Student Experience

What to Expect

Algonquin College is proud to provide a diverse and dynamic student experience. Check out the highlights below to get a sense of what to expect as a student in the Office Administration – Executive program.

Success Stories and Testimonials

“The Office Administration – Executive program enriched my understanding of working in a fast-paced environment while managing the success of multiple executives. Through projects and other assignments, I was also able to network and leave the college with a very useful portfolio. I felt confident after graduation and applied to work at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. While abroad, I provided executive support to multiple officials including diplomats, Foreign Service officers, and Ministers for three years. Since returning to Ottawa, I have secured employment in the office of the Deputy Minister for Public Safety with the possibility to advance. I may have applied to Algonquin College with a background in office administration but my experiences there have been invaluable in realizing my goals and setting a trajectory to further my career.”
– Sarah Gaudreault, Graduate

“Each day I was able to obtain new skills and knowledge taught to me by excellent professors. One of the many things that I admire about AC is the professor’s willingness to help their students. Dare I say it, most of my professors went above and beyond their duties in helping their students learn the curriculum. I am now an AC graduate working in a career that I love, I would recommend the school to anyone who wants to be in an institution that is willing to give a helping hand to their students.”
– Sharmaine Drilon, Graduate

“I decided to pursue Office Administration as a second career. When I began, I was a week late starting the program, had been out of school for several years, and had no typing or computer skills. I was completely overwhelmed. I quickly learned that the teachers were very dedicated to the success of each student. I was honest about the difficulties I was experiencing in some of my courses and was fully supported by the teaching staff. They would provide extra help, suggest exercises to reinforce my learning and answer the numerous questions I had regarding the learning material.
In the second year, I started to feel more competent. I had laid down a strong foundation and I had caught up with many of my much younger class mates. In addition, I was getting wonderful feedback from the teachers. My confidence little by little increased. In my final semester I began to consider employment opportunities. We even worked on writing our resume, cover letter, and a portfolio to present our handiwork to potential employers.

I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful the program was and how lucky I felt to have been a part of such a positive learning environment. It has been a demanding program but one that has helped me to achieve more than I ever thought possible!”
– Stephanie Hunter, Graduate

“The Office Administration Legal and Executive program was just what I needed to sharpen my skills and lead me to my next career. The program was well organized, relevant, and comprehensive, and the professors were very helpful and knowledgeable in the field. The two-year program left me well prepared for the beginning of a new career as a legal assistant, which I started the very next week after exams! I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone considering a career in legal or office administration.”
– Heidi Cottreau, Graduate

“I would highly recommend this program as it helped me secure a position as a student within the Government in my first semester of year one. The Office Administration program in total has an excellent reputation both with the public and private sector companies here in Ottawa, who then partner with Algonquin College in search of finding talented students to join their team. If you are looking to learn, enhance your technical skills, or even to use this program in conjunction with another program, then I would say “Go for it as you will not be disappointed!”
– Joanne Wesley, Graduate

Work-Integrated Learning

Real-world Experience: On June 4, the Embassy of Mexico in Canada invited Office Administration – Executive students along with Professor Eugenia Kanellakos for a tour of their offices and a walking tour of the designated festival area on Sparks Street. They met with Gabriel Morales, Consul of Mexico, in Ottawa. The students shared their event proposal regarding Mexico’s National month in September. A lively discussion and the next steps were shared about the Mexican Independence Day celebration.

The Mexican Embassy team, our students, and Eugenia are now working collaboratively on the festival logistics, from cultural performances to gastronomic and community experiences. This will be a wonderful integrated learning experience for our students, managing a large-scale project and enhancing their global awareness and appreciation for international events.

Giving Back to Community: The Office Administration – Executive capstone project combines real-world experience with meaningful community impact. Read the Ottawa Business Journal article to learn how students partnered with Canadian Blood Services to raise awareness for blood, plasma, and stem cell donations.

Co-op Placements: Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term. Please note that places in the co-op work term are subject to availability and academic eligibility, and admission to the co-op program does not guarantee a co-op placement.