AP Visual & Performing Arts courses are college-level programs by the College Board, designed for Grades 9–12 students to build creative expression, portfolio development, and art historical analysis skills. These courses meet U.S. high school art graduation requirements, carry weighted GPA credits, and are ideal for art, design, and media majors.
Students typically begin in Grade 9/10 with foundational art courses (Art History, Photography, Theater Production), progressing to AP Art History, AP 2D/3D Art and Design, and AP Drawing. Courses are structured to build creative portfolios and critical thinking skills, adapted for AIA’s online learning model.
AP Arts courses progress to undergraduate art, design, film, and art history programs. Qualifying AP scores (3+) grant college credit, advanced placement in art courses, and exemption from introductory college art requirements at most U.S. universities, and strengthen art school portfolio applications.
Courses are available as full-time or part-time options, with flexible enrollment for AIA students. Students may combine foundational high school art courses with AP-level courses, and take multiple AP arts courses across Grades 10–12 to build a competitive art portfolio.
AP Art History: 3 hours total. Section 1: 80-minute multiple-choice (80 questions, 50% of score). Section 2: 100-minute free-response (6 questions, 50% of score), externally assessed annually in May.
AP Art and Design (2D/3D/Drawing): No end-of-course exam. Students submit a digital portfolio (5 sustained investigation works + 5 selected works) via the AP Digital Portfolio, externally assessed by College Board readers annually in May.
The course gives you the opportunity to develop creative expression within the context of your general high school education. You will study art history and appreciation, AP art history, professional photography, and theater, cinema & film production. Students will learn about unifying themes in art, design, and media, and apply them to build creative portfolios. They will acquire knowledge and understanding of art history, visual design, film production, and creative techniques, preparing for college-level art and design coursework.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.