FTC Academic Concentrations
Promoting Academic Engagement, Exploration and Investment
Our goal is to place students into classes that are both challenging and beneficial. Much like college, we have our students take the majority of their core academic courses in their freshman and sophomore year, which then allows them to take a concentrated course of elective classes, that focus on their areas of interest, in their junior and senior years. Our Academic Concentrations allow students to design a personalized academic program that will help them explore where their interests may lie beyond graduation.
Concentration Area Descriptions
Business Concentration
Do you want to be your own boss? Have you always wanted to know what you would need to do to start your own business? How would you establish a payroll system, or design a product and then take it to market? Preparing a business plan is a complicated thing and will take some training if you want to do it well. Do you know how to balance a checkbook? If you would like to explore some of the answers to these questions, then you should consider the Business Concentration. Do you love watching Shark Tank, and often think that you could do that? You can. Some of the classes that you would have the opportunity to select from are Business Foundations, Management Concepts, Money Management and Career Readiness.
English Concentration
Do you love a good story? Have you always wondered how an author can tell a story so well that you cannot put a book down? Do you like to argue? How about poetry or spoken word? If so, then you should consider pursuing classes in the English Concentration. Perhaps you’re interested in drama, or themes or character development of in novels, movies or shows? Our classes will allow students to build effective communication (written and oral), attention to detail, and critical thinking. Some classes offered at FTC within the English concentrations are Communications, Creative Writing, Mythology, Study of Fiction, Contemporary Literature and Writing Composition.
Math Concentration
Some people just have a gift with numbers. Accountants, financial advisors, bank managers, and stock traders use math in their daily lives to help make the world a better place. Do you like to work with numbers? Are you always tracking the statistics of your favorite sports team? Do you like video games and the logic behind them? If so, this might be the concentration for you. The real-world use of mathematics is a common theme for many of our STEM/Math courses. Some of our classes in the mathematics concentration will focus on pure mathematics, while others will focus on how mathematics is applied to other STEM topics such as engineering and physics. Students who like math might like Everyday Math’s focus on the practical use of mathematics while other exploring other exciting offerings include Accounting and Statistics. Possible career areas for those interested in math include working with statistics in all types of industries (health care, insurance, business, research, and even sports), finance, banking, risk management, etc.
Science Concentration
Are you interested in how things work? Whether it’s mechanics, the human body, the earth or the universe, then the science concentration may be for you. Are you intrigued by a career in medicine, nursing, or healthcare? Do you like to take things apart, put things together, figure out how things work, or try to find ways to make things better? A science concentration is for anyone with a natural curiosity who likes problem solving, experiments, labs, and projects. Areas to explore within science include Physics, Engineering, Robotics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Medical Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and much more.
Social Studies Concentration
The concentration in Social Studies helps students develop the necessary skills to become lifelong learners. It includes study in the areas of history, criminal justice, humanities such as psychology, writing and creative arts, and more. Students who enjoy historical fiction, books, or movies might be interested in this concentration. Those who are intrigued by how government functions, and the political landscape, may also enjoy this concentration. Also, anyone who is interested in education, or a helping profession would be a good fit for the Social Studies concentration. In this area, students will learn and strengthen a variety of 21st century skills that will help prepare them for a range of potential career opportunities. These skills include leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, organization, creativity, and awareness. Examples of careers to pursue include customer service, human resources, advocates, coordinators, sales representatives, public relations, education, research, etc.
Technology Concentration
The Technology Concentration focuses on preparing our students for careers in the developing fields related to technology and their advances. Technology has become an integral part of human life, including the use of the internet, smartphones, and how we travel and communicate. The technology concentration helps students learn the application of scientific knowledge for practical uses. If you have interest in the new high-tech features of our daily lives, FTC offers numerous courses in a wide variety of technological topics. Tech courses include computer-based courses such as coding and graphic design. FTC also offers courses where business and technology meet like digital marketing. Other then the commonly thought of technology fields, other areas of employment in technology include construction, transportation, energy/power, communications, manufacturing and bio-related areas.
Examples of Concentration Requirements
Notes:
- All students are prepared to pursue post-secondary education, regardless of the area of concentration
- All concentrations include writing intensive courses so that students are prepared for future employment as well as post-secondary education
- Students can use open/flexible electives to explore other areas of interest, and/or to take additional courses in the required areas.