MAPS: Moody Advanced Professional Studies

MAPS (Moody Advanced Professional Studies) courses and focus areas bring students closer to the ideas, skills, and experiences shaping today’s universities and professional world.Each MAPS course of study comes to life through engagement with industry experts and university faculty, real-world challenges, and meaningful projects developed in collaboration with business leaders and professionals. Students don’t just learn about their fields—they experience what it means to think, create, collaborate, and solve problems in the real world.

And because success requires more than technical knowledge, leadership and professional skills are intentionally woven into every MAPS course through a specially designed leadership program. The result is an experience that prepares students not only for college, but to lead, contribute, and thrive in whatever comes next.

A group of four young people and an older man stand smiling with confetti streamers, holding a trophy in front of a modern building interior.

How do I apply?

All rising juniors and seniors are invited to apply to one or more of our six distinctive MAPS focus areas. Admission is competitive, and we’re looking for students whose intellectual curiosity, character, and personality will thrive in a dynamic, academic, and highly collaborative environment.

Applications open each fall, with information sessions led by current MAPS students to help you discover what makes each focus area unique. And because choosing just one can be difficult, students may apply to multiple focus areas each year.

Students who continue with MAPS for a second year receive priority consideration for their senior-year application, making it easier to take that perfect MAPS class before you graduate.

MAPS Focus Areas (2026-27)

Modern Media

Sports Analytics

Sports is big business—and data is transforming how the game is played, managed, and understood. In this focus area, you’ll use analytics to explore player performance, team strategy, and the business of sports across high school, collegiate, professional, and Olympic competition. Through dynamic team challenges and case studies, you’ll analyze data, develop insights, and present your findings with the confidence and clarity to stand out.

Brain Science & Health

Business Design & Leadership

Environmental Architecture

Engineering Design

Great products begin with bold ideas and the engineering skills to bring them to life. In this focus area, you’ll work with a team to design, build, and test innovative products and solutions, putting creativity and engineering into action. Along the way, you’ll tackle a series of hands-on engineering challenges and compete with classmates to find the best designed solution.