Michigan’s Career Pathways

Career Pathways are large groupings of careers that share common interests, skills and strengths. Each pathway contains careers that range from entry level to highly specialized. The education levels in each pathway also span high school graduation to advanced degree.

Selecting your top Career Pathways may help you identify the courses needed to prepare for specific careers. Check with your counselor if you have any questions.

Arts and Communications

Graphic Communications Technology

Are you a creative thinker? Are you imaginative; innovative; original? Do you like to communicate ideas? Do you like crafts, drawing, playing an instrument, taking pictures, or writing stories?

Careers in this pathway are related to the humanities, the performing, visual, literary, and media arts. These include architecture; graphic, interior, and fashion design; writing; film; fine arts; journalism; languages; media; advertising; and public relations.

Programs of study may include advertising, architectural drafting, broadcasting, creative writing, education, film production, fine arts, graphic arts, journalism, public relations, sculpture, etc.

Business, Management, Marketing & Technology

Computer Networking

Culinary Arts & Hospitality

Marketing Education

Do you enjoy being a leader, organizing people, planning activities, and talking? Do you like to work with numbers or ideas? Do you enjoy carrying through with an idea and seeing the end product? Do you like things neat and orderly? Would you enjoy balancing a checkbook, following the stock market, holding an office in a club, or surfing the Internet?

Careers in this pathway are related to all aspects of business including accounting and personnel; economics and finance; business administration and management; computer systems and information processing; sales and marketing.

Programs of study include accounting, computer systems and support, economics and management, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality and tourism, office administration, personnel, sales and marketing, etc.

Engineering, Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

Automotive Service Technology

Collision Repair

Computer Aided Drafting

Construction Technology

Electricity/Electronics

Machining

Power Equipment Technology

Welding

Are you mechanically inclined and practical? Do you like reading diagrams and blueprints, and drawing building structures? Are you curious about how things work? Would you enjoy painting a house, repairing cars, wiring electrical circuits, or woodworking?

Careers in this pathway are related to technologies necessary to design, develop, install, or maintain physical systems. These include engineering, manufacturing, construction, service, and related technologies.

Programs include architecture, construction, drafting, electronics, engineering and related technologies, math, mechanics and repair, manufacturing technology, physical sciences, physics, machine tools, robotics, etc.

Health Sciences

21st Century Health

Health Careers Prep

Health Occupations

Do you like to care for people or animals who are sick or help them stay well? Are you interested in diseases and in how the body works? Do you enjoy reading about science and medicine? Would it be fun to learn first aid or volunteer at a hospital or veterinary clinic?

Careers in this pathway are related to the promotion of health as well as research and the prevention and treatment of injuries, conditions, and disease.

Programs include animal care, biological sciences, chemistry, dentistry, fitness, health education, nursing, nutrition, therapy, rehabilitation, hygiene, etc.

human

Human Services

Education Academy

Early Childhood Education

Law Enforcement/Criminal Behaviors

Are you friendly, open, understanding, and cooperative? Do you like to work with people to solve problems? Is it important to you to do something that makes things better for other people? Do you like to help friends with family problems? Do you like reading, storytelling, traveling, or tutoring young children?

Careers in this pathway are related to economic, political, and social systems, including child care, civil service, education, government, hospitality, law and law enforcement, leisure and recreation, military, religion and social and personal services.

Programs include child and family services, cosmetology, culinary arts, language arts, law and legal studies, law enforcement, political science, psychology, religion, social services, etc.

Natural Resources & Agriscience

Environmental Sciences Technology

Are you a nature lover? Are you practical; curious about the physical world; interested in plants and animals? Do you enjoy hunting or fishing? Do you like to garden or mow the lawn? Are you interested in the environment? This pathway could have your name on it!

Careers in this pathway are related to natural resources, agriculture, and the environment. These include agricultural sciences, earth sciences, environmental sciences, fisheries, forestry, horticulture, and wildlife.

Programs include agriculture, astronomy, biological sciences, botany, chemistry, earth science, fisheries management, forestry, geography, horticulture, wildlife management, etc.