Office Accounting Specialist

Businesses of all sizes rely on competent bookkeeping.

If you’re looking to get the skills, experience and certification you need to start a promising bookkeeping and accounting career (without spending years in school) you’re in the right place.

The Office Accounting Specialist Program at Asher College prepares you with a comprehensive set of skills and certifications necessary to become employable in a bookkeeping role. You’ll learn:

• Keyboarding Skills
• Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook
• Office Administration & Management
• Creating Presentations
• Database Use
• Modern Accounting Theories & Principles

Plus practical bookkeeping, including how to:

• Create expense and capital ledgers entries
• Prepare financial statements
• Provide bank reconciliation
• Post payments and accounts receivables
• Maintaining traditional paper ledger records

Once you have your foundational principles, you will apply that theory to practical bookkeeping tasks using QuickBooks.

The OAS program is available via Hybrid delivery. Asher College's implementation of Hybrid methodology includes live video events, webinars, one-on-one virtual meetings, discussion boards and other virtual solutions. The hybrid model has an on-campus attendance obligation during each week of a student’s program. Students are monitored by Academic Activities and Regular Substantive Interaction with faculty.

Industry-Informed Curriculum. Get the Skills Employers Look For — The Office Accounting Specialist program at Asher College has been developed with the support of our expert advisory board. That means what you learn has been directly shaped by recommendations of the employers who hire Asher graduates, so you get the real skills employers look for in a new hire.

Practical Experience. Learn Hands-On — Gain first-hand practical experience under the direct supervision of industry-experienced instructors in our on-campus learning labs. You’ll feel confident and fully prepared to make a smooth transition from school into the profession when you gain so much valuable experience before you graduate.

Important Industry Certifications. Get the Credentials to Succeed — As you complete your program, you will have the opportunity to become Microsoft and Intuit Certified in sought-after programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Quickbooks thereby increasing your employment opportunities. Asher is an authorized testing center for Certiport so you can take your industry-recognized vendor exams on campus.

Career Services. Dedicated Help to Build Your Career — You’re in good hands with Asher College’s Career Services Department. The experienced Career Services team at Asher College works on your behalf to discover new opportunities for you while you work towards completing your career training program. The team at Asher knows exactly what local employers look for and works hard to help you pursue rewarding career opportunities.

Degree Option. Advance Your Skills & Training While You Work — As a graduate of an Asher College Office Accounting Specialist Certificate Program, you have the option to earn your Associate of Applied Science Degree with an additional 6 months* of training. (*Program length when completed in normal time.)

When the student is interested in pursuing admission, they must meet with an Admissions Advisor and Financial Aid Representative or Veteran School Certifying Official and provide proof of eligibility. Following completion of these steps, if the prospective student meets the admissions requirements, as demonstrated through the interview and the ability to meet the financial obligations, they are eligible for admission.

Program prerequisites: High School Diploma, HS Equivalent or Proof of Eligibility. An entrance exam is required only for the Pharmacy Technician and AAS Pharmacy Technology programs (catalog addendum, January 1, 2026).

Student status. Full time = 24 hours/week; ¾ time = 18 hours/week; Half time = 12 hours/week.

Program length. Full time = 45 weeks; ¾ time = 58 weeks; Half time = 90 weeks.

Start dates. Asher College utilizes an open enrollment policy with classes beginning every other Monday (Monthly Class Starts at the Sacramento campus); program end dates are calculated prior to enrollment and vary by start date, program and hours per week. The next start date listed for the Sacramento campus is November 2, 2026.

Attendance. Minimum attendance (catalog addendum): part-time hybrid students complete 12 hours of work per week with 8 hours on campus, ¾-time hybrid students 18 hours with 12 on campus, and full-time hybrid students 24 hours with 16 on campus.

Class times. Day, Evening and Weekend Hours Available. Our flexible schedules are designed to remove barriers to your career goals. You’ll be able customize your schedule to take classes during the day, evening, and even on the weekends.

