Secretarial Studies (PART-TIME)

1485 hours over 3 years! 

Program objectives

This program of study prepares a candidate to be a secretary. As part of their daily tasks, secretaries independently assume the administrative tasks necessary to support managers and professionals. Their responsibilities vary according to the type and size of the company they work for. They are resource persons in their work environment and act as liaisons between different services in their company.

Secretarial tasks consist of entering texts and data into a computer, editing documents and designing presentations, spreadsheets, visual design of documents, with or without directions. Furthermore, secretaries can edit, put together documents that are entered by another person and translate texts. They correct texts, do layouts, collate and distribute documents. Secretaries must also assure the quality of documents produced by proofreading for spelling, syntax and grammar.

In addition to producing quality documents, secretaries also perform the following tasks: provide customer service; follow up on business correspondence; organise meetings and events, large and small; perform document management by opening, filing and keeping files up to date by traditional means as well as digital; provide technical support on occasion for using equipment and integrating new employees; keep agendas up to date and making and confirming appointments; contribute to the office supplies; perform accounting tasks such as bookkeeping, bank deposits as well as follow up on supplier and client accounts and updating the information diffused on Internet sites and social media.

Admission conditions

To be eligible for admission to this program, candidates must meet one of the following requirements:

Persons holding a Secondary School Diploma or its recognized equivalent, for example, an Attestation of Equivalence of Secondary V studies, or a postsecondary diploma such as the Diploma of College Studies or a Bachelor’s degree
OR
Persons who are at least 16 years of age on September 30 of the school year in which their training is to begin and have earned the Secondary IV credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in the programs of study established by the Minister, or have been granted recognition for equivalent learning
OR
Persons who are at least 18 years of age upon entry into the program and have the following functional prerequisites: the successful completion of the General Development Test (see the following table), or recognition of equivalent learning
OR
Persons who have obtained Secondary III credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister are required to pursue general education courses, concurrently with their vocational training, in order to obtain the Secondary IV credits they lack in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister.

Targeted professions (Link to Emploi Québec’s IMT En ligne)

Administrative assistants (1241)
Administrative officers (1221)
Data entry clerks (1422)
Executive assistants (1222)
Personnel clerks (1415)

Functional prerequisites

A person who has reached the age of 18 can be admitted to a program of study leading to a Diploma of vocational studies (DVS) based on functional prerequisites. These prerequisites, in place for those aged at least 18 years at the start date declared for the vocational training program, are: successful completion of the general development test (GDT) and obtaining and passing the tests relative to the specific prerequisites in the language of instruction and mathematics, if applicable.

This table indicates the new course codes for common core basic education (CCBE) and diversified basic education (DBE) required for the specific prerequisites in the language of instruction and mathematics for the targeted program of study. In the cases where the new course codes for the CCBE and the DBE are in progressive implementation, the old codes are indicated in parenthesis and are still valid. The equivalent course codes in basic education in the youth sector are also indicated in the table. When a DVS does not require any specific prerequisites in the language of instruction or in mathematics, a (-) will be displayed in the appropriate field. Please note that the functional prerequisites do not apply to the attestation of vocational specialty (AVS) programs.

Program content