# 2Sigma School -- Full Course Catalog and Program Details

> 2Sigma School is an accredited online school offering credit-bearing courses in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Mathematics for students in grades 7-12. Accredited by Cognia, UC A-G approved, NCAA approved, and College Board authorized for AP courses. Based in California, USA.

## About 2Sigma School

2Sigma School provides high-quality online education with passionate instructors who are Computer Science majors and experienced educators. The curriculum is rigorous but adaptive, taught in small cohorts where students learn through project-based instruction. All courses are available online and can earn high school credits on an official transcript.

### Accreditations and Approvals
- **Cognia accredited** -- recognized regional accreditation
- **University of California A-G approved** -- most courses approved for UC admission requirements
- **NCAA approved** -- courses count toward NCAA eligibility
- **College Board authorized** -- AP courses officially authorized
- **State-approved online provider** in California, Washington, Oklahoma, and Florida

### Contact
- Website: https://2sigma.school
- Email: admissions@2sigma.school
- Phone: +1-646-547-1361
- Enrollment: https://2sigma.school/d/signup

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## Enrollment Formats

### Independent Study (Most Popular, Year-Round)
Self-paced format with a dedicated instructor. Students receive weekly 1-on-1 live office hours where instructors teach new concepts, review work, and provide personalized feedback. At a standard pace, students complete one semester in approximately 18 weeks or the full course in 36 weeks. Students who want to move faster can set an accelerated goal and their instructor will provide additional office hours to match. Available year-round with rolling enrollment.

### Summer of Code (Summer Only, June 8 - August 21)
Accelerated intensive program. Students meet 2 hours per day, 4 days per week in small cohort groups. A full-year course can be completed in as few as 6 weeks. Requires approximately 20 hours per week including 8 hours of live instruction. New cohorts start each week (Monday). Ideal for students who want to earn credits quickly or get ahead before the school year.

### Live Classes (Year-Round, Subject to Cohort Formation)
Cohort-based format with live online sessions of 90 minutes, twice per week, over 36 weeks. Small groups of 10-14 students with consistent interaction with instructors and peers. Subject to cohort formation and may have limited availability.

### Scheduling
- **Independent Study**: Students provide availability during application; matched with an instructor whose schedule aligns.
- **Summer of Code and Live Classes**: Students indicate all available time slots; cohorts are formed based on collective availability.

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## Computer Science Courses

### Introduction to Computer Science
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/intro-cs
- **Grades**: 8-12
- **Prerequisite**: Pre-algebra
- **Language**: Python
- **UC A-G**: [G] Elective
- **Description**: An introductory course that teaches Python programming fundamentals through graphical libraries for visual feedback. Students learn through project-based instruction, creating games, art, animations, and solving logical puzzles.
- **Syllabus**: Shapes You Can Draw; Functions, Variables, Properties, and Interaction; Basic Conditionals and Helper Functions; Methods and Conditional Branching; Compound and Nested Conditionals; Data Structures and Automation; For Loops and Local Variables; Math Library and Nested Loops; Data Types, Strings, While Loops; Lists and Return Values; 2D Lists and Board Games; Final Project

### AP Computer Science Principles
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/ap-csp
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra I
- **Language**: Python
- **UC A-G**: [D] Science
- **College Board Authorized**: Yes
- **Description**: AP CSP is an introductory-level course covering how computers and the Internet work, programming fundamentals in Python, algorithms, data analysis, cybersecurity, and the global impact of computing. Prepares students for the AP CSP exam.
- **Syllabus**: Digital Information; The Internet; Intro to Python Programming; Functions, User Input, and Conditionals; Data Structures and Loops; Algorithms; Complex Conditionals and Libraries; Creative Coding Project; Data; Cybersecurity and Global Impacts

