AP (Advanced Placement) is the College Board’s program of college-level courses; each course leads to a national exam in May, scored on a scale with a maximum of 5. Mater Dei High School reports in its 2025-2026 School Profile that it offers 21 AP courses; the UC A-G list for the 2026-27 school year registers 25 AP courses for the school, all of which are UC-approved honors courses and are weighted in a UC application. This page lists the grade levels and prerequisites of each course, explains which exam results the school publishes and which common AP courses it does not offer, and recommends course combinations by intended major.
Grade Levels and Prerequisites for Each AP Course
The table below is compiled course by course from the school’s 2026-27 course catalog. AP Human Geography and AP Comparative Government appear only in the social studies course sequence without separate course descriptions, so their prerequisites are as published by the school each year.
| AP course | Grade levels and prerequisites |
|---|---|
| AP Human Geography/MUN | Grade 9; the first year of the four-year Model United Nations sequence; the course catalog does not list detailed prerequisites |
| AP World History | Grade 10; cumulative GPA of 3.6, and an A in both semesters of regular English I or a B or higher in both semesters of Honors English I |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Grades 10 to 12; B or higher in Algebra I, with Introduction to Coding recommended first; UC category d, counted only as elective credit at the school |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Grades 10 to 12; an A in both semesters of Spanish III or IV, or a B or higher in both semesters of Honors Spanish III, Honors Spanish IV or Honors Bilingual Spanish |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | Grades 10 to 12; B or higher in both semesters of AP Spanish Language and Culture |
| AP French Language and Culture | Grades 10 to 12; overall GPA of 3.0, and an A in both semesters of French III or a B or higher in both semesters of Honors French III |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Grade 11; cumulative GPA of 3.5, and either an A in both semesters of regular English II plus a passing result on the AP qualifying test, or a B or higher in both semesters of Honors English II, plus a teacher recommendation |
| AP United States History | Grade 11; cumulative GPA of 3.6, qualifying grades in world history and English II, and a passing result on the AP qualifying exam (70% on both parts) |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher each semester in Honors PreCalculus, or an A each semester in PreCalculus plus a passing placement exam |
| AP Calculus BC | Grades 11 to 12; requires prior completion of Calculus (A each semester) or AP Calculus AB (B or higher each semester) |
| AP Biology | Grades 11 to 12; qualifying grades in biology and chemistry, with concurrent enrollment in PreCalculus or higher math; runs only with at least 25 students |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in both semesters of Honors Chemistry, qualifying grade in Algebra 2/Trigonometry, and completion of or concurrent enrollment in PreCalculus |
| AP Physics 1 | Grades 11 to 12; all A grades in math and science courses with at most one B, completion of biology and chemistry, and concurrent enrollment in PreCalculus or higher math |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | Grades 11 to 12; an A in both semesters of regular Physics or a B or higher in both semesters of AP Physics 1, with at least concurrent enrollment in calculus |
| AP Computer Science A | Grades 11 to 12, with grade 10 students able to contact the department chair; B or higher in both semesters of Algebra I; UC category c, counted only as elective credit at the school |
| AP Art History | Grades 11 to 12; cumulative GPA of 3.3 and an A in the first semester of the English course |
| AP Music Theory | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in all previous performing arts courses; not on the UC 2026-27 A-G list |
| AP English Language and Composition | Grade 12; cumulative GPA of 3.5, and either an A in both semesters of regular English III plus a passing result on the AP qualifying test, or a B or higher in both semesters of the honors sequence, plus a teacher recommendation |
| AP Statistics | Grade 12; B or higher each semester in Algebra 2/Trigonometry, C or higher in PreCalculus, and a passing result on the diagnostic test at the start of the course |
| AP US Government and Politics | Grade 12, year-long course; students with a B or higher in both semesters of AP United States History and a GPA of 3.6 may enroll directly |
| AP Macroeconomics | Grade 12, year-long course; students with a B or higher in both semesters of AP United States History may enroll directly; UC category g |
| AP Comparative Government/MUN | Grade 12; the fourth year of the Model United Nations sequence; the course catalog does not list detailed prerequisites |
| AP 2-D Art and Design, AP Drawing, AP 3-D Art and Design | Grade 12; an A in the related art course, a teacher recommendation and portfolio review |
| AP Environmental Science | Registered on the UC 2026-27 list but not listed in the school 2026-27 course catalog; families should confirm with the school whether a section will run |
Grade 9 offers only AP Human Geography. From grade 10, students may take AP World History, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Spanish and French. From grade 11, most courses open, including AP English Literature, AP US History, AP Calculus, AP Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. AP English Language, AP Statistics, AP US Government, AP Macroeconomics, AP Comparative Government, and the three AP art portfolio courses are open only to grade 12. Students in AP courses are required by the course to take the May AP exam, with exam fees paid separately; only students enrolled at Mater Dei High School may take AP exams at the school.
