• What is a Career Academy?

    A Career Academy is a sequence of elective courses designed around a career theme. Our objective is to make education applied, practical, and aligned to industry needs. Career Academies create a “school within a school” feel since students select to be grouped by a common area of interest.  Our students leave high school with not only with a diploma, but with one or more industry certifications and the skills to either enter the workforce or continue building their skills into a professional career. By participating in a Career Academy,  a student will experience:

    • Special electives and hands-on learning - The Career Academy course is taken each year a student stays in the academy.  Students still take all their academic courses required for graduation at the same school.
    • Field trips - Students will go on trips designed to expose them to different work environments
    • Job shadowing and mentoring - Network with adults who can provide career guidance. Students are also given the opportunity to work for employers who are connected to the school through internships.

    Each Career Academy has a Program of Study that helps guide students in course selection and plan for postsecondary experiences. The Career Academy course is one of the elective courses that they will take each year they stay in the academy.  Students still take all their academic courses required for graduation at the same school.  


    Why a Career Academy?

    Career Academies develop partnerships with local employers in an effort to build connections between school and work and to provide students with a range of career development and work-based learning opportunities. These include field trips designed to expose students to various work environments, job shadowing, and mentoring programs with adults who can provide career guidance. Students are also given the opportunity to work for employers who are connected to the school through internships. Students leave the program with the training and skills employers are looking for, making them instantly marketable in each career field. 

    Each Career Academy has the following components: 

    • A 4-year recommended sequence of elective courses
    • Connections to employers through work-based learning activities (guest speakers, job shadow/worksite tour, projects, internship)
    • Industry recognized certifications
    • Dual-enrollment opportunities
    • A demonstrated need for employees within the Career Cluster (high wage & high demand)
    • An advisory board consisting of business leaders in the Career Cluster
    • Hands-on project-based learning throughout the four years of the program 


    How to Choose a Career Academy

    • Discuss options with a counselor 
    • Explore career interests and talents through Xello 
    • Make a list of potential occupations 
    • Research career fields 
    • Consider each high school's Career Academy options 


    Each DPSCD high school has its own unique Career Academy which is organized around the following industry clusters:

Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

  • School

    Industry

    Detroit International Academy

    Animal Health & Veterinary Sciences

    Randolph

    Horticulture (future program)

Business and Finance

  • School 

    Industry 

    Cass Tech HS 

    Business Operations & Finance & Financial Management 

    Marketing Sales & Services  

    Martin Luther King Jr Senior HS

    Finance & Financial Management Services (CISC)  

    Business Administration Management & Operations (CISC) 

    Sports Marketing, Management  

    Osborn  

    Marketing Sales and Services  

    DCP Northwestern  

    Marketing Sales and Services  

    Renaissance  

    Business Administration Management & Operations 

    Southeastern  

    Business Administration Management & Operations 

    East English Village 

    Business Administration Management & Operations 

    Marketing Sales & Services l 

    West Side  

    Business & Entrepreneurship 

Engineering, Manufacturing, and Transportation

  • School 

    Industry 

    Cass

    Engineering with Biomed 

    Henry Ford

    Applied Engineering 

    Davis Aerospace

    Aerospace - Science & Technology (Aviation)  

    Denby

    Robotics

    Pershing

    Robotics 

    Western

    Engineering and Robotics 

    King

    Math, Science & Applied Tech (Engineering)

    Marygrove

    Human-Centered Design (Engineering)

    Osborn

    Engineering

    Southeastern

    Advanced Manufacturing

Health Sciences

  • School 

    Industry 

    Ben Carson 

    Therapeutic Services (Medical Assistant)  

    Cody 

    Health Informatics  

    East English Village   

    Therapeutic Services (Pharmacy Technician)  

    DCP Northwestern  

    Therapeutic Services 

    Cody  

    Therapeutic Services (Certified Nursing Assistant)  

    ML King  

    Therapeutic Services (Sports Medicine)  

Law & Public Safety, Education

  • School

    Industry

    Mumford

    Education & Public Leadership (future program) 

    Academy Of Americas   

    Education General (Bilingual Education)  

    Western International 

    Educational General  

    Pershing  

    Public Safety/Protect Services - Law Enforcement 

    Public Safety/Protect Services - Fire Fighter (future program)  

Technology and Media Arts

  • School 

    Industry 

    Cass   

    Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications 

    Digital Multimedia & Information Resources Design  

    Graphics Communication 

    Central  

    Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications 

    DSA  

    Radio & TV Broadcasting Technology 

    Henry Ford EMC  

    Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications 

    Pershing   

    Music & Media Production 

    CMA   

    Journalism and Digital Media 

    Douglass  

    Information Technology (Geographical Information Systems) 

    Mumford   

    Music & Media Technology 

    Southeastern  

    Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications 

    ML King   

    Computer Information Systems and Commerce (CISC)  

    Osborn  

    Computer Programming/Programmer