Advanced Placement Capstone

AP Research, the second course in the AP Capstone Diploma program, allows students to explore an academic topic of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, students further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of their scholarly work through their reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 20+ pages and a presentation with an oral defense.

In AP Seminar, students investigate real- world issues from multiple perspectives, gathering and analyzing information from various sources in order to develop credible and valid evidence-based arguments. In AP Research, students cultivate the skills and discipline necessary to conduct independent research in order to produce and defend a scholarly academic thesis.