AP Exam Results Published by the School
Mater Dei High School does not publish the total number of AP exams, the percentage of scores of 3 or higher or results by subject. The 2025-2026 School Profile gives only the items below.
| Item (2025) | Students |
|---|---|
| Students taking AP exams | 726 |
| AP Scholar | 137 |
| AP Scholar with Honors | 58 |
| AP Scholar with Distinction | 67 |
| AP Capstone Diploma | 1 |
AP Scholar is an award the College Board grants based on a student’s AP exam scores. The table above counts students, not exams, and cannot be converted into a pass rate. The “percentage of scores of 3 or higher” used on this site’s public high school pages is calculated per exam, and this school has no comparable figure. To assess how well a particular AP course is taught at the school, families should ask the teacher or counselor directly about past score distributions.
AP Courses the School Does Not Offer
The following AP courses are common in UC applications but are not offered at Mater Dei High School in the 2026-27 school year.
- AP Precalculus
- AP Microeconomics
- AP Psychology
- AP Physics 2
- AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- AP Chinese Language and Culture
- AP Latin
- AP Seminar / Research
- AP European History: still listed in the 2025-26 School Profile, but not on the UC 2026-27 A-G list or in the 2026-27 course catalog
The most consequential gaps are AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism: the school’s physics sequence ends after AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C: Mechanics, so students planning to major in engineering or physics need to complete electricity and magnetism outside school. AP Microeconomics and AP Psychology are commonly taken by business and social science students, and the school’s only economics AP is Macroeconomics. The math department offers Honors PreCalculus, so the absence of AP Precalculus affects few students.
AP Course List
The list below is a course-by-course comparison of the UC 2026-27 A-G list and the school’s course catalog. The notes column gives the course number and the transcript title on the UC list.
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 12 | Cumulative GPA of 3.5, with an A in both semesters of regular English III and a passing score on the AP qualifying test; or B or higher in both semesters of the three-year Honors English sequence, with an English teacher's recommendationCourse number 244; offered in grade 12 at the school; all students must take the AP Language exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Eng Lng&Cmp | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 11 | Cumulative GPA of 3.5, with an A in both semesters of regular English II and a passing score on the AP qualifying test; or B or higher in both semesters of Honors English II, with an English teacher's recommendationCourse number 243; offered in grade 11 at the school; all students must take the AP Literature exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Eng Lit&Cmp | b |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 11-12 | B or higher each semester in Honors PreCalculus, or an A each semester in PreCalculus plus a passing score on the AP Calculus AB placement test; a diagnostic test is also given on the first day of classCourse number 443; students must take the May AP exam | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | An A each semester in Calculus, or B or higher each semester in AP Calculus AB; a diagnostic test is also given on the first day of classCourse number 445; at the school, BC follows AB or regular Calculus as a second year of calculus | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 12 | B or higher each semester in Algebra 2/Trigonometry, C or higher in PreCalculus, and a passing score on the diagnostic test on the first day of classCourse number 438; students must take the May AP exam | c |
Science & STEM
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Computer Science A | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in both semesters of Algebra I; Intro to Coding beforehand and concurrent Algebra 2 or higher math are strongly recommendedCourse number 707; grade 10 students may contact the department chair; counts only as elective credit toward graduation at the school; transcript abbreviation: AP Comp Sci A | c |
| AP Biology | AP | 11-12 | An A in Biology or a B in Honors Biology, and an A in Chemistry or a B in Honors Chemistry; concurrent enrollment in PreCalculus or higher math; department chair approvalCourse number 526; runs only with at least 25 students; all students must take the AP exam | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in both semesters of Honors Chemistry; an A in Algebra 2/Trigonometry or B or higher in Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry; PreCalculus completed or taken concurrently; department chair approvalCourse number 533 | d |
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 10-12 | B or higher in Algebra I; Intro to Coding recommended beforehandCourse number 719; counts only as elective credit toward graduation at the school; transcript abbreviation: AP Comp Sci Prn | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | — | —Registered on the UC list, but not listed in the school's 2026-27 course catalog; confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: AP Envirn Sci | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | All A grades in mathematics and science courses, with at most one B; Biology and Chemistry completed; concurrent enrollment in PreCalculus, Calculus, or AP Calculus; department chair approvalCourse number 546 | d |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | AP | 11-12 | An A in both semesters of regular Physics, or B or higher in both semesters of AP Physics 1; concurrent enrollment in at least regular or AP CalculusCalculus-based mechanics; transcript abbreviation: AP Physics C | d |
Social Studies
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Government and Politics Comparative | AP | 12 | —Listed on the school schedule as AP Comparative Government/MUN, the fourth year of the Model United Nations sequence; transcript abbreviation: AP CompGov MUN | a |
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | Students with B or higher in both semesters of AP US History and a cumulative GPA of 3.6 may enroll directly; regular US History students need a cumulative GPA of 3.6, an A in both semesters of US History, and an A in both semesters of English IIICourse number 349; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP US Govt&Pol | a |
