Career Clusters
What are Career Clusters?
A career cluster is a group of jobs and industries that are related by skills or products. Within each cluster, there are several “pathways” that correspond to classes and training opportunities to prepare you for a specific career. See below for a description of each cluster as well as a general program of study.
Click BHS Classes for Program of Study to see 4 year BHS classes aligned to career clusters
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Careers in the agriculture, food, and natural resources cluster involve the production, processing, marketing, distribution, financing, and development of agricultural commodities and resources including food, fiber, wood products, natural resources, horticulture, and other plant and animal products/resources. Nearly all of the farming, fishing, and forestry occupations and many of the life, physical, and social science occupations are assigned to this cluster.
Pathways within this cluster:
Agribusiness Systems
Animal Systems
Environmental Service Systems
Food Products & Processing Systems
Natural Resources Systems
Plant Systems
Power, Structural & Technical Systems
Architecture and Construction
Careers in the architecture and construction cluster involve designing and building homes, roads, and other structures. More than half of the occupations in this cluster typically require a high school diploma or equivalent. However, specific designations range from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for carpet installers to a bachelor’s degree and an internship for occupations such as architects.
Pathways within this cluster:
Design/Pre-Construction
Construction
Maintenance/Operations
Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Careers in this cluster often involve creative tasks, such as performing, writing, designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing multimedia content including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services.
Many occupations in this cluster typically require a bachelor’s degree, although specific designations vary. For example, public address system announcers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training, and art directors typically need a bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of experience in a related occupation.
Pathways within this cluster:
A/V Technology & Film
Printing Technology
Visual Arts
Performing Arts
Journalism & Broadcasting
Telecommunications
Business, Management & Administration
Careers in this cluster involve planning, oversight, and organizational tasks needed to run a business. More than half of these occupations typically require a high school diploma or equivalent, but specific designations range from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for stock clerks and order fillers to a bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of work experience in a related occupation for those such as computer and information systems managers.
Pathways within this cluster:
General Management
Business Information
Human Resources
Operations
Administrative Support
Education & Training
Careers in the education and training cluster involve teaching and other tasks associated with schools, libraries, and museums. Nearly all of the occupations in this cluster typically require a bachelor’s or higher degree for entry, and many teachers also must complete an internship. However, specific designations range from a high school diploma or equivalent for self-enrichment education teachers to a doctoral or professional degree and less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation for post-secondary health specialties teachers.
Pathways within this cluster:
Administration & Administrative Support
Professional Support Services
Teaching/Training
Finance
Careers in the finance cluster involve managing and working with money. Many of the occupations in this cluster typically require a bachelor’s degree for entry, although specific designations range from a high school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training for occupations such as loan interviewers and clerks to a bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of work experience in a related occupation for financial managers.
Pathways within this cluster:
Securities & Investments
Business Finance
Accounting
Insurance
Banking Services
Government & Public Administration
Careers in the government and public administration cluster involve making laws, ensuring safety, and providing other public services. Many of the occupations in this cluster typically require a bachelor’s degree for entry, but specific designations range from a high school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training for transportation security screeners to a master’s degree for urban and regional planners.
Pathways within this cluster:
Governance
National Security
Foreign Service
Planning
Revenue & Taxation
Regulation
Public Management & Administration
Health Science
Careers in the health sciences cluster involve helping people and animals with the medical care they need to get or stay healthy. Occupations in the health sciences cluster typically require many different levels of education and training, with specific designations ranging from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for home health aides to a doctoral or professional degree and an internship or residency for occupations such as pediatricians.
Pathways within this cluster:
Therapeutic Services
Diagnostic Services
Health Informatics
Support Services
Biotechnology Research & Development
Hospitality & Tourism
Careers in this cluster involve providing people with food, lodging, and related services. Nearly all of the occupations in this cluster typically require a high school diploma or less education, although specific designations vary and include, for example, a bachelor’s degree for recreation workers.
Pathways within this cluster:
Restaurants & Food/Beverage Services
Lodging
Travel & Tourism
Recreation, Amusements & Attractions
Human Services
Careers in the human services cluster involve helping people with a variety of needs, such as counseling and fitness training. Occupations in the human services cluster typically require many different levels of education and training, with specific designations ranging from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for occupations such as laundry and dry-cleaning workers to a doctoral or professional degree and an internship or residency for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists.
Pathways within this cluster:
Early Childhood Development & Services
Counseling & Mental Health Services
Family & Community Services
Personal Care Services
Consumer Services
Information Technology
Careers in this cluster involve building linkages in IT occupations for entry level, technical and professional careers related to the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and network systems. Most occupations in this cluster typically require a bachelor’s degree for entry. However, specific designations range from some college but no degree and moderate-term on-the-job training for computer user support specialists to a bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of work experience in a related occupation for computer network architects.
Pathways within this cluster:
Network Systems
Information Support & Services
Web & Digital Communications
Programming & Software Development
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Careers in this cluster involve protecting people and enforcing rules. Many occupations in this cluster typically require a high school diploma or equivalent. However, specific designations range from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for occupations such as security guards to a doctoral or professional degree, 5 or more years of work experience in a related occupation, and short-term on-the-job training for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates.
Pathways within this cluster:
Correction Services
Emergency & Fire Management Services
Law Enforcement Services
Legal Services
Security & Protective Services
Manufacturing
Careers in the manufacturing cluster involve making products, such as food, cars, and household goods. Most occupations in this cluster typically require a high school diploma or equivalent, although specific designations range from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for occupations such as production worker helpers to an associate’s degree and long-term on-the-job training for camera and photographic equipment repairers.
Pathways within this cluster:
Production
Manufacturing Production Process Development
Maintenance, Installation & Repair
Quality Assurance
Logistics & Inventory Control
Health, Safety & Environmental Assurance
Marketing
Careers in the marketing cluster involve promoting and selling products and services. Many of the occupations in this cluster typically require a high school diploma or equivalent; however, specific designations range from less than a high school diploma for models to a bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of work experience in a related occupation for occupations such as public relations and fundraising managers.
Pathways within this cluster:
Marketing Management
Professional Sales
Merchandising
Marketing Communications
Marketing Research
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)
Careers in the STEM cluster involve solving problems through research and design. Nearly all of the occupations in this cluster typically require a bachelor’s or higher degree for entry. But specific designations also include, for example, an associate’s degree for occupations such as social science research assistants.
Pathways within this cluster:
Engineering & Technology
Science & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Careers in this cluster involve moving people and products from one place to another. Most of the occupations in this cluster typically require a high school diploma or equivalent for entry. However, specific designations range from less than a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training for occupations such as taxi drivers and chauffeurs to a bachelor’s degree, less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation, and moderate-term on-the-job training for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers.
Pathways within this cluster:
Transportation Operations
Logistics Planning & Management Services
Warehousing & Distribution Center Operations
Facility & Mobile Equipment Maintenance
Transportation Systems/Infrastructure Planning, Management & Regulation
Health, Safety & Environmental Management
Sales & Service