AP Environmental Science (APES)

Prerequisite: Chemistry or Environmental Science with concurrent enrollment in Chemistry

Course Description

  • AP Environmental Science is an introductory college level course in environmental science.

  • Prerequisites: Chemistry or Environmental Science with concurrent enrollment in Chemistry

  • The goal of the course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems, both natural and anthropogenic (human made), and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.

  • The course focuses in greater detail on the study of main subject areas of environmental science including testing and designing environmental management techniques and processes.

The course is designed for the student with a special interest in the environmental field for a career in conservation or environmental science.


Students spend a variable amount of time outdoors in the Environmental Center completing labs and activities.

AP Environmental Science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. Several major unifying themes that cut across the many topics included in the study of APES will be:

    • Science is a process

    • Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes

    • The Earth itself is one interconnected system

    • Humans alter natural systems

    • Environmental problems have a cultural and social context

    • Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems


Click on the question mark to view a questionnaire that is designed to help you better determine if this AP course is right for you.