AP Capstone Diploma Program Professional Learning

Learn more about required summer workshops for new teachers of AP Seminar and AP Research.

Sign Up to Participate in AP Capstone

The summer before their first year teaching AP Seminar or AP Research, AP Capstone teachers must complete a one-time, four- or five-day workshop for that course offered by select AP Summer Institutes.

Virtual and in-person workshop options are available.

Schools must be approved to offer AP Capstone before teachers can register for a summer workshop. Interested schools first need to sign up in order to participate. Check whether your school has completed the required sign-up form. 

Who Should Take Part in the Summer Workshops?

  • All teachers of AP Capstone courses—AP Seminar and AP Research—are required to participate in professional learning.
  • Supporting teachers, librarians, media specialists, curriculum administrators, and district representatives may also consider participating.
  • Teachers who do not work at participating AP Capstone schools are not eligible to attend summer workshops for AP Seminar and AP Research. (Interested schools must sign up in order to participate.)

How It Works 

  • Summer workshop sessions take place over a consecutive four- or five-day period for 30 contact hours. 
  • In some cases, instructors may attend training up to 2 years before teaching the course. This is permissible if the instructor has attended the entirety of summer training prior to teaching the course.  
  • Instructors who need to be trained for both AP Seminar and AP Research in the same year must attend separate workshops during 2 different weeks. 
  • On completion of the summer workshop, attendees receive 3 continuing education credits (CEUs) from IACET (International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training). Currently, graduate credit is not awarded for participation in the summer workshop. 
  • New AP Seminar or AP Research teachers who do not attend or do not complete summer training will not be authorized to teach the course. They will not have access to upload a syllabus in the AP Course Audit system or be able to access the AP Digital Portfolio. Additionally, schools with untrained AP Seminar or AP Research teachers will not be able to order exams associated with these courses. 

Please contact us with any questions. 

Additional annual scoring training: During the school year, AP Seminar and AP Research teachers also need to complete online assessment scoring training—an annual requirement for all AP Capstone teachers that is separate from the summer workshops for new teachers. For more information about this additional training, visit the AP Seminar and AP Research professional learning pages on AP Central. 

2024 Summer Workshop Schedule and Registration 

AP Seminar and AP Research workshops will be offered online and in person at the sites listed below.  

To register, visit the AP Professional Learning Event Calendar and select the AP Research, AP Seminar, or AP Seminar English filter option in the Subject Area section of the left menu. Your school needs to be approved to offer AP Capstone before you can register. 

2024 Workshop Dates

AP Summer Institute (APSI) Host Site

Format

Location

June 10–14

Eastern Kentucky University

In person

Richmond, Ky.

June 10–13 
 

Midwest Premier APSI 

In person

Olathe, Kan.

June 10–13  

Region 9 New Mexico 

In person

Santa Fe, N.M.

June 24–28 

Delaware State University

In person

Dover, Del.

June 24–28 

Fairfax County Public Schools

In person

Falls Church, Va.

June 24–28 

University of California, Riverside

In person

Riverside, Calif.

June 24–28

University of Texas at Arlington

In person

Arlington, Texas

June 24–28

Walton High School 

In person

Marietta, Ga. 

July 8–12

AP-TIP Indianapolis

In person

Indianapolis, Ind.

July 8–12

Colorado Education Initiative 

In person

Erie, Colo. 

July 8–12

Colorado Education Initiative 

Virtual

Virtual 

July 8–12

Loyola University Chicago–Center for Science and Math Education 

In person

Chicago, Ill.

July 8–12 

St. Johnsbury Academy 

In person

St. Johnsbury, Vt.

July 8–12

University of Texas at Arlington 

Virtual

Virtual 

July 8–12

William & Mary

In person

Williamsburg, Va. 

July 15–19

Goucher College

In person

Baltimore, Md.

July 15–19 

Mass Insight Education

In person

Bridgewater, Mass.

July 15–19 

Phoenix Desert APSI

In person

Phoenix, Ariz.

July 15–19 

University of Alabama 

In person 

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

July 15–19 

Winston-Salem University 

In person 

Winston-Salem, N.C. 

July 22–26 

Eastern Kentucky University 

Virtual 

Virtual 

July 22–26 

Pinellas County Schools 

In person 

St. Petersburg, Fla. 

