The curriculum of AP Computer Science in Java is based on the syllabus developed by the College Board. Topics include program design and implementation, algorithm analysis, standard data structures, and object-oriented programming design. AP Computer Science in Java emphasizes programming methodology with an emphasis on problem-solving and algorithm development. It is intended to serve both as introductory courses for computer science majors, and for students who will major in disciplines that require significant involvement with computing.

Major topical areas include:

• the concepts of computer science
• program control constructs
• use of arrays and strings
• class methods
• object-oriented design and programming concepts
• creating and modifying classes
• understanding existing designs and code
• the use of sorting and searching algorithms
• recursion
• use of standard Java class libraries