The administrative assistant certificate is offers students software, administrative, and human relations skills necessary in today’s offices. Students gain in-depth training in computers and Microsoft Office software and become experts in grammar and proofreading techniques. A two-week practicum course is offered at the end of the program for eligible students.
Graduates get great jobs!
Program Costs
See Program Costs for details regarding current fees.
Admission Requirements
See Admission Requirements for details.
Outcomes
A Vancouver Island University 30-credit certificate will be awarded to each graduate.
Career Opportunities
Graduates leave the program with a diversity of transferable skills. Graduates are employed in hundreds of local offices in the private sector and union environments, including federal, provincial, and municipal government offices; school district offices; universities; major corporations; mid-sized and small companies. Graduates work as administrative assistants, secretaries, office clerks, receptionists, executive assistants, office managers, registration assistants, and so much more.

Maddy Thomas
Administrative Assistant Graduate
“I am a queer Metis person who took the program because I was looking for a more stable career that would allow me to provide customer service because I love helping people. This program was the first time in my post-secondary education that I learned valuable skills that I could actually use in the real world. I am now a Program & Registration Assistant in the Faculty of Trades and Applied Technology here at VIU, helping to support a number of programs, including Office Administration. I handle multiple projects and tasks, working with deadlines and communicating with faculty, students, and management. Skills from the program that have helped me the most in my job include time management, organization, business communications, and computer technologies. I am known around the office as the 'tech guru'!”