Advanced Placement (AP) classes have long been on high schoolers schedules with the hopes of gaining in depth knowledge on a subject along with the possibility of college credits. There are classes available at this level in nearly all subjects including math, English, science, social studies, art, and music. A prominent gap can be seen in this list.
Business is currently one of the most popular majors in America. Under the umbrella of business lies administration, management, marketing, communications, finance, and hospitality, etc. Hardly any of these topics are covered in simple high school classes, as it is leading to College Board designing an AP Business with Personal Finance course.
This class will be released in College Board starting next school year, 2026-27. There will be five units, with Unit 3 being split into two parts. The units are broken down as shown below.
- Unit 1: Businesses, Competition, and New Ideas
- Unit 2: Marketing
- Unit 3, Part 1: Personal Saving and Borrowing
- Unit 3, Part 2: Business Finance and Accounting
- Unit 4: Management and Strategy
- Unit 5: Personal Goals, Budgeting, and Investing
In addition to the knowledge of the subjects, the course aims to teach five main skills: concept application, entrepreneurship, decision making, communication, and collaboration.
Additionally, this AP course will contain two main projects. The first will be a business canvas project, which will feature the use of entrepreneurial skills to create a business model. The second will be a financial advisor project where they will create financial recommendations for fictional households based on their financial profiles. Students will create recommendations for these households to best reach their goals.
Completion and success in the AP exam will give students an industry-recognized credential, which can be impressive on a resume.
Jodie Haggerty, a business teacher here at SHS, will be the teacher of this new course and has been the driving force behind getting it added to the program of studies. Haggerty gives her opinion on the new class. “I fell in love with this course. I am excited to teach it and for the opportunity it will give to students.”
“I have interest in taking this class because it will help me to better prepare for my future through a higher level of learning.
— Aiden Weiland, '28
.sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 { display: flex; float: right; margin: 30px 0 30px 30px; width: 50%; border-color: #888888; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; } .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 p.quotespeaker { } .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 .pullquotepic { width: 33%; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 p.pullquotetext { font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 .largequote { color: #888888; } .sno-pullquote-697aa13f95c61 .quotebody { width: unset; }Currently, Stroudsburg High School (SHS) only offers a limited number of high-level business courses. The school does not have any honors or AP business classes prior to this new addition, except for the Microsoft Certification class, where earning all three credentials will make the class count as an honors credit.
While these classes do offer a number of useful skills for the business and finance world, they lack the rigorous pace and higher level of learning found in a more advanced class. Additionally, there are no chances to earn college credits (besides for Lackawanna College).
Other business classes offered at Stroudsburg High School include Accounting I, II, & III; Business Law; Entrepreneurship & Business Management; International Business; Sports, Entertainment, and Fashion Marketing; and a new hospitality course also beginning in the 2026-27 school year.