### AP Computer Science A
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/ap-csa
- **Grades**: 10-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra II
- **Language**: Java
- **UC A-G**: [C] Mathematics
- **College Board Authorized**: Yes
- **Description**: A college-level course equivalent to a first-semester CS1 course. Covers object-oriented and imperative programming in Java, data structures (arrays, ArrayLists, 2D arrays), algorithms, inheritance, and recursion. Prepares students for the AP CSA exam.
- **Syllabus**: Primitive Types; Using Objects; Boolean Expressions and if Statements; Iteration with Loops; Writing Classes; Data Structure Introduction with Arrays; ArrayList Data Structures; 2D Array Data Structures; Inheritance; Recursion; Capstone Project

### Joy of Computing
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/joc
- **Grades**: 7-10
- **Prerequisite**: Interest and motivation
- **Language**: Snap! (block-based, developed at UC Berkeley)
- **Description**: An introductory course for younger students that teaches programming through visual, creative projects. Emphasis on creativity, problem solving, and storytelling rather than a specific programming language. Students build graphics, animations, stories, and games.
- **Syllabus**: Introduction; Conditionals; Drawing; Variables; Functions; Storytelling; Concurrency; Lists and Maps; Anchoring and Cloning; Recursion; Creative Projects

### Introduction to Generative AI
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/intro-genai
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Language**: Python
- **Description**: Covers modern generative AI concepts including prompt engineering, embeddings, tokenization, clustering, image generation (DALL-E, Stable Diffusion), and building applications using large language models. Uses Python and Jupyter Notebooks.
- **Syllabus**: Python and Jupyter Notebooks Review; Prompting Basics; Iterative Prompt Development; Summarizing; Inferring; Transforming; Managing Conversations; Tokenization, Embeddings, t-SNE visualization; Clustering; Image generation using DALL-E, Stable Diffusion; Application development using LLMs; Fine Tuning an LLM

### Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/intro-ai
- **Grades**: 11-12
- **Prerequisite**: Pre-calculus
- **Language**: Python
- **UC A-G**: [C] Mathematics
- **Description**: An advanced course covering foundational AI concepts and algorithms including classification, regression, neural networks, and machine learning. Requires strong mathematical background.

### Introduction to Cybersecurity
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/cyb-sec
- **Grades**: 10-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra I
- **UC A-G**: [G] Elective
- **Description**: Covers cybersecurity fundamentals including ethics, trust, data security, system security, adversarial thinking, and risk assessment. Students learn to think like both defenders and attackers.
- **Syllabus**: Ethics; Establishing Trust; Ubiquitous Connectivity; Data Security; System Security; Adversarial Thinking; Risk; Implications

### Introduction to Data Science
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/intro-ds
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra I
- **Language**: Python
- **UC A-G**: [C] Mathematics
- **Description**: An interactive data exploration course teaching students to think like data scientists. Covers data distributions, bivariate analysis, probability, linear algebra, machine learning basics, and understanding bias in data.
- **Syllabus**: Data Tells a Story; Learning from Data Distributions; Bivariate Data and Causality vs. Spurious Correlation; Probabilistic Modeling; Categorical Data and Introduction to Linear Algebra; Modeling with Data and Understanding Bias; Introduction to Machine Learning; Being a Data Scientist

### Advanced Data Science (Honors)
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/adv-ds
- **Grades**: 11-12
- **Prerequisite**: Pre-calculus
- **Language**: Python
- **UC A-G**: [D] Science
- **Description**: Honors-level course covering advanced statistical analysis and data science techniques using Python and industry-standard tools. Prepares students for college-level data science work.
- **Syllabus**: Introduction to Python for Statistics; Visualizations; Iteration and Sampling; Assessing Models; Sample Means; Regression; Conditional Probability; Capstone Project

### Advanced Computer Science in Python
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/adv-py
- **Grades**: 10-12
- **Language**: Python
- **Description**: Advanced Python programming covering data structures, object-oriented programming, recursion, animations, and deployment. Students build capstone projects demonstrating mastery.

### Data Structures and Algorithms
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/ds-alg
- **Grades**: 11-12
- **Language**: Java
- **Description**: Core computer science algorithms and data structures course covering sorting, searching, trees, graphs, and algorithm analysis.

