AP Seminar

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About the Course

Develop and practice the skills in research, collaboration, and communication that you’ll need in any academic discipline. You’ll investigate topics in a variety of subject areas, write research-based essays, and design and give presentations both individually and as part of a team.

Skills You'll Learn

  • Reading and analyzing articles, studies, and other texts

  • Gathering and combining information from sources

  • Viewing an issue from multiple perspectives

  • Crafting arguments based on evidence

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills on topics of the student’s choosing. To accommodate the wide range of student topics, typical college course equivalents include interdisciplinary or general elective courses.

Recommended Prerequisites

None

Assessment Dates

  • MAY 1, 2023, 11:59 PM EDT

    AP Seminar Performance Tasks Due Date

    You must submit all final AP Seminar performance tasks via the AP Digital Portfolio and your teacher must have scored all presentations by this time.

  • Thu, May 4, 2023,
    12 PM Local

    AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam 

    This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam.

Course Content

You’ll learn about the first step of doing research: inquiry and investigation.

You’ll practice:

  • Identifying a problem or issue and developing a question about it
  • Finding and organizing the information you need to answer the question
  • Evaluating the sources of information you use
  • Looking at the problem or issue from different perspectives

You’ll learn to read, comprehend, and explain a perspective or argument.

You’ll practice:

  • Reading critically for a purpose
  • Explaining and analyzing the line of reasoning of an argument
  • Evaluating the evidence an author uses to support their argument
  • Assessing potential resolutions, conclusions, or solutions raised by an argument

You’ll learn to compare and contrast different perspectives on an issue, idea, or problem so you can understand its complexity.

You’ll practice:

  • Identifying, comparing, and interpreting different perspectives on, or arguments about, an issue
  • Evaluating objections, implications, and limitations of different perspectives or arguments

You’ll learn to take information you’ve gathered, analyzed, and evaluated and use it to form your own conclusions and build your own argument.

You’ll practice:

  • Formulating a well-reasoned argument
  • Using data and information from various sources to develop and support an argument
  • Linking evidence to claims
  • Offering resolutions, conclusions, or solutions based on evidence

You’ll learn to work alone and in a group to communicate your ideas to an audience.

You’ll practice:

  • Planning, producing, and presenting an argument while considering audience, context, and purpose
  • Communicating information through appropriate media
  • Using effective techniques to engage an audience
  • Contributing your own work to a group project

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See Where AP Can Take You

AP Seminar can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors

Career Areas 98
Majors 46