Minnesota Career Fields, Clusters & Pathways

■ Marketing
> Merchandising
> Marketing Management
> Marketing Communications
> Marketing Research
> Professional Sales
■ Business, Management,
and Administration
> Administrative Support
> Operations Management
> Business Information Management
> Human Resources Management
> General Management
■ Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources ■ Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications
> Animal Systems > Audio/Video Technology and Film
> Agribusiness Systems > Journalism and Broadcasting
> Environmental Service Systems > Performing Arts
> Food Products and Processing Systems > Printing Technology
> Natural Resources Systems > Communications Technology
> Plant Systems > Visual Arts
> Power, Structural, and Technical Systems
■ Finance ■ Information Technology
> Banking Services > Information Support and Services
> Business Finance > Network Systems
> Securities and Investment CAREER FIELD > Programming and Software Development
> Accounting > Web and Digital Communications
> Insurance Agriculture, Food,
ral Resources
& Natu

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■ Hospitality and Tourism

tra m

s, C rma
inis age
n
> Lodging

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Foundation

o
R
& Adm an
> Recreation, Amusements and Attractions

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Knowledge & Skills

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unic ms
> Restaurants and Food/Beverage Services CAR
> Travel and Tourism

ations

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Busine Problem Solving • Critical Thinking
Employability • Citizenship • Ethics

,&
Career Development • Integrity • Teamwork
Legal Responsibilities • Academic Foundations
Technology Application • Communications

■ Law, Public Safety,
ology
Safety, Health & Environment • Leadership
■ Human Services ■ Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Technical Literacy • Cultural Competence
> Consumer Services > Facility and Mobile Equipment Maintenance

echn
Corrections, and Security
Hum
CAR

R E ing, & ing,

Lifelong Learning • Financial Well-Being

LD
> Correction Services > Counseling and > Health, Safety, and Environmental Management
Organizational & Global Systems

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> Emergency and Fire Mental Health Services > Logistics Planning and Management Services
an

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EE

> Early Childhood Creativity • Innovation > Sales and Services

Management Services

ac in
Ser

uf ng
Development and Services E > Transportation Operations
R

> Law Enforcement

ER
vic

> Family and Community > Transportation Systems/Infrastructure

FI

Services
es

Services n
EL

> Legal Services Planning, Management, and Regulation

Ma C

A
> Security and > Personal Care Services > Warehousing and Distribution Center Operations
D

H e a lt h S cie n c e
Protective Services Tech n olo gy
■ Government and Public ■ Education and Training CARE ■ Architecture and ■ Manufacturing ■ Science,
Administration > Administration and ER FIELD Construction > Production Technology,
> Revenue Administrative Support > Construction > Manufacturing Engineering, and
and Taxation > Professional Support Services ■ Health Science > Design/ Production Mathematics
> Foreign Service > Teaching/Training > Biotechnology Research and Development Pre-construction Process Development > Engineering
> Governance > Diagnostic Services > Maintenance/ > Maintenance, and Technology
> National Security > Support Services Operations Installation, and Repair > Science and Mathematics
> Planning > Health Informatics > Quality Assurance
> Public Management > Therapeutic Services > Logistics and
and Administration Inventory Control
> Regulation > Health, Safety,
and Environmental
Learn about Programs of Study Legend: Assurance
www.mnprogramsofstudy.org ■ = Career Cluster
> = Career Pathway
iSPEAK CTE Blog
Explanation provided on reverse side.
www.mnlearningthatworks.org Version 2016
 Minnesota Career Fields, Clusters & Pathways Chart Explanation
FOUNDATION
KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
Foundation Knowledge
and Skills, located in the
centermost circle of the
Minnesota Career Fields,
Clusters & Pathways
chart, represent the base
from which to build work
and college readiness.
CAREER FIELDS
Career Fields, which are
identified in the segmented
ring around Foundation
Knowledge and Skills, are
the organizing structure for
the 16 career clusters and 79
pathways. The fields represent
the broadest aggregation of
careers. Students are normally
exposed to career field
exploration in middle school
and early high school. Career
fields have been identified as:
• Agriculture, Food, & Natural
Resources
• Arts, Communications,
& Information Systems
• Engineering,
Manufacturing, &
Technology
• Health Science Technology
• Human Services
• Business, Management,
& Administration
CAREER CLUSTERS CAREER PATHWAYS
Career Clusters, which are identified in the bold, Career Pathways, which
colored bullets ( n ), represent a grouping of are identified by the
occupations and broad industries into a national symbol ( > ) under each
classification of 16 clusters that are based upon cluster heading, represent
common knowledge and skills. Career clusters an organization of related
include hundreds of occupations that may be occupational areas within
grouped into pathways around which educational a specific career cluster.
programs of study can be built. Each of these pathways
• Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources has identified knowl-
• Hospitality and Tourism edge and skills validated
• Architecture and Construction by industry from which
• Human Services programs and programs of
• Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications study are developed.
• Information Technology
• Business, Management, and Administration
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security
• Education and Training
• Manufacturing
• Finance
• Marketing
• Government and Public Administration
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Minnesota State and the Minnesota
• Health Science Department of Education are affirmative
• Transportation, Distribution, Logistics action, equal opportunity employers
and educators.

Minnesota Programs of Study

The Minnesota Career Fields, Clusters & Pathways
chart, on the reverse side, depicts the organizing
framework of the foundation knowledge and skills,
career fields, career clusters, and career pathways
that Minnesota will use for developing Programs of
Study (POS) in career and technical education. Once
developed, learners at various levels (high school,
collegiate, or workforce training level) will then be
able to choose from several individual programs
within a Program of Study in order to attain the
specific knowledge, skills and abilities needed to
pursue a career of their choice.
Programs of study are sets of aligned programs
and curricula that begin at the high school level and
continue through college and university certificate,
diploma and degree programs. The following are
some of the key elements that underlie the definition:
» Competency based curricula tied to industry
expectations and skill standards;
» Sequential course offerings that provide strategic
entry and exit points as needed throughout a
lifetime - this leads to manageable “stepping
stones” of skill building, high school graduation
and postsecondary education completion;
» Flexible course and program formats convenient
for learner segments;
» Course portability for seamless progression;
» Multiple entry and exit points to support
continuing education, returning adults, and
dislocated workers;
» Connections between high school and
postsecondary education, skill progression,
and career opportunities that align academic
credentials with job advancement in high-skill,
high-wage or high-demand occupations.
Version 2016