AP Courses
The following AP courses are available to students in the Fort Mill School District, for more information about the College Board and curriculum, click here.
Success on AP exams might result in college credit. Transfer credit information can be found here for the following schools: Clemson, USC-Columbia, Winthrop, and York Tech.
ENGLISH
AP English Language, AP English Literature 307100AW, 307000AW
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: English 4 CP/H and Teacher recommendation
This two-semester year long course provides a college-level study of writing and of literature. Students will be involved in careful reading of representative literary works, critical analysis of reading, and practice in writing exposition and argument, especially in response to literary selections. The Advanced Placement exams are required at the conclusion of the course. Students will be prepared for the language and the literature exam; those who achieve an adequate score on the AP exam(s) can earn college credit for the course.
MATHEMATICS
AP Calculus AB and BC 417020AW, 417200AW
Grades: 11, 12
Prerequisite: “A” in Pre-Calc CP or B or better in Pre-Calc Honors and Teacher Recommendation
Two Semesters: AP Calculus AB Fall, AP Calculus BC Spring (2 units)
This course provides a study of limits and their properties; modeling and regression; differentiation; applications of differentiation, related rates, optimization and curve sketching; integration; applications of integration including area, volume, work, and force; logarithmic differentiation, differential equations, trigonometric integrals, inverse trig functions differentiation, and integration, integration by parts, and power series and polar area. Students are required to take the AP Calculus BC examination in May. Both a BC and an AB sub-scores on the AP Exam will be forwarded to selected colleges. The course content corresponds to the syllabus established by the College Board AP Program. Graphing calculator is required.
Statistics - AP 417100AW
Grade: 11, 12
Prerequisite: Statistics H must be taken in consecutive semesters
This is an advanced level math course which prepares students for a national AP Statistics exam. An adequate score on the national exam may earn college credit for an introductory college course in statistics. Choosing data collection methods, designing experiments and testing hypotheses are included in this course with additional emphasis being given to communicating and justifying methods and conclusions. A graphing calculator (TI-84) is strongly recommended.
SCIENCE
Biology - Pre-AP Honors/AP 329910HW, 327220AW
Grades: 11, 12
Prerequisite: B in Biology 1 H and Chemistry 1 H or an A in the CP levels of these same courses and teacher recommendation
Pre AP and AP must be taken in consecutive semesters.
This course is modeled after a college-level biology course. This course includes an in-depth study of cell biology, genetics, animal physiology, botany, and ecology. Journal readings and extensive laboratories are incorporated within the curriculum. The required AP Exam at the end of the course may lead to college credit. The course is recommended for science majors and other students very interested in life science.
Chemistry - AP 327300AW
Grades: 11, 12
Prerequisite: Chemistry 2 H must be taken in consecutive semesters
This course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first year in college. In this course, students will pursue a more in-depth study of topics covered in Chemistry 2 as well as other topics covered in the AP Chemistry course from The College Board. These topics include structural isomerism, organic chemistry, kinetics and thermodynamics as well as a review of topics from Chemistry CP such as gas laws and reactions. Accompanying lab work will give the students additional practice with data analysis, and expressing themselves with clarity and logic. The required AP Exam at the end of the course may lead to college credit.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Human Geography - AP 337900AW
Grade: 9
Prerequisite: “A” average in English 1 and Social Studies in 8th grade OR students must have the highest rating on their most recent SC Ready reading score (or equivalent from another state).
AP Human Geography presents high school students with the curricular equivalent of an introductory college-level course in human geography. Content is presented thematically rather than regionally and is organized around the discipline’s main subfields: economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. The approach is spatial and problem-oriented. Case studies are drawn from all world regions, with an emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. Historical information serves to enrich analysis of the impacts of phenomena such as globalization, colonialism, and human-environment relationships on places, regions, cultural landscapes, and patterns of interaction.
European History – Pre-AP H/AP 336900HW, 337600AW
Grades: 10
Prerequisite: Requirements set by the Social Studies Department. Pre-AP and AP European History must be taken in consecutive semesters
This course provides an opportunity for academically talented students to experience a survey history course taught at a college level. The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which we live. The students will examine the interpretation of historical events and trends, through the use of documents, essay writing, and special projects. Students are expected to understand the themes of European history, to develop historical thinking skills and be able to express this understanding in writing. This is a college-level and not a college-preparatory course. Success on the AP exam may render college credit.