July 22–26 

Texas Christian University 

In person 

Fort Worth, Texas

July 29–August 2 

Goucher College 

Virtual 

Virtual 

July 29–August 2 

Walton High School 

Virtual 

Virtual 

August 5–9 

Molloy University 

In person 

Rockville Centre, N.Y.  

August 5–9 

Texas Christian University 

Virtual 

Virtual 

August 12–16 

Loyola University Chicago–Center for Science and Math Education 

Virtual 

Virtual 

August 12–16 

Molloy University 

Virtual 

Virtual 

August 12–16 

William & Mary 

Virtual 

Virtual 

These sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If a session is full at your desired APSI host, please register for a session at the next available site. If all sessions are full, and your school does not yet have a trained AP Seminar or AP Research teacher, your school will have to defer implementation of the respective course to the following school year. 

Participating AP Capstone schools are informed by email every spring when registration for that year’s summer professional learning is available.

Cost

The cost of professional learning is $1,075 per participant for the 2024-25 school year.

This fee includes tuition and materials for the summer workshop, as well as access to the online scoring training. It does not include travel, lodging, meal expenses, and incidental costs.

Schools should be aware that this fee will be incurred for AP Seminar teachers in year 1 of implementation, AP Research teachers in year 2 of implementation, and any new teachers that need training as the program expands.

Fees are subject to change annually and may vary for sessions held outside of the United States. Additional fees for late registration, registration cancellation, and/or late payment will apply.

Costs, fees, and payments for professional learning are nontransferable and may not be applied to future workshops or training.

Fee Waivers

A limited number of AP Capstone fee waivers—which cover the full tuition fees for recipients—may be awarded to eligible applicant teachers who register to attend a professional learning session this summer for AP Seminar or AP Research.

To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, visit AP Capstone Fee Waivers.

What You’ll Learn

The AP Capstone professional learning summer workshop trains instructors to teach college-level critical thinking and research skills while exploring academic and real-world questions, problems, and issues from different disciplines and from multiple perspectives. Special focus is given to facilitating student learning in collaborative settings while motivating students to think critically and innovatively about research questions.

The summer workshop will cover:

  • Course goals, objectives, content, and resources
  • Curriculum framework of the program
  • Teaching strategies and best practices
  • Creation of course calendar, class activities, lesson plans, and formative assessments
  • Development of course syllabi for the AP Course Audit
  • Through-course and end-of-course assessments
  • Demonstration of AP Digital Portfolio

Workshop Logistics

Travel (Face-to-Face Training Only)

Participants are responsible for booking their own travel. Early departure will not be accommodated; participants are expected to attend the entire five-day training in order to be authorized to teach AP Seminar or AP Research in the fall.

By air: If you are traveling by plane, you should plan to arrive the evening before the first date of your assigned session, and plan to depart after 3 p.m. on the last date of your assigned session.

By car: Parking details will vary by venue. Further details will be provided by the APSI site.

Daily transportation options to and from the APSI site vary by location. Participants should refer to guidance given by their chosen site.

Lodging (Face-to-Face Training Only)

You must make your lodging reservation before the start of the training, and no later than the deadline provided for each site. Lodging options will vary by site.

Agenda

Each summer workshop, whether face-to-face or online, runs Monday through Thursday or Friday. The workshop begins at approximately 8:30 a.m. and ends at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. On Friday, the workshop begins at approximately 8:30 a.m. and ends at approximately 12:30 p.m. Timing may vary by APSI site. Participants will be informed of the exact agenda at their chosen site prior to the start of training.

What to Bring

  • Pen, pencil, and notepad
  • Fully charged laptop computer and power cord
  • School-year calendar (either a hard copy or electronic copy)
  • Extra room in luggage to accommodate materials from the training (face-to-face training only)

Dress Code (Face-to-Face Training Only)

The dress code is casual, appropriate for a school setting. Bring sweaters or other layers since training facilities are air-conditioned and temperatures can vary.

On-Site Check-In (Face-to-Face Training Only)

All participants must confirm attendance each day at the workshop, typically in their classrooms with their workshop. Failure to attend the entire workshop may prevent a participant from being authorized to teach an AP Capstone course. The number of CEUs awarded is dependent on attendance.

Meals (Face-to-Face Training Only)

Some meals and/or snacks may be provided during the workshop. Offerings may vary by site. Participants will be informed of meal options at their chosen site prior to the start of training.

More Information

Registered attendees will receive additional details about their training site via email prior to the training.