---
title: "AP Classes for Criminal Justice"
description: "AP Classes for Criminal Justice on Fiveable."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-classes/criminal-justice"
type: "seo-landing"
---

# AP Classes for Criminal Justice

## Page Content

For criminal justice, the best AP<sup>®</sup> classes are AP<sup>®</sup> Government, AP<sup>®</sup> Psychology, AP<sup>®</sup> Statistics, AP<sup>®</sup> US History, and AP<sup>®</sup> English Language. The field connects law, institutions, behavior, evidence, and public policy.

Use this guide with Fiveable's [AP<sup>®</sup> US Government](/ap-gov), [AP<sup>®</sup> Psychology](/ap-psych-revised), [AP<sup>®</sup> Statistics](/ap-stats), [AP<sup>®</sup> US History](/apush), and [AP<sup>®</sup> English Language](/ap-lang).

## Recommended AP<sup>®</sup> sequence for criminal justice

| Grade | Best AP focus | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | AP Human Geography or no AP | Builds context for communities and institutions. |
| 10th grade | AP Psychology or AP World History | Adds behavior and historical context. |
| 11th grade | AP Government, AP US History, AP English Language | Builds law, institutions, and argument writing. |
| 12th grade | AP Statistics, AP Comparative Government, AP Research | Adds evidence, global systems, and research. |

## Priority tiers

| Tier | AP classes | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | AP Government, AP Psychology, AP US History | Best foundation for criminal justice. |
| Useful | AP Statistics, AP English Language, AP Comparative Government | Supports evidence, writing, and institutional comparison. |
| Optional | AP Research, AP Human Geography, AP Biology | Useful for research, communities, or forensic interests. |

## Prerequisites and alternatives

Start with the highest available AP® in the essential tier. If your school does not offer one of these AP<sup>®</sup> classes, choose the closest honors, dual-enrollment, CTE, studio, or elective course that builds the same skill: lab science, writing, data, policy, design, coding, or research.

## Credit caveats

Criminal justice programs may include major-specific courses in courts, policing, corrections, criminology, and research methods. AP® courses can support preparation and general education, but department policies vary.

## Fiveable resources for criminal justice AP<sup>®</sup> classes

| AP subject | Study hub | Practice | FRQs | Score calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP US Government | [Study guides](/ap-gov) | [Practice](/ap-gov/guided-practice) | [FRQs](/ap-gov/frqs) | [Calculator](/ap-gov/ap-score-calculator) |
| AP Psychology | [Study guides](/ap-psych-revised) | [Practice](/ap-psych-revised/guided-practice) | [FRQs](/ap-psych-revised/frqs) | [Calculator](/ap-psych-revised/ap-score-calculator) |
| AP Statistics | [Study guides](/ap-stats) | [Practice](/ap-stats/guided-practice) | [FRQs](/ap-stats/frqs) | [Calculator](/ap-stats/ap-score-calculator) |
| AP US History | [Study guides](/apush) | [Practice](/apush/guided-practice) | [FRQs](/apush/frqs) | [Calculator](/apush/ap-score-calculator) |
| AP English Language | [Study guides](/ap-lang) | [Practice](/ap-lang/guided-practice) | [FRQs](/ap-lang/frqs) | [Calculator](/ap-lang/ap-score-calculator) |

## Official planning notes

- College Board's [AP Courses and Exams](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses) page lists current AP subjects and course categories.
- Use College Board's [AP Credit Policy Search](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-credit-placement/search-policies) to check college-specific credit and placement.
- For professional or portfolio-based programs, check the program's own prerequisites, portfolio rules, or department requirements before assuming AP credit will satisfy a major requirement.

## Related AP<sup>®</sup> career guides

Compare this plan with [AP® classes for law](/ap-classes/law), [AP® classes for political science](/ap-classes/political-science), [AP® classes for psychology](/ap-classes/psychology), and [AP® classes by major](/ap-classes/by-major).