Business Administration Certificate

Module 1: Business Soft Skills

7 hours

• Use fundamental business soft skills for communication, leadership, and management
• Manage larger projects using team communication and coordination skills
• Examine how to improve as a leader in a business setting

Module 2: Microsoft Word

14 hours. Includes Word Level 1 and Word Level 2.

Word Level 1

• Learn the environment and terminology in Microsoft Word
• Create a basic document
• Edit and format text
• Add tables and graphic elements to a document
• Control page setup and overall document appearance
• Proof documents for accuracy

Word Level 2

• Create and manage ordered and unordered lists
• Customize tables and charts
• Work with formatting using styles and themes
• Add and edit images within documents
• Create customized graphic elements
• Insert content using Quick Parts
• Control text flow
• Use templates to automate document creation
• Perform complex mail merges efficiently
• Use macros to automate common tasks

Module 3: Microsoft Excel

28 hours. Includes Excel Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and PivotTables.

Excel Level 1

• Create a basic worksheet
• Perform calculations in a worksheet
• Understand absolute versus relative references in a formula
• Modify a worksheet and the appearance of data within it
• Manage Excel workbooks
• Print worksheet content

Excel Level 2

• Write and use advanced formulas with text, date, logical, conditional, and lookup functions
• Organize worksheet and table data using multiple techniques
• Create and modify charts
• Analyze data using PivotTables, slicers, and PivotCharts
• Insert and modify graphic objects in a worksheet
• Customize workbooks and the Excel environment

Excel Level 3

• Improve workflow to increase productivity and efficiency
• Automate repetitive tasks using macros
• Work with developer tools including form controls such as command buttons, text boxes, and check boxes
• Collaborate with other Excel users
• Trace and audit formula errors
• Link multiple workbooks
• Import and export Excel data with confidence

Excel PivotTables and PivotCharts

• Analyze large amounts of data using PivotTables and PivotCharts
• Create a basic PivotTable
• Group and summarize data in multiple ways
• Filter and sort a PivotTable
• Use advanced PivotTable features
• Format PivotTables efficiently
• Apply conditional formatting within PivotTables

Module 4: Microsoft PowerPoint

14 hours. Includes PowerPoint Level 1 and PowerPoint Level 2.

PowerPoint Level 1

• Get started with the PowerPoint environment and terminology
• Create and format a presentation
• Add graphical objects to a presentation
• Modify objects on slides
• Add tables and charts to a presentation
• Work with basic animations and transitions
• Prepare to deliver a presentation

PowerPoint Level 2

• Customize the PowerPoint environment
• Customize a design template
• Use Slide Master slides to work more efficiently
• Add diagrams and special effects to a presentation
• Create custom animations and transitions
• Use slide show options to tailor a presentation to an audience
• Collaborate on a presentation
• Finalize a presentation for delivery

Module 5: Microsoft Outlook

7 hours

• Explore the Outlook interface, send mail, and respond to messages
• Compose professional email messages
• Organize email messages into folders
• Manage contacts and contact information
• Schedule appointments
• Schedule and coordinate meetings
• Manage tasks and notes

Module 6: Google Workspace

6 hours

• Understand the benefits of Google Workspace and how the tools are used in business today
• Work with email, calendar, cloud storage, and the tools used in common business scenarios
• Collaborate and share with team members across the Google Workspace suite

Module 7: Capstone Project

7 hours

In the final module, students complete and present their capstone project. Instructors also provide mentorship on the next step of your career path, including what the job market looks like for administrative and operations roles and how to prepare for a search. The module closes with your final capstone presentation and instructor critique.

• Finding work in business administration
• What to expect in interviews
• Final presentation and critique

With experience and advanced Microsoft Office proficiency, professionals advance into office manager, executive assistant, operations manager, and administrative services manager roles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $108,390 for administrative services managers as of May 2024. Adding MOS certification to a resume carries meaningful weight with employers who need verifiable proof of software competency.

The Business Administration Certificate is eligible for WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) funding, a federal workforce development program administered through local American Job Centers. WIOA can cover part or all of tuition for eligible individuals who are unemployed, underemployed, or seeking to change careers.

Administrative and business support roles represent one of the largest and most consistently hiring occupational categories in the economy, with roughly 358,300 openings per year projected through 2034. At $5,295 for 83 hours of private live instruction, this program sits within the typical WIOA individual training account range and prepares students for the full Microsoft Office Specialist pathway from Associate through Expert.

Your local American Job Center determines eligibility based on your employment status and income level. If approved, your case manager authorizes funding through an Individual Training Account (ITA). DWC is listed as an eligible training provider and works directly with case managers to provide everything they need to process a funding request.

DWC prepares a complete documentation package for every WIOA-funded student, including:

• Program description and learning objectives
• Tuition and itemized costs
• Program schedule and duration
• Credential documentation for the DPOS professional certificate
• Labor market alignment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Student performance and completion outcomes data

Because this is private instruction, the schedule is set after enrollment based on the student’s availability. The admissions team can provide the case manager with an estimated start date and completion timeline during the approval process. If your case manager has requirements beyond this standard package, the admissions team will work with them directly.

DWC is approved to operate and enroll students in Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois. Students from other states are welcome to enroll. If your state is not listed, contact the admissions team to discuss eligibility and funding options in your area.

