High school elective courses allow students to explore interests outside of the required core curriculum. These vary by school and district, but here’s a comprehensive list of common sample elective courses organized by category:
🎨 Arts & Design
- Art I, II, III (Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media)
- Digital Photography
- Graphic Design
- Ceramics & Sculpture
- Fashion Design
- Film Production / Video Editing
- Animation
🎭 Performing Arts
- Drama / Theatre
- Stagecraft / Set Design
- Dance (Ballet, Hip-Hop, Modern)
- Choir / Vocal Music
- Band (Concert, Jazz, Marching)
- Orchestra
- Music Theory or Music Appreciation
💻 Technology & Computer Science
- Intro to Computer Science
- Coding (Python, Java, HTML/CSS)
- Web Design
- Game Design
- Robotics
- Cybersecurity
- Digital Media / Social Media Marketing
✍️ English & Communication
- Creative Writing
- Journalism / Newspaper
- Yearbook
- Public Speaking
- Debate / Forensics
- Media Literacy
🌎 Social Studies & Global Studies
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- World Religions
- Contemporary Issues
- African American Studies
- Latin American Studies
- Model United Nations
🔬 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
- Forensic Science
- Marine Biology
- Environmental Science (beyond core requirement)
- Astronomy
- Engineering Design
- Math Enrichment (Financial Math, Statistics)
🌐 World Languages
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Mandarin Chinese
- American Sign Language (ASL)
- Latin
- Italian or Japanese (less common but offered in some schools)
🧠 Life & Career Skills
- Personal Finance
- Entrepreneurship
- Marketing
- Business & Office Skills
- Leadership / Student Government
- Study Skills / Academic Enrichment
- Career Exploration
🛠️ Career & Technical Education (CTE)
- Culinary Arts
- Auto Mechanics
- Woodworking / Construction Trades
- Welding
- Health Sciences / CNA Prep
- Agriculture / Animal Science
- Cosmetology
- Law Enforcement / Criminal Justice
🧘 Wellness, Health & Physical Education
- Yoga / Mindfulness
- Lifetime Sports (Tennis, Golf)
- Strength Training
- Dance Fitness
- Health & Nutrition
- Sports Medicine
