Online Degree in Court Reporting/Secretarial Studies?

I'm trying to pursue a degree in either Court Reporting or Secretarial Studies/Data Entry. I'm new to Distance Learning, and I'm hoping that you guys can give me some advice.
These two fields are really Associate Degree fields, and just from browsing the web they seem a little more difficult to find than Business or Accounting or the other major fields. Are there any online schools out there (that are completely 100% online with no campus visits) that have either of these two fields?

From browsing I came upon the Indiana Business College (indianabusinesscollege.com) and they have an online degree program that has the kind of courses I want to take (in the Administrative Assistant field) and they claim to be 100% online. Would anyone recommend this college?

It worries me a little going after online classes from a college that's in another state (I live in NY). I just keep thinking, suppose there's some kind of a problem that I'd need to discuss with them and I can't get there face to face to talk to them? Should I really worry about that kind of stuff?

I'd appreciate any help you guys can give me,
Jenn

 

TESC

Hello, I found that TESC gives up to 33 credits for passing the test given by the International Association of Administrative Professionals. This is listed on pg. 19 of the TESC undergrad prospectus (current). I checked the testing date and a check or money order must be mailed by 2/15/05 for a May test. If you have these skills it seems like a good opportunity. I realize the problems with TESC but I feel it could be a good option. Hille TESC grad ( feel free to contact me via e-mail)

 

Certified Professional Secretary/CPS

Hi, Page 19 of the current TESC prospectus lists this certificate as getting up to 33 credits. There is a test given by the International Association of Administrative Professionals in May. Payment must be made prior to Feb 15,2005. If you have these skills it seems like a good option. I am not sure what other colleges give credit for this. Feel free to contact me in reference to TESC. Hille- TESC grad

 

Hi Jenn,

It sounds like you need more information before deciding on an educational program. The following are links to the U.S. Bureau of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook for the fields you mentioned. This is a great place to start for complete and concise information about specific fields, including educational requirements.

Court Reporters:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos152.htm

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos151.htm

Data Entry and Information Processing Workers:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos155.htm

Even from a brief scan of requirements you will notice that only court reporting requires formal education. Secretaries and administrative assistants generally don't require formal education except for specialized fields such as medical or legal secretarial work, and usually that training is post-secondary certificate level rather than an associate's degree. Data entry doesn't require any formal training. If you're interested in either administrative work or data entry I suggest contacting a few temporary employment agencies in your area rather than paying for formal training. Many temp agencies provide such training for free to those who sign with their agencies, then place trained personnel in temporary positions. Temp jobs are a great way to not only gain experience but also to get a real 'working feel' for different types of organizations. Additionally, temp jobs often lead to permanent positions for skilled and reliable temps.

If your first interest is court reporting you should first check educational and any possible licensure requirements in your state. (You should be able to find this information by contacting your state's Bar Association and/or any public agencies that deal with licensed professions in your state.) Then consider enrolling in a program that is accredited by the National Court Reporters Association, in addition to any other accreditation the individual school may have. This will insure proper training and eligibility to take the National Court Reporters Association's certification tests. Certification is preferred or required in many states and by most employers. Educational information about that can be found at the link below. (Interesting to note the school you mentioned isn't on their list of recommendations.)


National Court Reporters Association:

http://www.ncraonline.org/education/univ/univ.shtml


Good luck to you,
Kit