Abstract
In the era of digital transformation, proficiency in Microsoft Office is considered an essential component of digital competence for university students, particularly those outside the Information Technology field. Despite basic informatics training in general education, many students still struggle to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint effectively for academic and professional tasks. This study evaluates the importance of integrating advanced Microsoft Office training into higher education curricula to improve digital skills among non-IT students. Using a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of 200 students and interviews with 10 IT instructors, the findings reveal major skill gaps: limited confidence in using MS Office, difficulties creating automatic tables of contents in Word, weak Excel skills, and mostly basic-level PowerPoint use. These results highlight a clear mismatch between general education digital skills and university-level requirements. The study confirms the necessity of offering advanced MS Office training to standardize digital competence and enhance students’ adaptability in an increasingly digital workforce.

Keywords: Digital competence, higher education, microsoft office, non-IT students, office computing skills.