Not sure if you qualify? Contact your local American Job Center to start the eligibility process, or contact DWC admissions and we can help you identify the right workforce resources for your situation.

The Business Administration Certificate is eligible for funding through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). DVR provides training funding for individuals with documented disabilities who are working toward employment, and services are available in every state through state-run vocational rehabilitation agencies.

Business administration and office support roles are among the most accessible career paths for DVR-funded students. The work is performed entirely on a computer, the program is delivered 100% online, and administrative roles exist in every industry and community, including many organizations that offer remote and hybrid positions.

The private one-on-one format is particularly well suited to DVR clients because the pace, emphasis, and teaching approach adapt to each student’s individual learning needs. If you have a physical, cognitive, sensory, or learning disability that affects how you process information or how long you can sustain focus in a session, your instructor adjusts rather than asking you to keep up with a group.

Students who have completed DWC’s Blueprint Basic Digital Literacy Certificate can continue directly into the Business Administration Certificate as a natural next step. DVR counselors who funded a client’s Blueprint program can use the same documentation and coordination process to fund this program as a continuation of the employment plan.

If you are already working with a DVR counselor, they can contact DWC directly to initiate enrollment and coordinate funding approval. DWC’s admissions team has experience working with DVR offices across multiple states and handles the documentation, scheduling coordination, and progress reporting that counselors require.

If you think you may be eligible but do not yet have a counselor, contact your state vocational rehabilitation agency to begin intake. Eligibility is based on having a documented disability that creates a barrier to employment. DWC can provide program information to support your application.

DWC awards scholarships through the programs below. Scholarship availability is limited for private instruction programs, so contact the admissions team for current availability.

Tech Skills Scholarship. For unemployed individuals returning to the workforce who need financial support to complete their training. Amounts vary and are determined case by case.

Women in Tech Scholarship. For women pursuing careers in technology, design, IT, data analytics, and other technical fields. Administrative and business support roles are the backbone of every organization, and professionals who hold Microsoft Office Specialist certification at the Expert level are consistently among the highest paid in the administrative workforce. This scholarship helps women build those credentials.

Next Mission Scholarship. For eligible U.S. veterans and qualifying active-duty service members within 180 days of separation. The scholarship provides 80% off standard tuition, which brings the Business Administration Certificate from $5,295 to $1,059, with the remaining balance financed through Climb Credit. Eligibility requires verified veteran status (DD-214 or equivalent), individual annual income between $30,000 and $75,000, and separation within the past 7 years. Veterans with income below $30,000 may qualify for fully funded training through WIOA or VA Vocational Rehabilitation at no out-of-pocket cost. Veterans with income above $75,000 qualify for the Community Heroes Discount of 40% off standard tuition. See if you qualify.

To ask about current scholarship availability for this program, contact the admissions team or visit the financial aid page.

Many employers offer professional development budgets, tuition reimbursement, or workforce training stipends that can be applied to DWC certificate programs. If you are currently employed and your employer supports professional development, the Business Administration Certificate may be partially or fully covered by existing benefits.

Microsoft Office proficiency is the single most common technology requirement in administrative, operations, and business support job postings. If your employer has ever lost time to a spreadsheet that does not calculate correctly, a mail merge that fails, a presentation that looks unprofessional, or a report that takes hours because no one on the team knows PivotTables, this program solves that problem. The curriculum covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook from fundamentals through Expert-level proficiency, plus Google Workspace for organizations that run both platforms.

If you are not sure how to open the conversation, DWC has a step-by-step guide on how to ask your employer to pay for professional development, with talking points, email templates, and tips on framing the request as a business investment. DWC can also provide a program summary document covering curriculum, credential outcomes, and employer benefit. Contact the admissions team to request it.

If your employer wants to train multiple team members, DWC offers group training options in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 applications. Contact us to discuss employer-sponsored enrollment or team training.

For students paying out of pocket, DWC partners with Climb Credit for tuition financing. Climb Credit offers fixed monthly payments with terms up to 36 months, no prepayment penalties, and an online application with fast approval. Reduced payments during active training are available on qualifying plans. Apply through Climb Credit to see your personalized options, or visit the payment plan page for more details.

DWC also accepts direct payment by credit card or bank transfer. Contact the admissions team to discuss payment options.

Costs not included in tuition

• A Microsoft 365 subscription is required for the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook modules and is available as a monthly subscription. Google Workspace is browser based and free.
• Microsoft Office Specialist exam fees are paid separately through Certiport at approximately $100 to $150 per exam. The full Expert designation requires five exams. Taking them is optional but recommended for students entering the job market. The curriculum covers all exam objectives, and exam preparation guidance is included in the final module.

Starting points vary widely in business administration. Private instruction means neither the beginner nor the experienced user wastes time, and your instructor can tailor exercises to your actual job context or career target.

Yes. The curriculum covers all exam objectives for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) pathway from Associate through Expert, including all four Associate exams and both Expert exams. Exam fees are not included in tuition and are paid separately through Certiport at approximately $100 to $150 per exam. Taking the exams is optional but recommended for students entering the job market.

The DWC Business Administration Certificate, issued as a DPOS higher education professional certificate, plus preparation for the MOS certification exams administered by Certiport.

A Microsoft 365 subscription covering Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, which is not included in tuition. Google Workspace is browser based and free. You will also need a computer with a webcam, microphone, and reliable broadband connection.