Online Administrative Assistant Degree Programs

The best online secretarial science programs prepare you for a new career as a secretary, receptionist, administrative assistant, or another related job field. You will learn skills like data entry, record-keeping, calendar management, communication, and correspondence. Unlike a traditional degree, you develop these skills at home over the internet and communicate with tutors, faculty members, and other students in a digital learning environment. 

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What Is an Online Secretarial Science Degree Program?

An online secretarial science degree program lets you earn an associate’s degree in secretarial science over the internet. You won’t have to commute to a secretarial college or stay on campus. Instead, you learn the skills required to kick-start your new career via webinars, video tutorials, and digital workshops. 

The best online secretarial science programs teach you skills like:

  • Typing
  • Communication/correspondence
  • Note-taking/record-keeping 
  • Administration
  • Verbal and written communication
  • Computer skills
  • Calendar/time management
  • Upholding legal requirements

When you achieve your associate’s degree in secretarial science, you can get a job as a:

  • Secretary
  • Receptionist
  • Administrative assistant
  • Administrative coordinator
  • Data entry clerk
  • Paralegal

After several years of experience working in an office environment, you could become a personal assistant, executive assistant, or office manager.

A typical working day for someone with an online secretarial science degree might involve:

  • Answering calls in an office
  • Taking messages for a company
  • Corresponding with different departments in that organization
  • Keeping records for employees that work there
  • Arranging appointments for managers

Jobs related to online secretarial science programs require specific skills, such as good communication, teamwork, negotiation, relationship-building, diplomacy, and attention to detail. 

Why Choose an Online Secretarial Science Degree?

Online secretarial science degrees let you learn a broad range of administrative skills online, eliminating the need to travel to college or live on campus. As a result, you can balance existing family and work commitments and study for a new career from any location in the world. These degrees can also offer increased earning potential. 

Even though you learn secretarial skills outside of the classroom, you can still access support from tutors and other faculty members through technologies like video, email, live chat, and forums. You will typically access course content and submit assignments through a learning management system (LMS).

How Much Does a Secretarial Science Degree Cost? 

A two-year secretarial science associate’s degree costs, on average, $11,389, according to the most recent data from the National Center of Education Statistics. That price includes tuition, fees, and room and board rates. 

An online secretarial science associate’s degree could work out significantly cheaper than the price quoted above. That’s because you probably won’t have to travel to college or live on campus. As with a regular degree, you can apply for a grant, scholarship, or other financial aid to support the cost of your online secretarial science program. Plus, you can spread the cost of your education over time. 

Most schools publish the cost of their secretarial science degrees online, and you can compare these prices with other educational institutions and choose a program you can afford. However, you need to consider the cost of any registration fees, exam fees, internet charges, and program supplies like books and learning materials.

How Much Do Secretarial Science Majors Make?

The median annual salary for someone with a secretarial science associate’s degree is around $52,200, according to PayScale. (Data correct as of May 2021.) That’s around $17 an hour. 

Online secretarial science majors with specific skills like data compliance, shorthand, and proofreading might earn more than the median annual salary above. Those with several years of experience in an administrative role might also earn higher salaries. 

The mean annual salary for secretaries and administrative assistants is $40,420, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Data correct as of May 2020.) That’s $19.43 per hour.

The top-paying industries for secretaries and administrative assistants are: 

  1. Postal service (federal government): $60,920 per year (mean annual salary)
  2. Monetary authorities–central bank: $55,750
  3. Federal executive branch: $54,190
  4. Manufacturing and reproducing magnetic and optical media: $51,640
  5. Motor vehicle manufacturing: $51,460

The top-paying states for secretaries and administrative assistants are:

  1. District of Columbia: $50,210 per year (mean annual salary)
  2. Connecticut: $50,120
  3. Massachusetts: $49,490
  4. California: $46,380
  5. Washington: $46,090

The top-paying metropolitan areas for secretaries and administrative assistants are:

  1. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT: $56,080 per year (mean annual salary) 
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $52,480 
  3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $51,930
  4. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH: $49,900
  5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: $49,570

(Data correct as of May 2020.)

What Is the Job Outlook for Secretarial Science Degree Holders? 

The outlook is uncertain for those with jobs related to a secretarial science degree. There will be an 8.9% decrease in employment opportunities for secretaries and administrative assistants, for example, from 2018 to 2028, according to Projections Central/Department of Labor.

Scholarships for Secretarial Science

You could apply for a scholarship to support your secretarial science education. Various sponsors provide financial aid to students from low-income backgrounds or those who have achieved previous academic excellence, community service, or another accomplishment. 

You can use your scholarship to reduce the costs associated with an online secretarial science degree, such as tuition, program supplies, or internet costs. If eligible for a scholarship, apply directly to the sponsor by the expected deadline. You can apply for more than one scholarship in the academic year.

Here are two scholarships available to secretarial science students:

  • John L. and Margaret S. Fraley Scholarship: Available to applicants with a 3.85 GPA who show excellent leadership or community service.
  • Mas Family Scholarship Program: Honors Cuban students enrolled in an online course like secretarial science at an accredited institution.

FAQs About Secretarial Science

Summary 

The best online secretarial science programs prepare you for a new career as a secretary, receptionist, administrative assistant, or another related job field. You will learn skills like data entry, record-keeping, calendar management, communication, and correspondence. Unlike a traditional degree, you develop these skills at home over the internet and communicate with tutors, faculty members, and other students in a digital learning environment. 

