Office Administration – Business, Legal and Medical

Course description

Duration:
This is a Full-time One Year course which runs from September to May.   Exact details of the timetable will be given out to students during the induction process prior to class commencement in September.

Course Overview:

This course will equip students with an exemplary standard of administrative skills, encompassing business, legal, medical, and essential IT skills for the contemporary workplace. Students gain a range of transversal skills such as organisational, interpersonal, and communication skills, which are sought after by employers. Through the Legal Practice and Procedures module, students are given an overview of legal structures in Ireland, its court system, and branches of Civil and Criminal Law, which will enable them to progress to work as a legal administrator. The Medical Terminology module equips students with the knowledge, skill, and competence in the use of such terminology, enabling them to work as a medical receptionist or administrator role in medical practice, clinic, or hospital context.

Students will acquire proficiency in modern office technologies and a minimum speed of 25 WPM, enabling them to carry out effective office administration roles. This course has a strong record of sending graduates into direct employment.

The course is aimed at:

• School Leavers
• Those who have been in the workforce before, but now need to update and develop new skills
• Those who wish to acquire IT skills for the first time
• Those who wish to defer a college place in order to improve their IT skills
• Those who wish to acquire the necessary skills to work from home

On completion of this Level 5 course, students have the option to progress to the Level 6 course in Office Administration and Management at DFEi, where students will acquire advanced IT skills and the knowledge and capacity to work at a supervisory level.

Entry Requirements:
One of the following:

• Leaving Certificate (LC Established, LCVP, LCA) or equivalent
• A Full Level 4 QQI/FETAC Award (or equivalent)
• Mature Applicants (aged 21 or over) – appropriate experience will be considered in lieu of formal qualifications. Note: Mature applicants may be entitled to VTOS funding. For details about VTOS, please contact the college.
• Applicants whose first language is not English require level B2 competency on the CEFR language framework. Applicants may be required to undergo English language testing to establish their language competency.

Course Modules:

• Information and Administration
• Word Processing
• Text Production
• Payroll
• Bookkeeping
• Legal Practice and Procedures
• Medical Terminology
• Communications
• Work Experience
• Digital Presentation Skills
• Spreadsheet Methods

Certification:
Level 5 QQI Award Office Administration (5M1997)

Special Features:
We have established direct communication routes with small and large organisations that provide us with live information about job vacancies, for which our graduates will be encouraged to apply. After you graduate, you can choose for your details to be held on a database and you will be contacted when a vacancy arises.

This course is supported by FIT, which offers students the opportunity to acquire essential skills to gain employment. Students are given training in job interview techniques and CV preparation.

Work Experience:
Students will be required to undertake a period of work placement in an organisation connected to their vocational area during the academic year.  Work Experience is mandatory for all of our full-time Level 5 courses. Students are required to source their own work placement but will be assisted in this by the work experience teacher.  The work placement is usually for a period of 10 days or a minimum of 60 hours.  Students usually find the work experience element of the course to be invaluable and should bear in mind that a successful work placement can sometimes lead to further opportunities.

Assessment:
Assessment techniques will be used to assess the knowledge and skills that students will have achieved on successful completion of modules:

• Student Record
• Portfolio/Collection of Work
• Assignments
• Examinations (written or practical)
• Project

A full major award is granted on passing the relevant eight components.  On successful completion of each component, you will be awarded a pass, a merit, or a distinction grade. See www.qqi.ie for more details

Progression Opportunities:

DFEi: Graduates may progress to the QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Office Administration and Management at DFEi.

Elsewhere: Graduates are eligible to apply through the CAO and/or the Higher Education Links Scheme for entry to year one of a range of higher certificate and degree programmes, at Universities, Institutes of Technology, and Technological Universities using their full QQI Level 5 major award. Places are not guaranteed and are subject to students meeting certain criteria.  It is the student’s responsibility to consult with the relevant HEI for information on the admissions process and any specific entry requirements. Students may also refer to the individual HEI prospectus or may also refer to the QQI FET section of the CAO website. www.cao.ie

Examples of CAO progressions are listed below:

Progression Examples:

BA Arts (DN520)

BA Humanities (DN530)

BSc Social Sciences (DN700)

BSc Psychology (DN720)

BSocSC Social Policy and Sociology (DN750)

BSc Economics (DN710)

University College Dublin – www.ucd.ie

BA International Relations (DC231)

BCL Law and Society (DC232)

Dublin City University – www.dcu.ie

BA Arts (MH101)

BA Psychology (MH106)

Bachelor of Social Science (MH107)

Maynooth University www.nuimaynooth.ie

BA (Honours) Human Resource Management (NC005)

BA (Honours) Business (NC009)

BA (Honours) Psychology (NC010)

BA Accounting and Finance (NC022)

National College of Ireland – www.ncirl.ie

BSc Auctioneering, Valuation and Estate Agency (TU731)

BA Hospitality Management (TU745)

Technological University Dublin (City) www.tudublin.ie

Career Paths:
Graduates find employment in medical practices, law firms, payroll/accounts departments, and business organisations of all sizes, public and private.

Dfei partners with DAC Beachcoft, an international law firm, to provide work placements and guide them in finding their ideal job.