The last semester of the school year, a short, but eventful time. Midterms, course selection, sports and many other things have students worrying about their academic future. One of the most important decisions in high school, course selection, has students scratching their heads, trying to figure out which courses to choose that align with their interests.

New additions to the ever growing AP® course list are being added almost every year, with AP® Precalculus and AP®African American Studies being some of the newest additions to the list. However, certain majors don’t have any AP® courses that can potentially help a student interested in pursuing a major in those areas. 

 Here are a few ideas for potential AP®  courses that many students would be interested in taking:

AP® Philosophy: A potential course that would interest Philosophy or Law majors, this rigorous course would provide high-achieving high school students with a college-level learning experience on the topic of Philosophy. It will cover the history of philosophy, major philosophical ideas, aspects of political philosophy and modern philosophy, such as the Age of Enlightenment.

• Course recommendations: Since this course focuses on examining literature and philosophical scripts, it is recommended that the student is enrolled in a 6.0 or higher English class.

AP® Linear Algebra: An advanced mathematics course, this potential class would give an opportunity for students interested in studying Mathematics at an advanced level, preparing high-achieving students to succeed and give a ‘head start’ to majoring in Mathematics in college. This course would cover the topics of Linear Algebra in great depth, such as: Linear maps, Subspaces, and Eigenvalues, to name a few. 

• Course prerequisites: Successful completion of AP® Calculus BC 

AP® World Literature: A college-level course that would be the equivalent of an introductory world-literature course, this class will give students interested in foreign literature an experience that of a college level. This course will cover some of the most notable writers and poets and their works in depth, such as Mikhail Lermontov, Victor Hugo and Lev Tolstoy.

• Course prerequisites: A grade of “B” or higher in a 6.0 English course.

AP® Astronomy: This college-level Astronomy course would provide students interested in studying Astronomy or Physics in college, with a learning experience that of an introductory college-level Astronomy course. This course will study orbits, celestial bodies, background radiation, the speed of light and time dilation. 

• Course prerequisites: Students must have successfully completed or currently enrolled in a 6.0 or above Chemistry and Physics courses.

AP® Russian Language & Culture: This course was first proposed in 2005 and was meant to be launched in 2008, however, it was removed from the CollegeBoard’s official website without any explanation in 2010. This advanced-level course would provide students in their fourth or fifth year of studying the language with an opportunity to expand their knowledge of the language. This course will cover complex grammatics, Russian literature and History, while also improving the student’s Speaking and Writing skills.

• Course prerequisites: Successful completion of Russian 4 (or equivalent) with a grade of at least a “B”. 

High School is one of the most important times in a person’s life. Figuring out what career path you want to go into can be intimidating, and the addition of these courses can help mitigate a student’s fears of the subject, while earning college credit. The addition of the aforementioned courses would benefit the high schools throughout the country greatly, increasing the student’s opportunities along the way.