AP Capstone
Join the AP Capstone Program
Level up your learning with the Advanced Placement® (AP®) Capstone program now available through FLVS Flex. Available to high school students entering their sophomore or junior year, this program helps students develop strong research and writing skills for success in college and beyond. In addition, students can earn their AP Capstone Diploma™ or AP Seminar and Research Certificate™ from the College Board. Must be a Florida resident or a student eligible to take classes with FLVS Flex to participate in AP Capstone with FLVS.
Why Enroll in AP Capstone?
College Credits
Earn college credit hours tuition-free with FLVS Advanced Placement courses, including AP Seminar and AP Research.
Research Opportunities
Collaborate on research topics with higher education faculty and/or local community leaders with the potential to be published in academic journals.
Breadth & Depth of Learning
Gain essential skills to think critically, conduct independent research, evaluate arguments, and articulate ideas.
International Recognition
Earn credentials from the College Board valued by universities and employers across the world.
College Acceptance
Stand out in college applications by demonstrating high-level research analysis and writing skills that appeal to colleges and universities.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Build on existing knowledge with the rigorous coursework of Advanced Placement (AP) across multiple disciplines.
Course Offerings by Subject
There are two AP Capstone courses available to FLVS Flex students. In order to earn the AP Capstone Diploma, both must be completed in addition to four other AP Courses - two of which must be completed with Florida Virtual School.AP Seminar
Year 1
Conduct academic discussions over various topics with multiple perspectives, honing debating, writing, and presenting skills. The final AP Seminar score consists of a graded team task as well as an individual task, followed by a free response AP exam in May.
AP Research
Year 2
Building on skills taught in AP Seminar, AP Research will examine methodologies of research and focus on students completing an independent study and presentation. The Research AP exam score consists of a completed research paper and defense, with no traditional end of year exam.
- Grade level: Must be a 10th/11th grader to begin the AP Seminar course. 9th graders who have completed an Honors/AICE/Pre-AP level English course are also welcome to apply.
- Pre-requisites: Honors/AICE/Pre-AP level English course
- Enrollment history: Students should have have completed at least one (1) AP course through FLVS before being eligible to sign up for AP Seminar. (Students who have not completed an AP course with FLVS can commit to co-enroll in an AP course.)
- Commitment to work within the cohort timeline and meet deadlines for assignments
- Commitment to attend weekly, live online meetings for team collaborations and teacher facilitated sessions
- Students must enroll in at least 1 additional AP course and complete AP Seminar (and their AP co-requisite) to be eligible for AP Research
AP Seminar Program Progression
Below is an example of how a student will progress through the program as well as the major milestones they will need to meet throughout the program.
- Research Strategies
- Scholarly Debates
- Credible Sources Analysis
- Practice Team Project
- Practice Presentation
- Group Project
- Presentation Task 1 Due
- 20% of Final Grade
- Individual Task
- Presentation Task 2 Due
- 35% of Final Grade
- AP Exam
- 45% of Final Grade
AP Research Program Progression
Below is an example of how a student will progress through the program as well as the major milestones they will need to meet throughout the program.
- Research vs Literature Review
- Methodology explorations
- Research Topic Chosen
- Literature Review
- Introduction & Background
- Protocol & Instrument Creation
- Methodology
- Final Proposal- IRB Review
- Data Collection
- Results
- Conclusion
- Peer Reviews
- Final Paper
- Final Defense
AP Capstone Diploma Requirements
- Student should be a rising sophomore/junior to begin the program
- 9th grade students can apply for AP Seminar, however, you must be prepared to complete college level work
- Students must complete AP Seminar and AP Research
- Students must complete 4 additional Advanced Placement courses (2 of these courses must be completed with Florida Virtual School)
- Earn scores of 3 or higher on both the AP Seminar and AP Research exam
- Earn scores of 3 or higher on 4 additional AP courses
**Please note the AP Capstone diploma is not a traditional graduation diploma and is not awarded from FLVS Flex. It is a diploma designation from Collegeboard that a student has met the specific AP Capstone criteria.
Hear From Students
Frequently Asked Questions
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
For AP Seminar and AP Research, students with documented disabilities may be eligible for accommodations for through-course assessments (performance tasks) and the end-of-course exam for AP Seminar. For information about requesting an accommodations approval, go to collegeboard.org/apssd or contact College Board Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 844-255-7728 or 212-713-8333.
Ready to Take the Next Steps?
The AP Seminar and AP Research courses are now enrolling students for the 2025-2026 school year.
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