Course Overview
AP European History is an introductory college-level European history course. Students cultivate their understanding of European history through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like interaction of Europe and the world; economic and commercial developments; cultural and intellectual developments; states and other institutions of power; social organization and development; national and European identity; and technological and scientific innovation.
Course and Exam Description
Course Resources
Course Content
Influenced by the Understanding by Design® (Wiggins and McTighe) model, this course framework provides a description of the course requirements necessary for student success.
The AP European History framework is organized into nine commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.
| Unit | Exam Weighting |
| Unit 1: Renaissance and Exploration | 10%–15% |
| Unit 2: Age of Reformation | 10%–15% |
| Unit 3: Absolutism and Constitutionalism | 10%–15% |
| Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments | 10%–15% |
| Unit 5: Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century | 10%–15% |
| Unit 6: Industrialization and Its Effects | 10%–15% |
| Unit 7: 19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments | 10%–15% |
| Unit 8: 20th-Century Global Conflicts | 10%–15% |
| Unit 9: Cold War and Contemporary Europe | 10%–15% |
Historical Thinking Skills
The AP European History framework included in the course and exam description outlines distinct skills that students should practice throughout the year—skills that will help them learn to think and act like historians.
| Skill | Description |
| 1. Developments and Processes | Identify and explain historical developments and processes. |
| 2. Sourcing and Situation | Analyze sourcing and situation of primary and secondary sources. |
| 3. Claims and Evidence in Sources | Analyze arguments in primary and secondary sources. |
| 4. Contextualization | Analyze the context of historical events, developments, or processes. |
| 5. Making Connections | Using historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity and change) analyze patterns and connections between and among historical developments and processes. |
| 6. Argumentation | Develop an argument. |
AP and Higher Education
Higher education professionals play a key role in developing AP courses and exams, setting credit and placement policies, and scoring student work. The AP Higher Education section features information on recruitment and admission, advising and placement, and more.
This chart shows recommended scores for granting credit, and how much credit should be awarded, for each AP course. Your students can look up credit and placement policies for colleges and universities on the AP Credit Policy Search.