Each school offers a unique set of courses in its associate degree in office systems technology. Within this diversity, however, is a set of courses that many, if not all, of the accredited office systems technology programs in the United States offer in one form or another. Some of these courses include beginner and advanced keyboarding, word processing, desktop navigation, office management, introduction to business, business accounting, record and information management, database access and business communications.
Students often complete associate degrees in two years or less. Both the associate of arts degree in office systems technologies at Bowling Green Community College and the Kishwaukee College take two years to complete. However, students working toward applying credits to a four-year bachelor's degree may choose to spend less time on their associate degree once they are accepted to a four-year college or university. Likewise, students may choose to accelerate their degree by taking more than a full course load in a semester with the permission of the school.
Most schools charge per credit hour for part-time students or a flat tuition rate for full-time students. An associate degree is often cheaper than a bachelor's or master's degree, because less time is spent in class overall. At Bowling Green Community College, students can expect to pay anywhere between $300 and $700 per credit hour, depending on their residency status and other factors. Kishwaukee College charges students between $80 to $336 per credit hour.
Schools offer associate degrees in a variety of formats. Many colleges now have online departments through which they offer courses or even entire programs. These online formats allow students to study from their home computers using an Internet connection to access course material and submit assignments and tests. In-class formats also come in a variety of styles, including traditional daytime classes, evening classes, weekend classes and self-paced study.
Upon graduation from an associate degree in office systems technology program, students have many career choices. It is possible to get a position as an office manager or an assistant to the office manager. Students can also work as a data entry specialist, an office technologist, an administrative assistant, a receptionist, orientation expert, telephone operator, file clerk and more.