What Is an Online Secretarial Science Degree Program?

An online secretarial science degree program lets you earn an associate’s degree in secretarial science over the internet. You won’t have to commute to a secretarial college or stay on campus. Instead, you learn the skills required to kick-start your new career via webinars, video tutorials, and digital workshops. 

The best online secretarial science programs teach you skills like:

  • Typing
  • Communication/correspondence
  • Note-taking/record-keeping 
  • Administration
  • Verbal and written communication
  • Computer skills
  • Calendar/time management
  • Upholding legal requirements

When you achieve your associate’s degree in secretarial science, you can get a job as a:

  • Secretary
  • Receptionist
  • Administrative assistant
  • Administrative coordinator
  • Data entry clerk
  • Paralegal

After several years of experience working in an office environment, you could become a personal assistant, executive assistant, or office manager.

A typical working day for someone with an online secretarial science degree might involve:

  • Answering calls in an office
  • Taking messages for a company
  • Corresponding with different departments in that organization
  • Keeping records for employees that work there
  • Arranging appointments for managers

Jobs related to online secretarial science programs require specific skills, such as good communication, teamwork, negotiation, relationship-building, diplomacy, and attention to detail. 

Why Choose an Online Secretarial Science Degree?

Online secretarial science degrees let you learn a broad range of administrative skills online, eliminating the need to travel to college or live on campus. As a result, you can balance existing family and work commitments and study for a new career from any location in the world. These degrees can also offer increased earning potential. 

Even though you learn secretarial skills outside of the classroom, you can still access support from tutors and other faculty members through technologies like video, email, live chat, and forums. You will typically access course content and submit assignments through a learning management system (LMS).

How Much Does a Secretarial Science Degree Cost? 

A two-year secretarial science associate’s degree costs, on average, $11,389, according to the most recent data from the National Center of Education Statistics. That price includes tuition, fees, and room and board rates. 

An online secretarial science associate’s degree could work out significantly cheaper than the price quoted above. That’s because you probably won’t have to travel to college or live on campus. As with a regular degree, you can apply for a grant, scholarship, or other financial aid to support the cost of your online secretarial science program. Plus, you can spread the cost of your education over time. 

Most schools publish the cost of their secretarial science degrees online, and you can compare these prices with other educational institutions and choose a program you can afford. However, you need to consider the cost of any registration fees, exam fees, internet charges, and program supplies like books and learning materials.

How Much Do Secretarial Science Majors Make?

The median annual salary for someone with a secretarial science associate’s degree is around $52,200, according to PayScale. (Data correct as of May 2021.) That’s around $17 an hour. 

Online secretarial science majors with specific skills like data compliance, shorthand, and proofreading might earn more than the median annual salary above. Those with several years of experience in an administrative role might also earn higher salaries. 

The mean annual salary for secretaries and administrative assistants is $40,420, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Data correct as of May 2020.) That’s $19.43 per hour.

The top-paying industries for secretaries and administrative assistants are: 

  1. Postal service (federal government): $60,920 per year (mean annual salary)
  2. Monetary authorities–central bank: $55,750
  3. Federal executive branch: $54,190
  4. Manufacturing and reproducing magnetic and optical media: $51,640
  5. Motor vehicle manufacturing: $51,460

The top-paying states for secretaries and administrative assistants are:

  1. District of Columbia: $50,210 per year (mean annual salary)
  2. Connecticut: $50,120
  3. Massachusetts: $49,490
  4. California: $46,380
  5. Washington: $46,090

The top-paying metropolitan areas for secretaries and administrative assistants are:

  1. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT: $56,080 per year (mean annual salary) 
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $52,480 
  3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $51,930
  4. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH: $49,900
  5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: $49,570

(Data correct as of May 2020.)

What Is the Job Outlook for Secretarial Science Degree Holders? 

The outlook is uncertain for those with jobs related to a secretarial science degree. There will be an 8.9% decrease in employment opportunities for secretaries and administrative assistants, for example, from 2018 to 2028, according to Projections Central/Department of Labor.

Scholarships for Secretarial Science

You could apply for a scholarship to support your secretarial science education. Various sponsors provide financial aid to students from low-income backgrounds or those who have achieved previous academic excellence, community service, or another accomplishment. 

You can use your scholarship to reduce the costs associated with an online secretarial science degree, such as tuition, program supplies, or internet costs. If eligible for a scholarship, apply directly to the sponsor by the expected deadline. You can apply for more than one scholarship in the academic year.

Here are two scholarships available to secretarial science students:

  • John L. and Margaret S. Fraley Scholarship: Available to applicants with a 3.85 GPA who show excellent leadership or community service.
  • Mas Family Scholarship Program: Honors Cuban students enrolled in an online course like secretarial science at an accredited institution.

FAQs About Secretarial Science

Summary 

  • Study over the internet or in a classroom at college. 
  • Both options take the same time to complete.
  • Get a secretarial science associate’s online or at college in around two years.

  • Studying from home.
  • Balancing work and family responsibilities.
  • No commute.

  • A secretarial science associate’s degree costs, on average, $11,389.
  • Studying for this degree online could work out cheaper than going to college because you might not have to pay for travel, accommodation, or other on-campus costs.
  • You can apply for a scholarship to support your online education.
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