Governor's Health Sciences Academies are programs designed to expand options for students’ health science literacy and other critical knowledge, skills, and credentials that will prepare them for high-demand, high-wage, and high-skills careers in Virginia. Each academy is a partnership among school divisions, postsecondary institutions and business and industry.

Each Governor’s Academy for Health Sciences will incorporate academic content with career and technical instruction and implement the five career pathways: Therapeutic Services, Diagnostic Services, Health Informatics, Support Services, and Biotechnology Research and Development.

Governor's Health Sciences Academies actively partner with employers to design and provide high-quality, dynamic programs. These programs are delivered through comprehensive courses of study that prepare students for successful transition to postsecondary education and careers. These specialty programs include partnerships of public school divisions, business and industry, health care institutions, higher education institutions, and may include local government, including local work force and economic development entities. All programs include significant work-based instruction or training beyond the classroom using cooperative education, internships, clinical experiences, job shadowing, mentorships, service learning or a combination.

Virginia's 9 Governor's Health Sciences Academies

A list of the nine Governor's Health Sciences Academies, including a brief focus on each academy.

How to Establish a Health Sciences Academy

Developing and implementing a Governor's Health Sciences Academy involves extensive planning and discussions among the participating partners. Includes forms, manuals, and other information to help with the establishment of an academy.

Map of the 9 Governor's Health Sciences Academies (PDF)

Location and descriptions of the academies with links to the academy Web pages.

Student Requirements

Graduates of the Governor's Health Sciences Academies must achieve one or more of the following benchmarks:

• Earn one or more industry certifications or state occupational licenses, and/or; demonstrate competency on an assessment instrument recognized by postsecondary institutions such as College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations, collaboratively designed or mutually approved end-of-course tests, college placement tests, or student portfolios reviewed by a team of college and high school faculty; or
• Earn at least 9 transferable college credits as defined by the Early College Scholars program including dual enrollment and Advanced Placement and other options; or
• Earn an associate degree.

Academy Goals

• Improve academic achievement of students in the academy;
• Increase completion of dual enrollment courses;
• Provide work-based experiences for students through strong partnerships with businesses;
• Increase high school graduation rates;
• Reduce dropout rates;
• Increase enrollment and retention in postsecondary education;
• Increase the proportion of students completing a college and career ready curriculum in high school;
• Reduce the proportion of students requiring remediation in college;
• Increase the number of industry certifications awarded to high school students; and
• Increase the number of graduates employed in high-wage, high-demand and high-skill health science careers.