High School Program of Studies

Introduction

Welcome to the High School Program of Studies for Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) for the 2023-24 school year. This online, interactive guide serves as a tool to assist students with course selections and long-term educational and career planning. Each January, school counselors, in collaboration with parents and teachers, assist each student in planning a program of study and selecting courses for the next school year.

The content in this online guide is updated on an as-needed basis. A printable PDF version is produced annually: 2023-24 High School Program of Studies (Oct. 23, 2023).

Course Requests

The course request process for the upcoming year is an opportunity for students to think carefully about their interests, achievements, and educational and career goals. We encourage students to give serious consideration to this process.

SchoolLinks Career Planning

All Albemarle County high school students will graduate with a career plan. With the support of school counselors and career specialists, students will develop and refine their SchoolLinks career plan through a 4-year planning process that allows students to:

  • Establish short-term and long-term education/career goals;
  • Assess personal interests as they relate to career decisions;
  • Formulate thoughtful educational plans that reflect rigorous academics in their chosen career directions;
  • Participate in electives, extracurricular activities, and community service projects supporting their career directions; and
  • Include internships or cooperative work experiences during their junior and/or senior years.

Expanding Opportunities for Students

Piloted in 2019-20 and expanded in 2020-21, ACPS allows students the opportunity to participate in unique courses and explore career pathways of interest at a location other than their base high school. In this scenario, students maintain their base high school status for sports and extracurricular activities.

By eliminating geography from the equation, ACPS is expanding student access to our current learning communities and newly-developed programs like the National Defense Cadet Corps, the Early College Scholars Degree Program, and the Information and Communication Learning Community.

ACPS is committed to increasing learning opportunities for students! Look for even more academies and career pathways in 2023 and beyond designed around the Department of Education’s Career Clusters as we seek to make our students' high school experience more engaging, more meaningful, and more relevant to their futures!