AP Capstone™ is a College Board program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. AP Capstone comprises two AP courses—AP Seminar and AP Research—and is designed to complement and enhance the discipline-specific study in other AP courses.

Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing 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 receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.

AP Seminar is a yearlong course in which students investigate real-world issues from multiple perspectives. Students learn to synthesize information from different sources, develop their own perspectives in research-based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. During the course, students complete a team project and an individual paper and presentation, as well as take a written end-of-course exam. These components contribute to the overall AP Seminar score. 

AP Research lets students deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of interest to them. Students design, plan, and conduct a yearlong research-based investigation to address a research question, documenting their process with a portfolio. The course ends with a 4,000- to 5,000-word academic paper and a presentation with an oral defense which contributes to the overall AP Research course. There is no end-of-course exam

AP Seminar and AP Research are both yearlong courses that employ through-course assessments. For AP Seminar, students complete a team project and presentation and an individual research-based essay and presentation with an oral defense, as well as taking a written end-of-course exam. These components contribute to the overall AP Seminar score.

For AP Research, students complete a 4,000- to 5,000-word academic paper and a presentation with an oral defense. There is no end-of-course exam.

Here are some topics that students have chosen to investigate in AP Seminar:

Effect of texting on grammar skills
Food waste solutions
Future of the automotive industry
Importance of voting age and civic participation of teens
Mathematics behind extreme sports
Genetically modified organisms
Role of art in education
Wealth inequality

Here are some topics that students have chosen to investigate in AP Research:

3-D printed prosthetics for amputees
Algorithm of K-pop music
Effects of sleep deprivation on academic achievement in teens
Learning chemistry through musical chords
Environmental injustice in subsidized housing
Effect of popular opinion on the implementation of Supreme Court decisions

Students who are motivated and prepared for college-level coursework are best suited for the program. The program also benefits those students who may have an interest in or show potential for AP coursework but have not yet enrolled in AP courses. Students should demonstrate curiosity about real-world issues, a willingness to take intellectual risks, and a dedication to acquiring the skills that colleges and universities value—critical inquiry, analysis, and research.

The AP Capstone Diploma program launched in fall 2014. It was developed by the College Board after hearing from higher education faculty and administrators who were seeking incoming freshmen with proficiency in critical thinking and communication skills. Specifically, these higher education professionals wanted to identify students who were able to analyze different perspectives, evaluate the credibility of sources, use scholarly methods, build evidence-based arguments, work in teams, work with mentors, and develop and deliver team and individual presentations.

Successfully completing an AP Capstone course or earning one of the AP Capstone awards communicates to colleges and universities that an applicant has these skills.