According to the College Board’s website, AP Biology courses are designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory course, usually taken during a biology major’s first year of college. Students who choose to take AP Biology may be allowed to skip over introductory biology courses and enroll in courses in which biology is a prerequisite. Because universities grant college credit for this course, they require that the textbooks, labs, and coursework used by AP courses be equivalent to those used in actual college courses.
This course is offered to highly motivated students who wish to pursue their interests in the biological sciences. Enrollment requirements for the AP Biology course depend on policies established by each high school offering the course, but AP Biology is usually preceded by a less rigorous entry level Biology course, and sometimes by Chemistry as well. While some schools may have selective acceptance into the course, determined by academic record in prerequisite courses, other schools adhere to a policy of open enrollment, encouraging its undertaking by students that demonstrate capability for the course, though they may have performed unsatisfactorily in previous science courses.
Topics covered by this course include, Anatomy & Physiology, Biochemistry, Biodiversity, Botany, The Cell, Developmental Biology, Ecology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Origin of life, Population Biology, and Evolution.
Students taking AP Biology should first complete an introductory course in Biology, usually lasting one school year. An introductory course will prepare students to study higher levels of science and familiarize them with the scientific process. Students should also have