Advanced Placement
Why Take AP Seminar?
Interested in choosing your own topic of study? There’s an AP® course for that. AP Seminar gives you the opportunity to explore your passion and learn like college students do.
“I was handed the baton of pursuing what I wanted, and that kind of freedom is rare in high school. Not only was I able to research subjects I was passionate about, but I was also able to learn how to compile it into an argumentative paper, then present and defend my findings in an articulate presentation. I learned valuable research skills that continue to aid in my work.”
Jayden H., former AP Seminar & AP Research student currently at University of Pennsylvania
About the Course
AP Seminar gives you the opportunity to develop and practice skills in research and effective communication through speaking and writing. During the course you’ll investigate a wide variety of real-world issues, write essays, and design and give presentations. Unlike other AP courses, AP Seminar doesn’t just conclude with a traditional AP Exam — you’ll also complete performance tasks throughout the year, like a collaborative team project and research-based essay.
There are no prerequisites for this course. In fact, AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research. These courses make up the two-year AP Capstone program. Once both courses are completed, you’ll have the opportunity to receive two awards. These awards are highly valued by colleges and universities globally.
Students typically take AP Seminar in grade 10 or 11. In some schools, you may be able to take AP Seminar as an English course in grade 10.
How You Benefit
Get ready for anything! Both AP Capstone courses, AP Seminar and AP Research, help you hone skills critical for success in all majors and careers. These skills can be directly applied in journalism and communications, business administration, education, political science, prelaw studies and more. Check out all majors and careers that align best with this course.
Here’s a recap of the skills you’ll learn in AP Seminar:
- Reading and analyzing articles, studies, and other texts.
- Gathering and combining information from sources.
- Viewing an issue from multiple perspectives.
- Crafting, communicating and defending arguments based on evidence.
Taking AP Seminar will help prepare you for AP Research, where you’ll go a step further to design, plan, and conduct a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of your choice.
“AP Seminar was much more student-led as it allowed for students to research a problem and develop a solution to implement within their team. Many classes were spent working within teams as well as collaborating with others, and several classes were also spent on soft skills such as presentation and communication, which I've found to be very helpful in my everyday life.”
Mia V., former AP Seminar student currently at University of Virginia
Ask your counselor if this course is available at your school.
