing in a Windows environment. Students learn main software features of MS Word and improve their keying speed and accuracy. Document formatting is presented during the course and students produce basic business documents using business formatting skills. Business standards in all documents are promoted throughout the course. The speed objective is 35 gross words a minute (gwam) in a five-minute timing with five or fewer errors.

OFAD 165 – Word Processing 2
Word Processing 2 is a progression beyond Word Processing 1. Students continue to learn main software features of MS Word and improve their keying speed and accuracy. Students produce basic business documents using business formatting skills. Business standards in all documents are promoted throughout the course. The speed objective is 45 gwam in a five-minute timing with five or fewer errors.

OFAD 170 – Bookkeeping I
Bookkeeping I covers basic bookkeeping skills learning the 9 steps of the manual accounting cycle including recognizing source documents, recording journal entries, posting to the general ledger, preparing a trial balance and worksheet, preparing financial statements to a professional level, recording adjusting and closing entries, and preparing a post-closing trial balance. The basics of special journals are covered as well as banking procedures and control of cash.

OFAD 172 – Bookkeeping 2
Bookkeeping 2 is an introduction to processing a company’s payroll. It covers calculating employees’ earnings and deductions, calculating employer payroll expenses, journalizing and posting the payroll, and disbursing payroll liabilities.

OFAD 178 – Simply Accounting
Simply Accounting provides training opportunities using Simply Accounting for Windows. The course includes study of the General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Inventory, and Project Costing modules. Company setup and account linking are included.

OFAD 181 – MS Excel 1
Introduction to Spreadsheets: MS Excel 1 is designed to introduce students to the concepts of spreadsheets, formulas, graphs, and database features within spreadsheets.

MS Access 1 - OFAD 182
The Microsoft Access OFAD 182 course covers introductory database functions to create and process data in a Windows environment.

The student creates and modifies useful databases using tables and forms. The student creates and modifies professional quality reports and queries for the databases.

OFAD 183 – MS PowerPoint 1
This course introduces the use of MS PowerPoint software to create presentation media to accompany verbal presentations. The student applies features of slide transition, animation, various views, and design templates.

OFAD 190 – Legal Office Procedures
This course introduces you to the legal profession, including the functions and duties of the legal administrative assistant in British Columbia.

OFAD 191 – Introduction to the Canadian Legal System
The purpose of this course is to provide you with a general understanding and a working knowledge of the Canadian legal system.

OFAD 192 – Corporate Procedures 1
This course introduces you to the role and responsibilities of a legal administrative assistant working in the field of corporate law. Through an extensive overview of the various forms of business organizations, this course covers incorporation procedures, post-corporate procedures, and annual maintenance.

OFAD 193 – Litigation Procedures 1
Litigation Procedures 1 introduces you to the functions and duties of a legal administrative assistant working in civil litigation in BC. Subjects covered include terminology and rules relating to preparing and handling legal correspondence and documents in civil litigation actions and matters in the Supreme Court of BC. Litigation Procedures 1 also introduce you to the legal concepts necessary to a basic understanding of the functioning of the courts and the professional environment that you will be entering.

OFAD 194 – Family Litigation Procedures
Family Litigation Procedures introduces you to the functions and duties of a legal administrative assistant working in a family law practice in BC. Subjects covered include legal terminology, the applicable provincial and federal statutes, the court system, and the theory and practical application of preparation of legal correspondence, undefended and defended divorces, and separation and marriage agreements.

OFAD 195 – Wills and Estates
This course introduces you to the role and responsibilities of a legal administrative assistant employed in the field of wills and estates in British Columbia. You gain knowledge and practical experience in preparation of wills and codicils and the documents necessary to apply grants of letters of probate and letters of administration (with and without a will), administration bonds, transferring the deceased’s assets, and winding up estates.

You prepare documents acceptable to the Probate Registry for filing, followed by transmission and distribution of estates. This is a hands-on course in which you integrate keyboard, computer, document formatting, and transcription skills, with knowledge of estate law.

OFAD 196 – Conveyancing Procedures 1
This course introduces you to the role and responsibilities of a legal administrative assistant employed in the field of conveyancing in British Columbia. Subjects covered include knowledge and practical experience in topics such as systems of land registration, land title searches, contracts of purchase and sale, methods to convey interests in land, statements of adjustments, and the execution and registration of electronic documents filed in the Land Title Office.

