The purpose of this web site is to serve as a program of study resource for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Perkins IV consortia as they design, develop, and implement programs of study. 

The programs of study will enable learners, at various skill levels, to make informed education and career decisions.  Minnesota has adopted the following guiding principle for programs of study:

Minnesota's life-long learners will have the opportunity to follow a personal education plan that leads to career success and empowers them to become self-sufficient contributors to an interdependent global economy.

A framework of Minnesota Career Fields, Clusters and Pathways is the structural foundation from which local consortia will develop programs of study.  Through programs of study, the consortium will assist learners as they move between high school, post-secondary education, and career opportunities.

Minnesota has long used the 16 Career and Technical Education (CTE) career clusters as a data organizing framework.  Post-secondary CTE and high school CTE courses/programs have been cross-walked to the 16 CTE career clusters.  However, with the new Perkins IV consortium structure as a foundation, only recently has Minnesota begun to systematically explore the use of career pathways and programs of study as a structural framework for organizing the coordinated delivery of CTE in high schools and colleges.  Minnesota has adopted, with some modifications, the national definitions for career clusters, career pathways and programs of study.  The following definitions will be used:

Career Fields: the organizing structure for the 16 career clusters and 81 pathways. The six career fields represent the broadest aggregation of careers.  Students are normally exposed to career field exploration in middle school and early high school. 

Career Clusters: group of occupations and broad industries into a national classification of 16 clusters which are based upon common knowledge and skills. Career clusters include hundreds of occupations which are grouped into pathways around which educational programs of study can be built.

Career Pathways: represent an organization of related occupational areas within a specific career cluster.  Each of these pathways has identified essential industry validated knowledge and skills which provide foundational information for development and revision of programs and programs of study.  Once programs of study are developed, learners at various levels (high school, college, or at the 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 and pursue a career of their choice.

Programs of Study: 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 employer needs and industry skill standards;

• Sequential course offerings that lead to manageable “stepping stones” of skill building, high school graduation and academic credential progression;

• Flexible course formats convenient for all learner segments;

• Easy course portability for seamless progression through curricula supported by multiple institutions; and,

• “Bridge” programs, “road maps” and other navigation aids showing connections between secondary, post-secondary education, skill progression and career opportunities that align academic credentials with job advancement in high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations and industries.