Introduction 

If you’re thinking “Can I get through week 2 before I map out the rest of my life?” You’re not alone!

Starting college is like moving to a new city. You’ve got your bags, your hopes, and no idea how public transit works. And now someone’s already asking you where you want to live, work, and retire?

What are Cascadia Pathways? Why do we use it?

Recent research has shown that many students at community colleges were not completing their programs. Importantly, this disproportionally affects students of color, first generation students, and students from historically underrepresented communities.

The Guided Pathways framework was created to help students find and get on a Pathway within their first 30 credits (or about 6 classes). Community college students are more likely to achieve academic and career goals when they have a clearly defined plan early on.

Cascadia Pathways and College 101

College 101 and Cascadia Pathways are a match made in heaven because College 101 is a space for you to reflect on your personal learning and explore your educational and career goals.

Students who explore their career goals early:

• Change majors less often
• Take fewer unnecessary classes
• Graduate sooner
• Spend less money
• Feel more confident about their direction.

We start the conversation about Cascadia Pathways this early in the quarter because it’s the framework for many of our activities throughout the quarter. This quarter you will:

• Explore your career interest
• Map a potential major onto that career interest
• Draft your educational plan
• Connect with your academic advisor one-on-one

Defining Cascadia Pathways

The title Cascadia Pathways encompasses two things:

1. Areas of Interest: At Cascadia, we organize all of our programs into seven broad Areas of Interest. These are categories that group similar fields together like “Health & Wellness” or “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” They help you explore your options even if you’re not sure of your exact major yet.
2. Pathways: Within each Area of Interest, you’ll find Pathways. These are specific sets of courses that guide you toward completing a degree or certificate in the fastest and most affordable way possible. Cascadia offers more than 70 Pathways, each designed to help you stay on track and graduate with confidence.
   • Each Pathway has a Program Map which gives you a clear course sequence breakdown of the classes required to complete any of Cascadia’s degree or certificate programs to graduate on time. Exploring Program Maps will help you as you draft your educational plan in College 101.

Areas of Interest are like bookshelves in a library; each one holds books about a similar topic.

Pathways are the specific books you choose to read. You don’t have to pick a book right away but knowing which shelf you’re browsing helps narrow things down.

Here’s an overview of Cascadia’s seven Areas of Interest. You’ll explore these areas and Pathways throughout College 101, particularly as you start exploring careers and drafting your educational plan. Remember, you don’t have to commit to a Pathway right now!

Business

Interested in leadership, starting your own business, or helping other companies grow? The Business Area includes accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, and more.

• Business Program Maps
• Watch the video to learn more about where this Area can take you.

Communication, Creative Arts & Design

Have a story to tell or something to design, draw or build? Pathways in this Area lead to careers in graphic design, writing, animation, game design, broadcasting, and more. You’ll explore how to communicate ideas through visual, spoken, and written media—and gain skills in design, storytelling, multimedia expression, and audience-focused communication.

• Communication, Creative Arts & Design Program Maps
• Watch the video to learn more about where this Area can take you.

Earth Sciences, Sustainability, & Environmental Studies

Curious about how natural systems work and how we protect them? Pathways in this Area prepare you for careers in fields like marine biology, geology, public policy, and environmental safety. You’ll explore how humans interact with natural systems, like water, air, and ecosystems, and build skills in scientific analysis, field research, and collaborative problem-solving.

• Earth Sciences, Sustainability, & Environmental Studies Program Maps
• Watch the video to learn more about where this Area can take you.

Health & Wellness

Want to help people feel better and live healthier lives? Pathways in this Area prepare you for careers in nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, veterinary care, and more. You’ll explore how health is shaped by science, communication, and social systems—while building skills in problem-solving, analysis, and working with others.

• Health & Wellness Program Maps
• Watch the video to learn more about where this Area can take you.

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)

Pathways in this Area lead to careers in medicine, engineering, computer science, data science, education, research, and more. You’ll explore how science and math drive innovation, and gain skills in data analysis, problem-solving, research, and applying evidence-based thinking to real-world challenges.

• Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Program Maps
• Watch the video to learn more about where this Area can take you.

Social Sciences, Human Services, & Education

Interested in people, justice, or how society works? Pathways in this area lead to careers in law, education, social work, public service, nonprofit leadership, and more. You’ll study human behavior, culture, institutions, and global systems, and build skills in research, communication, critical thinking, and working with diverse communities.

• Social Sciences, Human Services, & Education Program Maps
• Watch the video to learn more about where this Area can take you.

Finding Program Maps

Cascadia faculty and staff have created Program Maps which are recommended course sequences that help you plan your Pathway and stay on track. You’ll use these maps when drafting your educational plan, and you can browse them anytime to learn more about each Pathway.

Video Instructions

Written Instructions

1. Head to catalog.cascadia.edu/guided-pathways
2. You can either search for a specific Area of Interest or Pathway, or you can select your Area from the Area of Interest dropdown.
3. Click “Apply” once you’ve selected your Area of Interest from the dropdown.
4. You’ll now see a list of the Pathways available within your Area of Interest. You’ll also see the recommended degree or certification for that Pathway.
5. Click on the Degree or Certification name to learn more about that type of credential
6. Click on the Pathway name, blue Area of Interest box, or Arrow to learn more about that Pathway.
7. On the Pathway landing page, scroll down to the “Courses” box to see the Program Map.
8. You can click on a course title to read a description of the course and learn about any prerequisites.

Now that you’ve learned more about Areas of Interest and Pathways at Cascadia, it’s time to start exploring different careers. Once you’ve completed the career exploration activity in College 101, your class will work with Academic Advisors to develop your educational plan draft. This plan will help you choose classes that align with your goals and can be updated anytime as your interests grow or change.