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AP Capstone Diploma Program

About the AP Capstone Program

AP Capstone is an innovative diploma program from the College Board that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that colleges increasingly value. AP Capstone is built on the foundation of two AP courses — AP Seminar and AP Research — and is designed to complement and enhance the in-depth, discipline-specific study experienced in other AP courses.

In AP Seminar, students investigate real-world issues from multiple perspectives, gathering and analyzing information from various sources to develop credible and valid evidence-based arguments. In AP Research, students cultivate the skills and discipline necessary to conduct independent research and inquiry to produce and defend their scholarly work.

AP Capstone program aims to empower students by:

  • Engaging them with rigorous college-level curricula focused on the skills necessary for successful college completion; 
  • Extending their abilities to synthesize information from multiple perspectives and apply skills in new situations and cross-curricular contexts; 
  • Enabling them to collect and analyze information with accuracy and precision;  
  • Cultivating their abilities to craft, communicate, and defend evidence-based arguments; and  
  • Providing opportunities for them to practice disciplined and scholarly research skills while exploring relevant topics that appeal to their interests and curiosity

AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar Certificate

The AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar and Research Certificate Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will receive the AP Capstone Diploma. Students who earn scores of "3" or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

AP Seminar at Cambridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Cambridge, students can take AP Seminar, embedded with Literature/Comp Honors, as the year 1 course, which will also count as 1 English credit towards the graduation requirement.

More Information

For more information on the AP Capstone Diploma Program can be found on the CollegeBoard site at AP Central.