| AP Human Geography | AP | 9 | —Listed on the school schedule as AP Human Geography/MUN, the first year of the four-year Model United Nations sequence; transcript abbreviation: AP Hmn Geo MUN | a |
| AP United States History | AP | 11 | Cumulative GPA of 3.6; an A in both semesters of World History (or Honors World History MUN); an A in both semesters of English II or B or higher in both semesters of Honors English II; 70% on both parts of the AP qualifying examCourse number 333; all students must take the AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP US History | a |
| AP World History | AP | 10 | Cumulative GPA of 3.6; an A in both semesters of regular English I or B or higher in both semesters of Honors English I | a |
| AP Macroeconomics | AP | 12 | Students with B or higher in both semesters of AP US History may enroll directly; regular US History students need a cumulative GPA of 3.6 and an A in both semesters of US HistoryCourse number 344; full year; approved by UC as an area g elective; transcript abbreviation: AP Macroecon | g |
World Languages
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP French Language and Culture | AP | 10-12 | Overall GPA of 3.0 and an A in both semesters of French III, or B or higher in both semesters of Honors French IIICourse number 627; transcript abbreviation: AP Fr Lng&Cul | e |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 10-12 | An A in both semesters of Spanish III or IV, or B or higher in both semesters of Honors Spanish III, IV, or Bilingual SpanishCourse number 608; transcript abbreviation: AP Span Lang | e |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | AP | 10-12 | B or higher in both semesters of AP Spanish Language and CultureCourse number 607; transcript abbreviation: AP Span Lit&Cul | e |
Visual Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP 2D Art and Design | AP | 12 | An A in a related visual arts course, a teacher's recommendation, and approval of a portfolio review by the AP art teacherCourse number 862; transcript abbreviation: AP Studio Art: 2D | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 12 | An A in Ceramics I, II, or III, a teacher's recommendation, and approval of a portfolio reviewCourse number 821; transcript abbreviation: AP Studio Art: 3-D | f |
| AP Art History | AP | 11-12 | Cumulative GPA of 3.3 and an A in the first semester of EnglishCourse number 817 | f |
| AP Drawing | AP | 12 | An A in Art II or Art III, a teacher's recommendation, and approval of a portfolio reviewCourse number 819; transcript abbreviation: AP Studio Art D | f |
Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Music Theory | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in all previous performing arts coursesCourse number 846; the school catalog marks it as area f, but it is not on the UC 2026-27 A-G list and is not weighted in the UC GPA | — |
Recommended Combinations by Intended Major
The combinations below use only courses listed in the school’s 2026-27 course catalog and are arranged by each course’s grade level and prerequisites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine families often ask: how many AP courses does Mater Dei High School offer?
There are three different counts. Mater Dei High School lists 21 AP courses in its 2025-2026 School Profile and on its academic counseling page. The UC A-G list for the 2026-27 school year registers 25 AP courses for the school, all of which are UC-approved honors courses. The AP courses in the school's 2026-27 course catalog largely match the UC list, but the catalog includes AP Music Theory and omits AP Environmental Science. AP Music Theory is not on the UC list and is not weighted in a UC application.
Irvine families want to know: what is the AP pass rate at Mater Dei High School?
The school does not publish one. The Mater Dei High School 2025-2026 School Profile lists only that in 2025, 726 students took AP exams, 137 earned AP Scholar, 58 earned AP Scholar with Honors, 67 earned AP Scholar with Distinction and 1 earned the AP Capstone Diploma. The school does not publish the total number of exams, the percentage of scores of 3 or higher or results by subject, so its results cannot be compared with public high school pass rates calculated per exam.
Can Irvine students take AP courses in grade 9 at Mater Dei High School?
Students can take one. The Mater Dei High School social studies course sequence places AP Human Geography/MUN in grade 9; it is the first year of the school's four-year Model United Nations (MUN) sequence and is a UC-approved honors course. Other AP courses open from grade 10: in grade 10, students can take AP World History, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Spanish and AP French, and most science and English AP courses begin in grade 11. For Irvine families, this differs from most Irvine Unified School District high schools, which do not offer AP courses in grade 9.
Irvine families take note: which AP courses does Mater Dei High School not offer?
According to the UC A-G list for the 2026-27 school year and the school course catalog, Mater Dei High School does not offer AP Precalculus, AP Microeconomics, AP Psychology, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Chinese or AP Latin, nor AP Seminar or AP Research. AP European History appears in the 2025-26 School Profile but not on the 2026-27 UC list or in the course catalog.
Must students take the AP exam after an AP course at Mater Dei High School, and what should Irvine students do to take an AP exam the school does not offer?
Yes, they must take the exam. The AP course descriptions in the Mater Dei High School course catalog state that enrolled students are expected to take the AP exam in May, with the exam fee paid separately; courses such as AP Biology and AP United States History state that all students must take the exam. The school's academic counseling page states that only students enrolled at Mater Dei High School may take AP exams at the school. Students who want to test in a subject the school does not offer should first confirm with the academic and admissions counselor who also serves as AP coordinator whether the exam can be ordered at the school, and then arrange an outside course.