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## Mathematics Courses

### Algebra I
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/alg-i
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Prerequisite**: Pre-algebra (basic arithmetic)
- **UC A-G**: Approved
- **NCAA Approved**: Yes
- **Description**: Foundational high school algebra covering variables, expressions, equations, functions, linear relationships, systems of equations, quadratics, and exponential functions. Gateway to all higher-level mathematics.
- **Syllabus**: Foundations; Statistics; Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities; Math Models; Graphs; Systems of Linear Equations; Polynomials; Factoring; Rational Expressions and Equations; Roots and Radicals; Quadratic Equations; Exponential Functions

### Algebra II
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/alg-ii
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra I and Geometry
- **UC A-G**: [C] Mathematics
- **NCAA Approved**: Yes
- **Description**: Advanced algebra extending skills with complex numbers, polynomials, rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, and statistical inferences. Essential preparation for Precalculus and advanced courses.
- **Syllabus**: Sequences and Functions; Polynomials and Rational Functions; Polynomial Functions; Exponential Functions and Equations; Transformations of Functions; Trigonometric Functions; Statistical Inferences

### Geometry
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/geom
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra I
- **UC A-G**: Approved
- **NCAA Approved**: Yes
- **Description**: Study of spatial relationships, logical reasoning, and geometric proofs. Covers congruence, similarity, trigonometry, solid geometry, coordinate geometry, circles, and probability. Bridges arithmetic skills to abstract mathematical thinking.
- **Syllabus**: Constructions and Rigid Transformations; Congruence; Similarity; Right Triangle Trigonometry; Solid Geometry; Coordinate Geometry; Circles; Conditional Probability

### AP Precalculus
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/d/ap-precalc
- **Grades**: 9-12
- **Prerequisite**: Algebra II (grade of B- or higher)
- **UC A-G**: [C] Mathematics
- **College Board Authorized**: Yes (AP exam)
- **Textbook**: Precalculus 2e by OpenStax
- **Description**: College-level course aligned with the College Board's AP Precalculus framework. Comprehensive exploration of mathematical functions--polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric--through algebraic, numerical, and graphical analysis. Includes polar coordinates, parametric equations, vectors, conic sections, and sequences. Direct bridge to AP Calculus.
- **Additional Requirements**: Graphing calculator (for AP exam) or Desmos, graph paper, pencil and paper
- **Syllabus**: Functions; Linear Functions; Polynomial and Rational Functions; Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Trigonometric Functions; Periodic Functions; Trigonometric Identities and Equations; Further Applications of Trigonometry; Systems of Equations and Inequalities; Analytic Geometry; Sequences and Counting Theory

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## Course Progression Pathways

### Computer Science Pathway
Joy of Computing -> Introduction to Computer Science -> AP Computer Science Principles -> AP Computer Science A -> Data Structures and Algorithms

### Data Science Pathway
Introduction to Data Science -> Advanced Data Science (Honors) -> Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

### Python Pathway
Introduction to Computer Science -> Advanced Computer Science in Python -> Introduction to Generative AI

### Mathematics Pathway
Algebra I -> Geometry -> Algebra II -> AP Precalculus -> Calculus (external)

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### What are the different enrollment formats?
2Sigma School offers three formats: Independent Study (self-paced with weekly 1-on-1 instructor office hours, most popular), Summer of Code (accelerated summer program, 2 hours/day, 4 days/week, complete a full course in 6 weeks), and Live Classes (cohort-based, 90 minutes twice per week over 36 weeks in groups of 10-14).

### How are classes scheduled?
Independent Study offers the most flexibility--students provide their availability and are matched with an instructor. Summer of Code and Live Classes are cohort-based--students indicate available time slots and cohorts are formed based on collective availability.

### Will my student earn credits?
Yes. 2Sigma School is Cognia accredited and can award high school credits on a transcript. Most courses are NCAA approved and UC A-G approved. AP courses are College Board authorized. Credits may be accepted by local schools toward graduation requirements and GPA. Students can also submit transcripts directly to colleges.

### Who are the instructors?
Instructors include credentialed high school teachers with deep CS expertise and professionals with Computer Science degrees. All undergo rigorous screening for content and pedagogical expertise and are background checked per local and state regulations.

