Secretarial Studies

Program objectives

This program of study prepares a candidate to be a secretary. As part of their daily tasks, secretaries independantly 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 distrubute 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 correspondance; 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.

Targeted professions (find out more about a trade or an occupation on Québec.ca)

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

Job titles

administrative assistant
human resources assistant
executive assistant
administrative officer
data entry clerk
human resources clerk

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.

Functional prerequisites

This section identifies the modules or course codes for the actual programs of study in adult general education that are specific prerequisites in language of instruction and mathematics. Functional prerequisites includes the successful completion of specific prerequisites as well as the general development test (TDG). When a DVS doesn't require specific prerequisites in language of instruction or in mathematics, a dash ( - ) is displayed in the appropriate cell. For programs that lead to an AVS, specific prerequisites and the TDG do not apply (N/A).

Program content