This course focuses on the purchaser’s procedures for a simple conveyance not involving financing. After taking Conveyancing Procedures 1, you should progress on to Conveyancing Procedures 2 which covers procedures for financed purchaser conveyances, vendor sales, and mortgage loans. Conveyancing Procedures 2 also covers acting for a purchaser and a mortgagee at the same time, as well as documents involved in the sale and purchase of manufactured homes.

OFAD 220 – Desktop Publishing: MS Word
This course is intended to introduce desktop publishing features of word processing software. Students produce newsletters, flyers, brochures, business cards, letterhead, certificates, manuals, reports, etc.

OFAD 233 – Business Communications 2
Business Communications 2 applies language and writing skills acquired in Business Communications 1 to the planning, organizing, compositing, and revising of a variety of business messages. Topics include applying writing strategies to compose letters, formal and informal reports, memos, and other brief messages with an emphasis on clear, concise communications. Interpersonal skills for successful customer relations and job search strategies are also included.

OFAD 235 – Administrative Procedures 2
Administrative Procedures 2 introduces a variety of administrative functions including transcription and reprographics, travel arrangements, written communications, meetings and conferences, and Internet research.

OFAD 260 – Word Processing 3
Word Processing 3 advances a student’s ability to access and manage knowledge and to communicate effectively in a business environment.

Students are introduced to design features to enhance report formats with elements that add structure, provide a consistent image, and increase readability of business documents. Students improve productivity and creativity by applying advanced MS Word software features including mail merge. The speed objective is 55 gwam with 5 or fewer errors on a minimum of three 5-minute timings.

OFAD 275 – Bookkeeping 3
Bookkeeping 3 is a continuation of both Bookkeeping I and Bookkeeping 2. It covers bookkeeping activities for a merchandising business: how to analyze and record purchases and sales, handle cash receipts and cash payments; maintain and reconcile subsidiary ledgers; record taxes in special journals; and write off bad debts.

OFAD 281 – MS Excel 2
Microsoft Excel OFAD 281 covers advanced applications in using financial functions, data tables, amortization schedules, and hyperlinks; creating, sorting and querying a worksheet database; and creating templates and working with multiple worksheets and workbooks. The student learns to analyze worksheet data, create cell names, protect cells and sheets, enable background formula checking, and set up pointers. The student also learns to create formulas with 3-D cell references and work with SmartArt and Images.

OFAD 285 – MS Excel 3
Microsoft Excel 3 covers advanced applications using additional financial functions, date functions, IS functions, text functions, PivotTables, Scenario Manager and Macros.

OFAD 292 – Corporate Procedures 2
This course is a continuation of the material covered in Corporate Procedures 1 which introduces the role and responsibilities of a legal administrative assistant working in the field of corporate law.

This course includes corporate structure and completion of filing forms as it relates to sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships, societies, cooperatives, non-reporting companies and extra-provincial non-reporting companies. The course also introduces securities and BC Online (an Internet access to government services and information about BC companies).

OFAD 293 – Litigation Procedures 2
Litigation Procedures 2 builds on skills and knowledge developed in Litigation Procedures 1. Subjects covered include terminology and rules relating to preparing and handling legal correspondence and documents in civil litigation actions and matters in the Supreme Court of BC. Litigation Procedures 2 continues the students’ introduction to the legal concepts necessary to a basic understanding of the functioning of the courts and the professional environment that they are entering.

This is primarily a hands-on course in which the students integrate keyboard, computer, transcription and document formatting with a knowledge of civil law. As the second of two Litigation Procedures courses, this course deals with documents and procedures from the discovery process to preparation and attendance at trial and post trial procedures including bills of costs and enforcement procedures. This course also deals with preparation for Chambers hearings. It does not deal with the initiation of lawsuits, drafting pleadings, or applying for default judgment, all of which are covered in Litigation Procedures I.

OFAD 296 – Conveyancing Procedures 2
Students have the opportunity to gain both knowledge and practical experience in this course. Topics include; methods to convey interests in land involving purchaser financing, strata property considerations, builders' liens, acting for the vendor, acting for mortgage lenders, additional adjustments for statements of adjustments, authorities to pay, the execution and registration of electronic documents filed in the Land Title Office, acting for both the purchaser and mortgagee, and documents for the transfer of manufactured homes.