Pilot: AP African American Studies

AP African American Studies is in development and being piloted in select U.S. high schools through 2024.  

Official AP African American Studies Course Framework

View the Framework

Link

AP Course Interest Form

If you want to learn more about AP African American Studies, fill out this form for updates.

Developing the Course 

For more than a decade, the AP Program has worked alongside colleges, universities, and secondary schools to create an AP course in African American studies.   

Drawing from the expertise and experience of college faculty and teachers across the country, the course is designed to offer high school students an evidence-based introduction to African American studies.   

The interdisciplinary course reaches into a variety of fields—literature, the arts and humanities, political science, geography, and science—to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans.   

Course Development Timeline

  • 2022-23 First pilot at 60 schools across the country. 
  • 2023-24 Pilot expands to hundreds of additional high schools. Pilot students take the first AP African American Studies Exams in spring of 2024.
  • 2024-25 All schools can begin offering AP African American Studies. 
  • Spring 2025 AP African American Studies Exams available to all students. 

Securing College Credit and Placement 

A new AP course can only launch if colleges and universities commit to awarding college credit and placement to students who achieve qualifying AP Exam scores. More than 200 institutions have already committed to supporting AP African American Studies through credit and placement policies, and we are encouraging more higher education partners to support the launch of this important course. 

The AP Program is committed to developing AP African American Studies and has already engaged faculty from hundreds of colleges and universities to ensure the course reflects the academic rigor of introductory college courses within the discipline.   

We expect AP African American Studies to have a significant positive impact on college course enrollments within the field. Research consistently shows that students who take AP courses are more likely to take additional related coursework in college and to major or minor in that discipline. 

Colleges and Universities

We hope you will join the 200+ institutions that have already committed to recognizing this course for college credit. Please email us to let us know where you are in your course review process.

Contact Us 

Please visit Contacts: AP African American Studies if you have questions about the course. 

Resources

Link

AP African American Studies: Suggested Source Intake Form

If you have suggestions for additional sources for AP African American Studies, please fill out this form for the course development committee to review.

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