Taking Online Courses to Explore Future Career Opportunities
High school is an exciting time, during which students learn about themselves, discover their passions, and make plans for their futures. During this transformative time of students’ lives, it’s important that they are engaging in activities and educational opportunities that can help guide them towards success in college and beyond.
As students progress through high school, they take higher-level courses, which often spark new interests that can lead to college majors and potential future careers. For some students, identifying their personal passions and strengths is easy. These students enter college knowing what they want to major in and with a plan for where their degree will take them after college.
Online high school courses offer a unique opportunity for students to explore their passions more in-depth, either in preparation for college or to help them pinpoint career possibilities. At VHS Learning, we offer a wide range of Advanced Placement (AP®), standard, and elective courses that can help students prepare for their studies in college and beyond––and even help them earn some college credit along the way!
Here are six career pathways that students can explore through VHS Learning’s online course offerings:
- Computer Science Careers
Computer and information science careers are projected to grow 23 percent over the next decade––over nine times faster than the average for all occupations. For students with an interest in computers, artificial intelligence, coding, or even video games, computer science careers are a great pathway to follow.
AP® Computer Science Principles is a useful college-level course for students who intend to enter a wide variety of majors––from medicine to education to engineering. Students learn foundational skills in computing, data, algorithms, and programming, while also gaining an opportunity to receive college credit. Students with the intention of majoring in computer science can also accelerate their learning with AP® Computer Science A, Java Programming, or any of the 18 other VHS Learning courses focused on computer science and technology. - Psychology
Students interested in the science of the mind may be interested in careers in psychology or medicine. There are a wide range of possible career options focused on the science of the brain, including psychiatry, therapy, neuroscience, or even becoming a neurosurgeon.
To earn college credit, students can take AP® Psychology, which introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students may also take courses like Psychology of Crime to further explore and pinpoint their interests in brain science. - Music Education and Performance
Students who are passionate about music likely already spend a lot of their time practicing their performance and participating in band, orchestra, or chorus at school. However, for students who would like to pursue music as a career, it’s important not only to be a talented performer, but also to understand and master the academic side of music, composition, and theory.
Many high school students with an interest in music enjoy taking AP® Music Theory, which gives them a foundational academic understanding of the pitches, rhythms, form, and design of the music they love to perform––plus they can earn college credit. In addition, passionate musicians can learn a lot from Music Composition and Songwriting and Music Production, which both help students hone in on their technical talents in music. - Entrepreneurship
In the age of digital marketing and online business tools, becoming an entrepreneur is more accessible than ever. With this in mind, it’s important to give young people the skills and tools they need to become successful businesspeople if they choose to take the pathway of entrepreneurship.
At VHS Learning, we offer a wide range of business-oriented courses, such as Business Math, Business Law, and Marketing. Students who are interested in becoming an entrepreneur can also take Entrepreneurship, which offers students a fascinating and exciting opportunity to walk through the process of developing a business idea and creating a business plan. - Art and Photography
Art doesn’t have to just be a hobby––for students who are passionate and talented in different art disciplines, there are many opportunities for rewarding careers in art, too! From becoming a photographer to teaching art to graphic design, choosing a career in art isn’t just for painters in galleries.
AP® Art History is a valuable course for any artist or future historian, providing students with a deeper understanding of historical periods of art and different techniques, mediums, and symbolism in art over the course of time. Digital Photography and Graphic Novels are two other engaging online electives that artistic students can take to explore new skills and media. - Veterinary Careers
Becoming a veterinarian or veterinary technician is a great job for students with an interest in STEM and a passion for animals. Plus, with the vet industry expected to grow at a rate of 20 percent over the next decade, a veterinary career is a reliable pathway for students to take.
AP® Biology is a college-level course that offers a great foundation in biology for students who want to enter any medical field, including veterinary science. VHS Learning also offers the unique opportunity for students interested in veterinary careers to accelerate their learning in high school with courses specific to this discipline, such as Animal Behavior and Zoology and Veterinary Medicine.
Online high school courses offer an opportunity to take unique and specialized courses that can help students along the path to their future careers. Whether students jump into online courses with a future career in mind or need to explore various disciplines to find their passions, VHS Learning offers nearly 300 high-quality online courses and 29 AP® courses to enhance students’ learning and prepare them for college and beyond.
