ADVANCED STUDIES

Grade: 10

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1009400 AICE ENG GEN PAPER

Full Course Description:

The AICE General Paper course encourages learners to develop a maturity of critical thought and argument and a mastery of expression in the English language. These are all skills of great use for university level study. The course draws on topics from across the school curriculum, and learners are able to draw upon knowledge and understanding gained from study of other subjects.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1001550 AICE ENG LANG AS

Full Course Description:

This course will develop skills that are transferable to higher education and employment. These include critical analysis; constructing arguments; presenting knowledge and understanding; and writing English in a balanced, articulate and fluent manner. Learners can apply these skills across a wide range of subjects and real world situations.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1005370 AICE ENG LIT 1 AS

Full Course Description:

English Literature 1 is characterized by exploring different genre such as tragedy, comedy and satire and the relationship between the text and its historical, social and cultural context and the ways in which this can illuminate the reading of a text. It also explores the ways in which a text’s meaning is shaped by conventions of form alongside those of language and style. It also encompasses analyzing the ways in which choices regarding form, structure and language interact to create a distinctive style, for different forms and genres.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1700372 AICE THINK SKLS 1 AS

Full Course Description:

AICE Thinking Skills is a rigorous Cambridge course designed to strengthen students’ ability to think critically, logically, and creatively. Students learn how to analyze complex problems, evaluate evidence, construct well-reasoned arguments, and communicate ideas clearly and effectively. The course emphasizes independent thinking, decision-making, and reflection through a variety of tasks, including case studies, research-based investigations, and structured problem-solving activities.

Learners explore different modes of thinking such as deductive and inductive reasoning, creative problem solving, and strategic decision-making. Through collaborative discussion and individual analysis, students develop the skills necessary to approach unfamiliar challenges with confidence. AICE Thinking Skills supports success across all academic disciplines and prepares students for college-level coursework by strengthening reasoning, analytical writing, and evaluation skills.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

2107360 AICE PSYCH 1 AS

Full Course Description:

Students explore how psychology is conducted through the review of major research studies and applications. The course examines key approaches, research methods, and debates within the field of psychology.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1100460 Cambridge AICE Media Studies AS Level

Fee: $10

Full Course Description:

Students develop critical understanding of international media through analysis of media products and hands-on creative applications. Instruction includes production processes, technologies, media contexts, and the impact of media on global and local cultures.

Grade: 11

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1700364 AICE GLBL PERSP 1 AS

Note: Required for all students in the Cambridge Program

Full Course Description:

Students explore issues of global significance while developing critical thinking, research, communication, and collaboration skills. The course emphasizes defining global problems, reflecting on perspectives, and taking informed action.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

2000321 AICE BIO 1 AS

Prerequisites: Passed Biology with a B or higher, score of 3 or higher on the Biology EOC, and Chemistry

Lab Fee: $30

Full Course Description:

This course provides a strong foundation in key biological concepts, important themes, and practical skills. Students study topics including cell structure, biological molecules, enzymes, transport mechanisms, genetics, disease, and immunity. Practical experiments and observations are emphasized to promote deeper understanding. Students are required to take the AICE exam in May and may earn college credit.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

2001381 AICE ENV MGNT AS

Prerequisite: Biology

Lab Fee: $30

Full Course Description:

This course develops student understanding of natural systems that sustain life on Earth and the impact of human activity on these systems. Students explore sustainability, environmental management, and global environmental challenges. Emphasis is placed on developing environmental responsibility, critical thinking, and informed decision-making related to local and global environmental concerns.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

2002515 AICE MARINE SCI 1 AS

Prerequisite: Completed Biology

Lab Fees: $30 lab fee and $20 aquarium fee

Full Course Description:

AICE Marine Science focuses on scientific understanding of the ocean and its ecosystems. Topics include water and Earth processes, marine ecosystems, classification and biodiversity, energy flow, fisheries, and human impact. Students complete readings, hands-on labs, projects, assignments, and exams. Mandatory field labs include visits to the Florida Aquarium, plankton sampling, invertebrate dissections, kayaking, beach seining, snorkeling, mangrove and seagrass ecology, mark-and-recapture studies, and species identification.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1300395 AICE MUSIC 1 AS

Prerequisite: One year of another music elective and faculty recommendation

Fee: $50

Full Course Description:

