AP Human Geography

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About the Course

Immerse yourself in AP Human Geography by investigating population trends, exploring diverse cultural landscapes, and identifying spatial patterns across various scales. From bustling cities to rural areas, you’ll embark on a journey of discovery as you examine the diverse interactions that people have with the environment.

Skills You'll Learn

Connecting geographic concepts and processes to real-life scenarios
Understanding information shown in maps, tables, charts, graphs, infographics, images, and landscapes
Seeing patterns and trends in data and in visual sources such as maps and drawing conclusions from them
Understanding spatial relationships using geographic scales

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

An introductory college-level course in human geography

Recommended Prerequisites

None

Exam Date

Tue, May 6, 2025

8 AM Local

AP Human Geography Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Human Geography Exam.

Details Add to Calendar

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

You’ll learn about the tools and methods geographers use in their study of places.

Topics may include:

Different types of maps and what they tell you
How geographers collect and use data
Spatial relationships and patterns
Data analysis at different scales (for example, global, national, local)
How geographers define regions

On The Exam

8%–10% of multiple-choice score

Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes

You’ll explore the patterns associated with human populations.

Topics may include:

Population density and how it affects society and the environment
Theories of population growth and decline
Population and immigration policies and their effects
The causes and effects of migration

On The Exam

12%–17% of multiple-choice score

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

You’ll focus on how and why language, religion, and other cultural practices spread over space and time.

Topics may include:

The different ways that cultural practices spread
Historical forces, such as colonialism and trade, that affect cultural patterns
Modern forces, such as globalization, that affect cultural patterns
Why different religions spread in different ways

On The Exam

12%–17% of multiple-choice score

Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes

You’ll build on your knowledge of populations and cultural patterns as you learn about the political organization of the world.

Topics may include:

Types of political entities such as nations and nation-states
The ideas and forces that shaped the political boundaries of the modern world
Forms of government such as unitary states and federal states
The factors that lead to states breaking apart

On The Exam

12%–17% of multiple-choice score

Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

You’ll learn where humans first developed agriculture and how farming practices spread throughout the world.

Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes

You’ll explore the origins and influences of urbanization, examining cities across the world and the role of those cities in globalization.

Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

You’ll study the origins and influences of industrialization, along with the role industrialization plays in economic development.

Course Resources

Link

AP Classroom Resources

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Download

AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.

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4.42 KB

Link

Why Take AP Human Geography?

Learn more about why AP Human Geography is one of the most popular AP courses for 9th and 10th graders.

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AP Human Geography

About the Course

Skills You'll Learn

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

Recommended Prerequisites

Exam Date

AP Human Geography Exam

About the Units

Course Content

Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes

Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

Search AP Credit Policies

Course Resources

AP Classroom Resources

AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description

Why Take AP Human Geography?

Additional Information

Thank you.

AP Human Geography

Not a Student?

AP Human Geography

About the Course

Skills You'll Learn

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

Recommended Prerequisites

Exam Date

AP Human Geography Exam

About the Units

Course Content

Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes

Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

Search AP Credit Policies

Course Resources

AP Classroom Resources

AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description

Why Take AP Human Geography?

See Where AP Can Take You

Additional Information