Business Office Technology
Please note: The Business Office Technology program is being discontinued after May 2020 and is no longer accepting new students. Effective fall 2020, courses in this area of study will be offered at the Community Learning Center in the Continuing Education Department.
The Business Office Technology (BOT) program offers career and technical education courses for students and working professionals who want to learn or update specific job skills or obtain specialized certificates in the office/administrative assistant skill area. Career fields include general administrative support, secretarial, clerical, office assistant, executive assistant, office management, and customer service.
Academic and Career Pathway: Business and Technology
Contact Information
Chair: Steve Isachsen Dean: Al Taccone |
Department: Computer Studies and Information Technology Office: Building OC4800, 760.795.6811 |
Associate Degrees
Please note: The Business Office Technology program is being discontinued after May 2020 and is no longer accepting new students. Effective fall 2020, courses in this area of study will be offered at the Community Learning Center in the Continuing Education Department.
Associate in Arts Degrees
Administrative Professional
Office Manager
Students may earn one of the above-named associate degrees by completing a certificate of achievement and the general education courses required for MiraCosta College's Associate in Arts degree (see Associate Degrees). Students should meet with a MiraCosta counselor to identify required courses and to develop a written educational plan for the specific degree or certificate they wish to earn.
Certificates
Please note: The Business Office Technology program is being discontinued after May 2020 and is no longer accepting new students. Effective fall 2020, courses in this area of study will be offered at the Community Learning Center in the Continuing Education Department.
Certificate of Achievement
Administrative Professional
This certificate program provides students with foundation skills in basic office procedures, quality document production, communication technology in software and equipment, Internet research, and basic computer skills, all of which are needed for entry-level administrative support positions. Administrative professionals train staff, conduct research, operate and troubleshoot new office technologies, coordinate office administrative activities, and store, retrieve, and integrate information for dissemination to staff and clients.
Program Student Learning Outcome Statement
- Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to create and format written communications choosing the medium for a given scenario.
Required courses: | ||
BOT 100 | Beginning Keyboarding (or Typing Test @ 40 wpm) | 1 |
BOT 102 | Ten Key | 1 |
BOT 110 | Word Processing | 3 |
BOT 113 | Basic Office Skills | 1 |
BOT 116 | Office Systems and Procedures | 3 |
BOT 117 | Management Office Skills | 1 |
CSIT 110 | Computer Applications | 3 |
Select at least 7 elective units from the following: | 7 | |
Advanced Keyboarding | ||
Occupational Cooperative Work Experience | ||
Customer Service | ||
Business Communication | ||
or BUS 290H | Business Communication (Honors) | |
Internship Studies (minimum 1 unit) | ||
Microsoft Word for Business | ||
Microsoft PowerPoint for Business | ||
Google Apps for Business | ||
Total Units | 20 |
Certificate of Achievement
Office Manager
This certificate is designed for individuals who want to assume management functions in a business office. Supervisors perform administrative tasks to ensure their staff can work efficiently. Planning work and supervising staff are the key elements of this job. To do these effectively, the supervisor must know the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the staff as well as the results required from and time allotted to each job. Persons interested in this certificate might include those who have completed the Secretary/Administrative Assistant Certificate of Achievement or a comparable program, those who have at least one year of full-time work experience in an office position, and/or those who intend to pursue an Associate in Arts and/or Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Students interested in a bachelor's degree should consult the articulation agreement between MiraCosta College and their transfer university for major preparation and general education requirements. Courses in this certificate program are offered on campus and online.
Program Student Learning Outcome Statement
- Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to create an office procedures manual for training of administrative office staff.
Required courses: | ||
ACCT 101 | Practical Accounting | 4 |
or ACCT 201 | Financial Accounting | |
or ACCT 201H | Financial Accounting (Honors) | |
BOT 100 | Beginning Keyboarding (Typing Test @ 40 wpm) | 1 |
BOT 110 | Word Processing | 3 |
BOT 116 | Office Systems and Procedures | 3 |
BOT 117 | Management Office Skills | 1 |
BUS 136 | Human Relations in Business | 3 |
BUS 140 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
or BUS 140H | Legal Environment of Business (Honors) | |
BUS 290 | Business Communication | 3 |
or BUS 290H | Business Communication (Honors) | |
Select three elective units from this list: | 3 | |
Computer Accounting | ||
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management | ||
Customer Service | ||
Internship Studies (minimum of 1 unit) | ||
Computer Applications | ||
Microsoft Word for Business | ||
Microsoft PowerPoint for Business | ||
Composition and Reading | ||
or ENGL 100H | Composition and Reading (Honors) | |
Google Apps for Business | ||
Total Units | 24 |
Certificate of Proficiency
Office Assistant
This certificate is designed for those who wish to obtain an entry-level support position in an office environment. Office assistants are usually under the supervision of a secretary/administrative assistant or office manager. Job tasks are delegated to an office assistant in specific areas, such as data entry, filing, typing, payroll, mail processing, and copying. This position requires accurate keyboarding speed, computer proficiency, customer service skills, and basic business procedures. Students who complete this certificate may be interested in taking additional courses to earn the Secretary/Administrative Assistant Certificate of Achievement. All of the required courses and most of the elective courses within this certificate are offered online. With good study skills and commitment, a student can complete this certificate in one semester.