United States History - Pre-AP H/AP 339910HW, 337220AW
Grade: 11
Prerequisite: Requirements set by Social Studies Department. Pre-AP and AP must be taken in consecutive semesters.
This course provides an opportunity for academically talented students to experience a survey history course taught at a college level. An examination of political, social, economic, cultural, and foreign policy trends in America’s development is emphasized. The students will examine the interpretation of historical events and trends, through the use of documents, essay writing, and special projects. This is a college level and not a college preparatory course. Success on the AP exam may render college credit. Students are also required to take an End-of-Course exam provided by the SC Department of Education. This exam counts 20 percent of the student’s final grade.
United States Government – AP 337300AW
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of U.S. Government/Economics Honors
AP United States Government and Politics is a one semester class taught as a college-level introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will read and analyze U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions between political institutions and behavior. They will read and interpret data, develop evidence-based arguments and engage in an applied civics or politics research-based project.
Macroeconomics - AP 337400AW
Grade: 12
Prerequisite: Government/Economics Honors successfully completed in first semester
AP Macroeconomics is a one-semester course offered during the second semester. The course focuses on a college level study of Macroeconomic concepts, including international trade, currency exchange, production possibilities and trade-offs, supply and demand, measures of economic performance, the circular flow of goods and services, fiscal and monetary policy, money and banking, productivity and unemployment, budget deficits and inflation, and the supply/demand side economic policies. Students will have the opportunity to obtain possible college credit for Macroeconomics by passing the AP exam. Students will also have the opportunity to obtain possible college credit for Microeconomics if the student chooses to take and passes the Microeconomics AP exam.
Psychology - AP 437100AW
Grades: 11, 12
Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation, honors level English or Social Studies recommended
Advanced Placement Psychology is a general overview of the field of psychology. This rigorous college level course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each major subfield within psychology. Students also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Success on the AP exam may render college credit.
THE ARTS
Studio Art - AP - 2D Design, Drawing, or 3D Design 357400AW, 357200AW, 357500AW
Grades: 11,12
Prerequisite: Portfolio Art - H must be taken the semester prior to first AP Studio Art
The advanced, serious, self-motivated students will demonstrate creativity, expressiveness, and initiative through a study of AP curriculum in studio art. The students will compile a portfolio to be judged by the College Board for credit. Students may take any of the AP choices.
Art History - AP 357100AW
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite: It is highly recommended that the student be comfortable with taking an AP course load.
AP Art History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university art history survey course. The AP Art History course explores such topics as the nature of art, its uses, its meanings, art making, and responses to art. Through investigation of diverse artistic traditions of cultures and prehistory to the present, the course fosters in-depth and holistic understanding of the history of art from a global perspective. Students learn and apply skills of visual, contextual, and comparative analysis to engage with a variety of art forms, constructing understanding of individual works and interconnections of art-making processes and products throughout history.
AP Music Theory 357600AW
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite: Basic Performance skills along with music reading skills are expected but not required
AP Music Theory is designed to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score.
WORLD LANGUAGES
French - AP 367100AW
Grades: 11, 12
Prerequisite: French 3 H and teacher recommendation
The AP French Language and Culture course takes a holistic approach to language proficiency and recognizes the complex interrelatedness of comprehension and comprehensibility, vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. Students should learn language structures in context and use them to convey meaning. The AP French Language and Culture course strives to promote both fluency and accuracy in language use and not to overemphasize grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. In order to best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course is taught in the target language. The AP French Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts.
Spanish - AP 367500AW
Grades: 11, 12 Prerequisite: Spanish 3 H and teacher recommendation
AP Spanish Language and Culture is a college-level course for students in the fourth semester of study. The course is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to communicate in Spanish at all times. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency by engaging in daily activities that require the three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational). The course is designed around six themes: Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, Beauty and Aesthetics. These themes provide a basis for an in-depth study of the Spanish language and its many cultures. Students will use a variety of authentic resources and materials to hone their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Students will take the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam at the end of this course.
BUSINESS
*Computer Science Principles - AP 477500AW
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite: B or above in Algebra 1 or Computer Programming 1
AP Computer Science Principles offers a multidisciplinary approach to teaching the underlying principles of computation. The course will introduce students to the creative aspects of programming, abstractions, algorithms, large data sets, the Internet, cybersecurity concerns, and computing impacts. AP Computer Science Principles will give students the opportunity to use technology to address real-world problems and build relevant solutions. Together, these aspects of the course make up a rigorous and rich curriculum that aims to broaden participation in computer science.