North Carolina's Health Science Education pathway is one of the state's most robust CTE programs, serving over 40,000 students annually across the state's comprehensive high schools and career-focused high schools. The program prepares students for careers in healthcare through a combination of classroom instruction, laboratory practice, and clinical experiences in actual healthcare settings.
North Carolina has developed a clear articulation pathway from high school through community college and university programs, allowing students to earn college credits and industry credentials while still in high school. The state's strong healthcare industry—including major academic medical centers, regional hospitals, and growing biotech sector—provides abundant opportunities for clinical placements and employment.
The pathway emphasizes both technical healthcare skills and essential employability skills including communication, teamwork, and ethical decision-making. Students can specialize in areas like nursing, emergency medicine, dental health, or biomedical technology, with coursework aligned to industry standards and licensure requirements.
Health Science at a Glance
4
Courses
8
Credentials
5
Career Paths
State Standards & Framework
North Carolina's Health Science Education programs follow the National Consortium for Health Science Education (NCHSE) National Health Science Standards. The NC Department of Public Instruction has developed comprehensive curriculum frameworks aligned with these standards and North Carolina's Essential Standards. Programs must demonstrate integration of academic content with applied healthcare knowledge and prepare students for credentials recognized by the North Carolina Healthcare Association and other industry partners.
Typical Course Sequence
| Course | Code |
|---|---|
| Health Science I | HS10 |
| Health Science II | HS20 |
| Health Science Specialty (Nursing, EMT, etc.) | HS30 |
| Clinical Experience or Advanced Study | HS40 |
Industry Certifications & Credentials
- ✓Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- ✓CPR/AED for Healthcare Providers (BLS)
- ✓First Aid
- ✓Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- ✓Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
- ✓EKG Technician
- ✓Pharmacy Technician (PTCB)
- ✓NOCTI Emergency and Medical Services
Career Opportunities
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Growth projections from BLS Employment Projections (2023-2033). Cost-of-living adjustment uses BEA Regional Price Parities (2023). Entry-level salaries reflect the 25th percentile; experienced salaries reflect the median.
Registered Nurse
ExperiencedSalary range: $74,710 - $98,720
Adjusted for cost of living: $86,956
Licensed Practical Nurse
Entry LevelSalary range: $54,370 - $66,560
Adjusted for cost of living: $57,754
Medical Assistant
Entry LevelSalary range: $37,350 - $46,340
Adjusted for cost of living: $39,675
Emergency Medical Technician
Entry LevelSalary range: $35,650 - $48,180
Adjusted for cost of living: $37,869
Dental Hygienist
ExperiencedSalary range: $80,300 - $96,590
Adjusted for cost of living: $95,305
Work-Based Learning Opportunities
Clinical rotations in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and clinics. Externships with healthcare providers including UNC Health, Duke Health, and Atrium Health systems. Job shadowing with physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals. Summer health career camps and internship programs.
Career & Technical Student Organization
Students in this pathway can participate in HOSA-Future Health Professionals, gaining leadership experience and competing in career-related events.
How Sage Helps North Carolina CTE Programs
AI-Powered Curriculum
Generate standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes, not months
North Carolina Standards Built In
Pre-loaded with North Carolina's CTE standards and frameworks
Teacher Customization
Teachers personalize content while maintaining standards alignment
Ongoing Updates
Curriculum stays current as North Carolina standards and industry needs evolve
Related Pathways in North Carolina
Biomedical Technology
North Carolina's biomedical technology pathway prepares students for careers developing and maintaining medical equipment and devices. Students develop expertise in biomedical equipment operation, maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. Growing biotech and medical device industries, particularly in the Research Triangle, create strong career opportunities. Curriculum covers medical equipment technology, biomedical principles, troubleshooting and repair, safety procedures, and quality assurance. Students work with actual medical equipment in laboratories. Learning emphasizes precision, safety, and compliance with healthcare standards. Graduates work as biomedical technicians, equipment service representatives, clinical engineering technicians, and quality assurance specialists for hospitals, medical device manufacturers, and equipment service companies.
Healthcare & Human ServicesEmergency Medical Technology
North Carolina's emergency medical technology pathway prepares students for careers as paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Students develop expertise in emergency response, patient care, trauma management, and emergency protocols. Strong demand from EMS agencies, hospitals, and fire departments creates career opportunities. Curriculum covers anatomy and physiology, emergency medical assessment, treatment protocols, trauma care, and professional responsibilities. Students train in realistic emergency scenarios and complete field internships. Learning emphasizes quick decision-making and patient care excellence. Graduates work as EMTs and paramedics for fire departments, ambulance services, hospitals, and private EMS companies. Many advance to EMS supervision or education roles.
Healthcare & Human ServicesRelated Glossary Terms
CTE Pathways
CTE Pathways are structured sequences of courses within a Career Cluster that prepare students for a specific group of related occupations. Pathways combine academic and technical instruction, providing a clear roadmap from introductory courses through advanced, specialized training aligned with industry standards and postsecondary opportunities.
ProgrammaticWork-Based Learning
Work-Based Learning (WBL) encompasses a range of educational strategies that connect classroom instruction with real workplace experiences. Activities include internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, clinical rotations, and cooperative education, all designed to help CTE students apply technical skills in authentic industry settings.
ProgrammaticIndustry Certifications in CTE
Industry certifications in CTE are credentials issued by industry organizations or third-party bodies that validate a student's mastery of specific technical skills and knowledge. Examples include CompTIA A+, AWS Certified Welder, and ServSafe, which demonstrate career readiness to employers in ways that transcend state and district boundaries.
AssessmentArticulation Agreements
Articulation agreements are formal partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions that allow CTE students to earn college credit for coursework completed in high school. These agreements define how high school CTE courses align with college-level courses and establish the conditions under which credit transfers.
ProgrammaticReady to Build Health Science Programs at Scale?
See how Sage can help you create standards-aligned curriculum for Health Science in North Carolina.