AICE Pre-College Music develops creative and critical thinking through foundational music theory and an introduction to MIDI using digital audio workstations and notation software. Students create, mix, and produce original compositions while studying music history and appreciation. The curriculum parallels a college Music Theory I course and includes reflective writing and critical listening.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

0400346 Cambridge AICE Drama 1

Prerequisite: Theatre I

Full Course Description:

Cambridge International Drama encourages students to develop skills in performing, devising, and researching a wide range of theatrical styles and genres. Learners communicate with audiences through practical and creative work on performance texts and devised material. Underpinned by theoretical and practical study, students research, analyze, create, and interpret drama as reflective practitioners. AICE Drama is intended to accompany, not replace, other theatre courses.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

0108410 Cambridge AICE Digital Media &Design 2

Fee: $20.00

Full Course Description:

This dynamic course blends imagination with technology, inviting students to explore digital media through hands-on projects. Students can choose the areas that excite them most, including graphic design, video production, web design, animation, and game creation, or any combination of these fields. They may use whatever creative software they’re most comfortable with, since the focus isn’t on mastering a specific program but on applying design principles to achieve clear objectives. Throughout the course, students will build technical confidence, create a polished portfolio, and prepare for the end-of-course portfolio exam, which includes specific creative prompts they will respond to using the skills they’ve developed.

Grades: 10 –12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

2109420 AP WORLD HIST:MODERN

Prerequisites: US History Honors OR World History Honors AND FAST score of 4 or 5 OR PSAT score of 950+ AND attendance rate of 90% or above during the previous school year

Full Course Description:

AP World History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university world history course. In AP World History students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from approximately 1200 C.E. to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; making historical comparisons; utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time; and developing historical arguments.

The course provides five themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: interaction between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state building, expansion, and conflict; creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems; and development and transformation of social structures. Students enrolled in AP World History are expected to take the AP Exam in May. This course fulfills the World History requirement for graduation.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1001420 AP ENG COMPO

Prerequisite: A/B average in English 2 or General Paper AND instructor approval

Full Course Description:

AP Composition is a rigorous, college level course. The primary goal is to develop the reading and writing skills that students need for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement. The reading and writing students do in the course will deepen and expand understanding of how written language functions rhetorically: to communicate writers’ intentions and elicit readers’ responses in particular situations. The course cultivates the rhetorical understanding and use of written language by directing students’ attention to writer/reader interactions in their reading and writing of various formal and informal genres.

Grade: 12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1001430 AP ENG LIT COMPO

Prerequisite: AP English Language and Composition

Full Course Description:

AP Literature is a rigorous, college level course. Students will read and analyze a variety of imaginative literature. Close reading of texts will examine structure, style, themes, imagery, symbolism, and tone as well as figurative language with a close focus on historical context. Students will be required to read several novels outside of class and to write about their reading in several different formats including research, analyses and syntheses, expository, and argumentative essays. At the year, students have the option to take the AP Literature and Composition Exam for possible college credit.

Grades: 12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

1202310 AP CALCULUS AB

Full Course Description:

An AP course in calculus consists of a full high school academic year of work that is comparable to calculus courses in colleges and universities. It is expected that students who take an AP course in calculus will seek college credit, college placement, or both, from institutions of higher learning. It’s been said that change is the only true constant. Calculus helps make sense of change by grappling with questions that inspire thinkers from around the globe, across time, and in many disciplines. Can change occur in an instant? When is the next solar eclipse or the turning point for an economy? In AP Calculus AB, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of mathematical principles that can help you answer questions such as these. A scientific calculator with graphing capabilities is required for this course (TI-84).

MSA’s Dual Enrollment program offers motivated students an exceptional opportunity to earn college credit at no cost while still in high school. Qualified students may take Dual Enrollment courses through the University of South Florida, State College of Florida, and Manatee Technical College, gaining early access to authentic college-level learning.

Courses may be offered on the MSA campus, online, or off campus, including the option to attend as a full-time Dual Enrollment student. These are the same courses taken by college students, allowing MSA students to experience the academic expectations, independence, and rigor of higher education before graduation.

Through careful planning, some students are able to graduate high school with an Associate of Arts (AA) degree already completed, saving families significant tuition costs and giving students a strong head start on their college and career pathways.

Participation in Dual Enrollment is based on academic readiness, including qualifying scores on the PERT assessment, and meeting institutional eligibility requirements. This program is ideal for students who are self-motivated, academically prepared, and eager to challenge themselves through advanced coursework.