There are a multitude of elective courses that are offered to students throughout Fairfax County who are interested in pursuing coursework in a variety of options related to career pathways. Located in certain high schools throughout the county, these specialized courses will provide students with career and academic preparation for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students will need to research the academy class that they are interested in and during scheduling, let their school counselor know, so that they can register their students. A great place to start researching is the Academies and Specialized Programs - High School page on the FCPS website.

After registering, there is a selection process and if selected, students will be notified. Please note: transportation is not guaranteed; therefore, students may need to provide their own transportation. It is also important to note that these specialized classes can take up to one or more class periods, so students should ensure that they are aware of how many class periods these classes may take up in their schedule (this information can be found under their course descriptions - 1 credit = 1 block/ 2 credits = 2 blocks).

2023-2024 FCPS Academy Career Experiences and Open Houses

Use the High School Academy Finder to determine whether or not transportation will be provided from your base school. Click on academy names for more information about specific academies and classes. For the most up-to-date information on Open Houses, check the official FCPS Academies Website.

Academy Program Descriptions

For students interested in any of the following subjects: Arabic, Chinese, Automotive Technology, Criminal Justice, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Engineering, Information Technology or Entrepreneurship, please refer to the Marshall Academy website. On this site, you will find information specific to these classes and additional resources, such as videos and class progression.

For students interested in any of the following subjects: Fashion Careers, Dance, Game Design & Development, Korean, Music & Computer Technology, Arabic, Chinese, Music Theatre/Acting, Social Media Marketing, Professional Photography, TV & Media Production, and American Sign Language, please peruse the Fairfax Academy website for more information. Some classes at Fairfax Academy require auditions, so feel free to refer to their audition page to find out if a course that you are interested in requires this process.

For students interested in topics such as, American Sign Language, Biotechnology Foundations, Criminal Justice, Dental Careers, Exploring Health Science/Language of Medicine, Emergency Medical Technician, Introduction to Nursing, Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Practical Nursing, or Vietnamese, see the Falls Church Academy website.

For students interested in topics such as Physical/Occupational Therapy Veterinary Science, Carpentry, Pharmacy Technician and Air Force Junior ROTC see the Chantilly Academy website.