Understanding the International Baccalaureate

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a standardized education program that prepares students for a globalized world.

As an IB student, you will be equipped with reasoning, cultural, language, creative, and technical skills to be successful in the modern world.

The IB curriculum was developed in Geneva Switzerland in 1968, and is now administered by 140 institutions around the world.

The IB curriculum has 3 programs

1. The Primary Years Program (PYP) encourages critical thinking and reasoning among children aged 3-12 years.

2. The Middle Years Program (MYP) prepares 11-16 year olds for the IB diploma program. Here, you will be introduced to a broad curriculum in 8 subject areas like;

• Language & Literature
• Language Acquisition
• Individuals and Societies
• Sciences, Mathematics
• Arts, Physical & Health Education
• Design. 

3. The Diploma Program is a two-year pre-university program for 16-19 year olds

Do you want to take the IB Diploma?

This article will help you understand the IB Diploma.

Why is the IB Diploma Important?

The IB Diploma is actually a big thing during college applications. While not taking it doesn’t hurt your admission chances, colleges also know the type of students nurtured by the program.

Here are 3 Reasons the IB Diploma is an Asset,

1. Students have in-depth knowledge in traditional subjects like mathematics and science
2. Students study at least 2 languages
3. Students are socially responsible and involved in community development
4. Students are budding researchers that can articulate and present their thoughts in a given subject
5. Students are also more likely to manage rigorous college workloads compared to their peers

The program consists of the 3 DP core elements and 6 subject groups

The IB Diploma Core Elements

1. Theory of knowledge- it encourages students to question why and how they know what  they know
2. Extended Essay- This is a self-led 4000-word essay on a topic you have studied
3. Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) - You will be expected to engage in extra-curricular activities such as sports, arts, and community service.

The IB Diploma Subject Groups

The Higher Level (HL) means the subjects are more rigorous than the Standard Level (SL) courses.  Language ab initio means the student has very little or no prior exposure to the target language.

You would be required to take 3 HL and 3 SL courses, although you can take 4 HL’s with the approval of the school.

Here are the groups to choose from,

Group 1: Language and Literature

• English: Literature (HL or SL)

Group 2: Language Acquisition

• French B (HL, SL, or ab initio SL)
• German B (Okma campus only) (HL, SL, or ab initio SL)
• Spanish B (HL, SL, or ab initio SL)

Group 3: Individuals and Societies

• History Route 2: Europe and the Middle East with emphasis on Arab/Israeli Conflict (HL or SL)
• Economics (HL or SL)
• Environmental Systems and Societies (SL only)

Group 4: Sciences

• Biology (HL or SL)
• Chemistry (HL or SL)
• Physics (HL or SL)
• Environmental Systems and Societies (SL only)

Group 5: Mathematics

• Mathematics Studies (SL)
• Mathematics SL
• Mathematics HL: Calculus
• further Mathematics (HL)

Group 6: The Arts

• Visual Arts (HL or SL)
• Music (HL or SL)

Overall

The IB Diploma is tough but worth it!

You will have the attention of world-class universities because passing the IB means you are proactive and intellectually curious.

Besides that, you are more equipped to prosper in the real world no matter where you end up