AP Computer Science A

Get familiar with the concepts and tools of computer science as you learn a subset of the Java programming language. You'll do hands-on work to design, write, and test computer programs that solve problems or accomplish tasks.  This course is aimed at helping students develop the ability to design and implement computer-based solutions to problems in several application areas; design and select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve problems; code fluently in a well-structured fashion using an accepted high-level language, and to identify the major components of a computer system (hardware and software), their relationship to one another, and the roles of these components within the system as well as recognizing the ethical and social implications of computer use.  This Computer Science course deals more formally with program verification and algorithm analysis.

Highly recommended prerequisite: AP Computer Science Principles                 

Open to grades: 11-12

AP Computer Science Principles

Learn the principles that underlie the science of computing and develop the thinking skills that computer scientists use in this course designed to be equivalent to a first-semester introductory college computing course. You’ll work on your own and as part of a team to creatively address real-world issues using the tools and processes of computation as you learn about computational thinking practices and big ideas such as creativity, abstraction, data and information, algorithms, programming, the internet, and global impact.

Open to grades: 10-12