VANTAGE

VANTAGE is Minnetonka High School’s innovative advanced professional studies program. VANTAGE students explore the professional world and develop critical skills (problem-solving, effective communication, leadership, team collaboration, and professionalism) that prepare them for a successful future. VANTAGE’s layered experiential model includes real-world projects, mentors, guest instructors, site visits, and events. These layers combine to create an experience that builds renewed energy for learning and confidence about the future.

VANTAGE Strands
The VANTAGE Experience

VANTAGE Strands

The VANTAGE Experience

The VANTAGE Experience:

When asked how VANTAGE differs from the traditional high school experience, VANTAGE students talk about the sense of community, focus on critical thinking, independence, exceptional engagement, and stretching into new challenges.

A sense of community comes from the full-year, multi-period strands where peers and teachers grow to know each other on a deeper level than is possible in single-period, half-year classes.
Critical thinking comes from expectations for developing opinions and rationale for perspectives.
Independence comes from making good decisions when unsupervised and from non-algorithmic problem-solving.
Exceptional engagement is driven by working on real challenges with outside organizations where student work impacts the world. New challenges at VANTAGE include working on teams, managing adult relationships, presenting, leading peers, and operating in professional environments.

VANTAGE Students work on two major projects during the year. They manage a mentor relationship, set up monthly meetings, and develop the ability to seek coaching. VANTAGE strands bring guest instructors in to demonstrate connections between academic content and the professional world. Students visit places related to their strand theme to see the related professional world first-hand. Throughout the year, students experience events and activities designed to develop skills and confidence to drive future success.

Through the VANTAGE experience, students develop a set of critical life skills that are designed to drive success on any path:

Teamwork
Problem-Solving
Effective Communication
Leadership
Professionalism

Full VANTAGE Website

vantage areas of study Map (PDF)

Note: When students register for one VANTAGE course in Skyward, they will be automatically enrolled in all associated courses.

Course Listing

Business Analytics (VANTAGE)

Course: #V100
Grade(s) offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
Credits: 2.0

AP Statistics (1.0 math credit - weighted)
IB Business Management SL or HL (1.0 business elective credit - weighted)

Prerequisites: Interest in global business and statistics. Students who have taken VANTAGE Business Analytics or IB Business SL at MHS are not eligible for Global Business.

This course teaches students to analyze big data to support decision-making in the business world.

Design + Marketing (VANTAGE)

Course: #V104
Grades Offered: Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12
MHS Credits: 2.0

CIS Creative Problem Solving (1.0 art credit - weighted)
Marketing I & II (1.0 business elective credit)

College Credits: 3.0

CIS Creative Problem Solving (3.0 CIS University of Minnesota credits)

Prerequisites: Interest in marketing and graphic design.

In this course, students will learn about what it takes to be successful in the design and marketing fields. They will master graphic design software, layout and presentation apps, and produce work for print and online environments. At the same time, students learn about marketing principles that influence firm performance in the marketplace.

Global Business (VANTAGE)

Course: #V102
Grade(s) offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
Credits: 3.0

AP Microeconomics (1.0 social studies credit - weighted)
AP Seminar (1.0 English credit - weighted)
IB Business Management SL (1.0 business elective credit - weighted)

Prerequisites: Interest in business. Students who have taken VANTAGE Business Analytics or IB Business SL at MHS are not eligible for Global Business.

VANTAGE Global Business allows students to explore diverse global business concepts through a global lens. Students utilized critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve complex business problems while tackling challenging coursework in economics, English, and business.

Global Sustainability (VANTAGE)

Course: #V300
Grades Offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
Credits: 2.0

AP Environmental Science (1.0 science elective credit - weighted)
Global Studies and Economics (1.0 social studies credit)

Prerequisites: Interest in the environment and sustainability. Students must have completed a biology credit or concurrently enrolled in Biology (Biology G, AP Biology, or IB Biology).

This experiential course meets students at the intersection of science, food, sustainability, and economics. Students work on real projects as they go deep into sustainable practices.

Health Sciences 2 (VANTAGE) - NEW FOR 2024-25

Course: #V210
Grade(s) offered: Grade 12
Credits: 2.0

Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 (.5 elective credit)
Medical Terminology (.5 elective credit)
Emergency Medical Technician (1.0 elective credit)

Prerequisites: Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 or VANTAGE Health Sciences. Physical Science and Chemistry. Students who have already completed Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 at MHS are NOT eligible for this strand.

In VANTAGE Health Sciences 2, students participate in health science-related experiences to understand future employment opportunities in this growing economy sector. This strand is designed to build on the VANTAGE Health Sciences curriculum and provide additional excellent preparation for nursing school, medical school, PT, OT, and other healthcare-related professional education tracks.

Health Sciences (VANTAGE)

Course: #V200
Grade(s) offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
Credits: 2.25

AP Psychology (1.0 social studies credit - weighted)
Human Anatomy and Physiology I (1.0 science elective credit)
Medical Sciences (.25 science elective credit) - Students choose between Nursing Assistant Registered (NAR) or Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course options.

Prerequisites: Physical science and algebra; interest in health sciences; chemistry strongly recommended. Students who have already completed Human Anatomy and Physiology I at MHS are NOT eligible for this strand.

Explore a variety of healthcare fields through coursework, site visits, guest instruction and projects. Become certified as a Nursing Assistant Registered or Emergency Medical Responder.

International Relations (VANTAGE)

Course: #V800
Grade offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
MHS Credits: 2.0

IB Global Politics SL* (1.0 social studies credit - weighted)
CIS College Writing (1.0 English credit - weighted)

College Credits: 3.0

CIS College Writing (3.0 University of Minnesota Duluth credits)

*This is a year-long social studies elective course which can be applied to the required 12th-grade social studies credit.
**Students who have already completed IB Global Politics in Spanish are NOT eligible for this strand.

International Relations is an introductory course on international politics and the relations between actors in the global political system. The overarching goal of this course is for students to critically engage with diverse and opposing perspectives to better understand the changing world and their role as citizens.

Multimedia Communications (VANTAGE)

Course: #V600
Grade(s) offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
Credits: 2.0

Video Production (1.0 Arts credit)
Digital Journalism and Investigative Research (1.0 English credit)

Prerequisites: Interest in digital media and telling stories that matter

Students learn about journalistic video production by working on a variety projects including writing memoirs, public service announcements, promotional videos for outside organizations, and podcasts.

Public Policy (VANTAGE)

Course: #V700
Grade(s) offered: Grade 11, Grade 12
MHS Credits: 2.0

AP Seminar (1.0 English credit - weighted)
CIS Political Science 1001: American Democracy in a Changing World (1.0 social studies credit - weighted)

College credits: 3.0

CIS Political Science 1001: American Democracy in a Changing World (3.0 University of Minnesota credits)

Prerequisites: Interest in how public policy is formulated.

This VANTAGE strand creates an opportunity for students to explore the world of public policy formulation through coursework, projects, mentoring, guest instruction, and site visits. Students utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills to evaluate complex public policy questions while tackling challenging coursework in English and social studies.