AP Computer Science A is both a college-prep course for potential computer science majors and a foundation course for students planning to study in other technical fields such as engineering, physics, chemistry, and geology. The course emphasizes methodology, procedural abstraction, and in-depth study of algorithms, data structures, and data abstractions, as well as a detailed examination of a large case study program. Instruction includes preparation for the AP Computer Science A exam. In this course, students apply the programming tools they have learned to real-life examples on their own. Computer science is more than just programming; students who successfully complete the course will have an understanding of Java and the ability to adapt to any new programming language that they are taught in college.