Holidays. Asher College closes campus for New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Program cost. Sacramento Catalog (eff. Jan 1, 2026) tuition and fee schedule (p.112): tuition $23,749; registration fee $200; books $1,001; total $24,950. Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) fee: $0.00. The schedule of total charges for a period of attendance and an estimated schedule of total charges are the same.

Payment methods. Check, credit card, third party payments, federal loans and grants, private loans and other methods are accepted. Terms are dependent upon agreement with students and any third-party participants. TFC Credit Corp. processes and manages Asher student notes.

Federal financial aid. Asher College participates in Federal Pell Grants, Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford (Direct) Loans, Federal PLUS Loans and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), and Cal Grants are awarded by the California Student Aid Commission. While filling out your FAFSA connect to Asher College with the code 040573.

Veterans education benefits. Military Benefits Accepted at Asher College include Chapter 31, 33, and 35. Each Campus also accepts GI Bill®, Chapter 31 and is eligible to accept the military spouse My Career Advancement Scholarship program.

Asher Advantage Scholarship. Available based on financial need; students fill out a FAFSA and a Scholarship Request Form. Sacramento can approve per quarter 16 scholarships up to $30,000. Scholarships are disbursed to the tuition account once the student has completed 80% of the program with a 2.75 GPA or better; no cash is disbursed in place of the scholarship.

Net Price Calculator. https://asher.edu/net-price-calculator/

Financial Aid is available to those who qualify.

The OAS certification is appropriate for job roles including:

• Bookkeeping Assistant
• Accounting Clerk
• Accounting Assistant
• Administrative Specialist
• Accounting Associate

As a graduate of Asher College’s Office Accounting Program, you may pursue a variety of professional positions, including:

• Bookkeeping Assistant
• Accounting Assistant
• Accounting Associate
• Accounting Clerk
• Administrative Specialist

You may also choose to support a family business or build your own bookkeeping or accounting practice, creating flexible opportunities that align with your professional goals.

Room to Advance. Becoming a qualified bookkeeper can be a great way to get your foot in the door of a promising business career. With experience and continued learning, you may have the opportunity to advance into positions such as Payroll Administration, Financial Auditing, Office Management and more.

School Performance Fact Sheet, Sacramento campus, calendar years 2023 & 2024. On-time completion: 2023: 1 of 3 students graduated on time (33%); 2024: 0 of 2 students graduated on time (0%). Job placement: 2023: 1 of 1 graduates available for employment were employed in the field (100%); 2024: 0 of 1 graduates available for employment were employed in the field (100%). This fact sheet is filed with the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.

Hybrid Delivery Model. Asher College’s implementation of Hybrid methodology includes live video events, webinars, one-on-one virtual meetings, discussion boards, and other virtual solutions. The hybrid model has an on-campus attendance obligation during each week of a student’s program. Students are provided with any physical course material needed prior to beginning a course and have access to all lesson plans and digital course material for any currently enrolled course or previously taken course through the student portal.

Convenience & Support. Hands-On Learning in On-Campus Learning Labs, Community Interaction On-Campus & Online, and Personalized Support When & How You Need It. Every Asher College campus is open 6 days per week, Monday through Saturday.

A Career Services Department Dedicated to Your Success. We provide the highest level of support to students each and every day. At Asher College, you’ll be known by name, and your professional goals will be embraced by our career training faculty and staff. We offer free tutoring and comprehensive career services assistance designed to help you land that perfect position after you graduate.

The Sacramento campus. Asher College’s Sacramento Campus opened its doors in 1998. We offer you the kind of focused education and training that sets the vocational college apart from traditional schools. Asher has built solid connections with employers throughout Sacramento and surrounding counties. Some employers we partner with include: Robert Half Technology, Envisions RX, CVS, Blue Shield, PG&E, State of CA, Intel, Sutter Health, and Coram Healthcare.