Program Student Learning Outcome Statement
- Upon completion of this program, students will be able to create and complete basic office operations such as email, telephone operations, mailing and shipping, and financial operations such as petty cash and payroll.
Required courses: | ||
BOT 100 | Beginning Keyboarding (or Typing Test @ 40 wpm) | 1 |
BOT 102 | Ten Key | 1 |
BOT 110 | Word Processing | 3 |
BOT 113 | Basic Office Skills | 1 |
Select 7 elective units from the following: | 7 | |
Advanced Keyboarding (or Typing Test @ 40 wpm) | ||
Office Systems and Procedures | ||
Management Office Skills | ||
Occupational Cooperative Work Experience | ||
Customer Service | ||
Internship Studies (minimum of 1 unit) | ||
Computer Applications | ||
Google Apps for Business | ||
Total Units | 13 |
How to Read Course Descriptions
For more detailed information about a course, such as its content, objectives, and fulfillment of a degree, certificate, or general education requirement, please see the official course outline of record, available at http://www.miracosta.edu/governance/coursesandprograms/courseoutlines.html.
Courses
BOT 100: Beginning Keyboarding
Units: 1
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1 hour.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer
This beginning keyboarding course focuses on correct finger placement and technique. Students use a guided online software program to learn proper typing posture and finger placement, to practice the alphabetic keyboard, and to accomplish a speed of approximately 25 wpm. Offered pass/no pass only.
BOT 101: Advanced Keyboarding
Units: 1
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1 hour.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This advanced keyboarding course focuses on increasing speed and accuracy for students who know the alphabetic keyboard. Students use a guided software program to plan a strategy for skillbuilding drills and techniques. Offered pass/no pass only.
BOT 102: Ten Key
Units: 1
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1 hour.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course teaches students how to use the numeric keypad for data entry. Students use a guided software program to build keyboarding proficiency. Offered pass/no pass only.
BOT 110: Word Processing
Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
In this course, students practice basic operations of a word processing application while creating business documents. Assignments include letters, memos, reports, tables, announcements, newsletters, mail merge, graphics, electronic messaging, Internet research, and projects designed to provide workplace simulation experiences.
BOT 113: Basic Office Skills
Units: 1
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1 hour.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course emphasizes the practical skills needed for working in a modern business office. Students learn office support, communication, and problem-solving skills, including how to manage files, records, and financial accounts, process business documents, and communicate effectively with clients, customers, and coworkers.
BOT 116: Office Systems and Procedures
Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course provides the administrative skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the twenty-first century workplace environment of changing technology and procedures. Students learn about the culture and structure of business organizations, business-office communication, professional development, records management, and how to prepare financial, meeting, travel, and training materials and documentation.
BOT 117: Management Office Skills
Units: 1
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1 hour.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course presents information and applications for those seeking management office skills. Workplace applications and assignments present scenarios and case studies that emphasize supervisory office skills, such as communication, leadership, teamwork, evaluation, conflict resolution, training, decision making, and scheduling.
BOT 292: Internship Studies
Units: 0.5-3
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Enrollment Limitation: Instructor, dept chair, and Career Center approval. May not enroll in any combination of cooperative work experience and/or internship studies concurrently.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged
This course provides students the opportunity to apply the theories and techniques of their discipline in an internship position in a professional setting under the instruction of a faculty-mentor and site supervisor. It introduces students to aspects of the roles and responsibilities of professionals employed in the field of study. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students must develop new learning objectives and/or intern at a new site upon each repetition. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.
BOT 299: Occupational Cooperative Work Experience
Units: 1-4
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Enrollment Limitation: Career Center approval. May not enroll in any combination of cooperative work experience and/or internship studies concurrently.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged
Cooperative Work Experience is intended for students who are employed in a job directly related to their major. It allows such students the opportunity to apply the theories and skills of their discipline to their position and to undertake new responsibilities and learn new skills at work. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.