Career Pathways (6 months)
For students who know the career they want: six months of specialist learning and real practice.
Career Pathways is built around one student and one goal. Each student agrees a personal learning plan with their parents, a professional mentor and Spectrum. For four and a half months they study their field three days a week, at the centre or online: the theory a first-year undergraduate would meet, long real-world case studies with questions, and the practical skills of the profession. They then spend six weeks on placement with a host in their field and finish with a capstone, such as a mock trial, a policy brief or a campaign plan. It links directly to the Extended Essay, CAS, personal statements and university interviews.
- Length
- 6 months, three days a week
- Classes
- 4.5 months, at the centre or online
- Placement
- 1.5 months with a host
- Ages
- 15–18
- Mentor
- One-to-one professional
What students get
What your child gains
A tested career choice, university-level understanding of the field, a professional portfolio and a mentor reference, years before university.
Three flagship pathways
Law and Legal Practice; Public Administration and Civil Services; Politics, Policy and Advocacy.
Or your own field
Journalism and media studies, medicine and health, engineering, computer science and AI, finance and accounting, economics, international relations, psychology, architecture, environment and more.
Theory, cases, practice
Every topic has in-depth reading, a long case study of about 1,000 words, and practice questions with model answers.
Specialist mentor
A named professional in the field who meets the student regularly and guides the capstone.
Placement and capstone
Six weeks with a host organisation, then a capstone presented to professionals.
University ready
Help choosing degrees and universities, with evidence for personal statements, the Extended Essay and CAS.
Learn the field, then practise it
4.5 months
Classes three days a week, at the centre or online: theory, case studies and practice questions.
1.5 months
Placement with a host organisation in the field, guided by a mentor.
Capstone
A mock trial, policy brief, campaign plan or project presented to professionals.
After
Portfolio, mentor reference and university and degree advice.
Three pathways with full programmes
Law and Legal Practice
Legal systems, contract, criminal, constitutional and international law, legal writing, advocacy and a mock trial.
See the programmePublic Administration and Civil Services
How government works, policy, public finance, management, ethics and the skills of public service.
See the programmePolitics, Policy and Advocacy
Political systems, policy analysis, campaigns, media and international relations, strictly non-partisan.
See the programmeFields we plan pathways in
Every pathway is personal. Choose any field below in the enrolment form and we build the plan, the reading and the placement around it.
Real materials, ready from day one
Every Career Pathways (6 months) student works from original Spectrum materials, written by our teachers, printed for class and available online in the Spectrum portal.
- 3 guides for teachers and parents
- 1 handbook or journal
- Answer keys and teaching notes for every teacher
Courses in this programme
Enrolled students and teachers open these materials in the Spectrum portal. Course materials are released in stages as the course runs.
| Course | Materials | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Career Pathway: Law and Legal Practice (available now) | 26 | 331 |
| Career Pathway: Public Administration and Civil Services (available now) | 26 | 317 |
| Career Pathway: Politics, Policy and Advocacy (available now) | 26 | 312 |
| Personal pathway framework, mentor guide and portfolio | 8 | 96 |
| Career Pathways: Guide, Handbook and Parent Guide | 3 | 13 |
| Career Pathways: Host Organisations and Mentors | 1 | 9 |
Also in this pathway
Career Pathway: Law and Legal Practice
Career Pathway: Public Administration and Civil Services
Career Pathway: Politics, Policy and Advocacy
Enrol in Career Pathways (6 months)
Tell us about the student’s interests and goals. Every Career Pathway is planned around one student, so this helps us build the right plan and find the right mentor and host.
Questions about Career Pathways (6 months)?
Questions about programmes, fees or a free diagnostic? We reply within two working days.
Enrol now