### What technology is needed?
A desktop or laptop computer (Windows, Mac, or Chromebook), working microphone, speaker, webcam, and high-speed internet (10+ Mbps). Familiarity with web browsers and Zoom.

### Can students get extra help?
Yes. All formats include instructor support. Additional 1-on-1 tutoring sessions are available by contacting admissions@2sigma.school.

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## Blog Articles

### Why Should all High Schoolers Learn How to Code?
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/why-learn-to-code
- **Published**: April 23, 2023
- **Summary**: Why should all high school students learn to code, regardless of the career they intend to pursue?

### Empowering Future Engineers
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/elizabeth-amazon-future-engineer
- **Published**: May 24, 2024
- **Summary**: Elizabeth, winner of Amazon Future Engineer scholarship, shares her story on what made it possible for her to win.

### Summer Course Options for High School Students
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/summer-course-options-for-high-school-students
- **Published**: December 15, 2024
- **Summary**: Navigating summer programs: Choosing the best academic path for your high schooler’s success and interest.

### Which Computer Science Course?
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/how-to-choose-computer-science-course
- **Published**: October 15, 2024
- **Summary**: An easy guide to selecting the right course in Computer Science or Data Science for your middle and high school students.

### Investing in the Probabilities
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/investing-in-the-probabilities
- **Published**: March 20, 2022
- **Summary**: We all make emotional decisions when investing in our children's education. How often do parents also consider the odds of success?

### Engaging Students in Computer Science
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/engaging-students-in-computer-science
- **Published**: April 20, 2022
- **Summary**: Do you have a student who says they don't like computer science? That it is boring? It could be the way it is taught at their school.

### Future of Coding in the Age of AI
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/future-of-coding-in-age-of-ai
- **Published**: May 24, 2024
- **Summary**: Should students learn to code when AI can write it better and faster? The obituary of programming is premature.

### Audio postcard from ASU GSV
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/edtech-insiders-5-good-minutes-with-ben-kornell
- **Published**: April 18, 2022
- **Summary**: Edtech Insiders podcast. 5 good minutes - yours truly in a live conversation with Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin at ASU GSV summit.

### The 2 Sigma Problem in Education
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/the-2-sigma-problem-in-education
- **Published**: March 20, 2022
- **Summary**: Can our education system be designed such that every child receives the education to reach their full potential?

### Competing for Top Tier Colleges
- **URL**: https://2sigma.school/t/a/blogs/competing-for-top-tier-colleges
- **Published**: September 21, 2024
- **Summary**: How should high school students maximize their chances of getting into a top-tier college in the United States?

## News
- [2Sigma receives STEM.org Accreditation](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/2sigma-receives-stem-org-accreditation-trustmark) -- January 23, 2023
- [Techlab Education joins 2Sigma School](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/techlab-joins-2sigma-school) -- January 6, 2023
- [Ohio Department of Education Approval](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/ohio-cs-promise-2sigma-courses) -- May 18, 2025
- [Google supports 2Sigma School's mission](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/google-supports-2sigma-school-mission) -- June 13, 2022
- [2Sigma School Selected To The GSV Cup](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/2sigma-school-selected-to-the-gsv-cup-elite-200) -- June 13, 2022
- [2Sigma Earns Cognia Accreditation](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/2sigma-earns-cognia-accreditation) -- July 4, 2023
- [Washington State Approval](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/washington-ospi-approves-2sigma-courses) -- April 27, 2024
- [Florida Department of Education Approval](https://2sigma.school/t/a/news/florida-dept-of-education-approves-2sigma-courses) -- April 6, 2024

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## Links

- Home: https://2sigma.school
- Course Catalog: https://2sigma.school/d/courses
- Summer of Code: https://2sigma.school/d/soc
- Enrollment: https://2sigma.school/d/signup
- FAQ: https://2sigma.school/d/faq
- Accreditations: https://2sigma.school/d/accreditations
- Blog: https://2sigma.school/d/blogs