International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
We are accredited to offer the two years Diploma Programme (DP) of the International Baccalaureate Organisation of Geneva. It is the highly sought-after pre-university program for students aged 16-19 years. The programme aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge – students who flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically. It is an academically challenging and balanced program that prepares students for university education and employment anywhere in the world; facilitates geographic and cultural mobility and promotes international understanding.
IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Inquirers
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global signifi¬cance.
Thinkers
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
Communicators
We express ourselves confi¬dently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
Principled
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
Open-Minded
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
Caring
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
Risk-Takers
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
Balanced
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives-intellectual, physical, and emotional- to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Reference: The IB programme continuum of international education, Published in August 2013
Programme Model and Requisites
The Curriculum
IB Diploma Programme students study six courses - usually three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 5, thus ensuring breadth of experience in languages, individuals and societies, the experimental sciences and mathematics. The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from group 6, or the student may choose another subject from groups 1 to 4. Depth is ensured by requiring 3 or 4 subjects at Higher Level. HL and SL courses differ in scope but are measured according to the same grade descriptors, with students expected to demonstrate a greater body of knowledge, understanding and skills at higher level.
DP Core
In addition the programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding:
- The Extended Essay (EE) requires students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a topic of interest within a chosen subject finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
- Theory of Knowledge: This course cultivates the capacity to critically reflect upon the foundational presuppositions of other subjects of study, the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know.
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requires that students actively learn from the experience of doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Students can combine all three components or do activities related to each one of them separately for at least 18 months. Students reflect on their CAS experiences as part of the DP, and provide evidence of achieving the seven learning outcomes for CAS.
Six subject groups of IBDP:
Higher Level
Group 1
Studies in Language & Literature
English A
Language and Literature
Group 2
Language Acquisition
Group 3
Individuals & Societies
Business Management
Economics
Group 4
Sciences
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Computer Science
Group 5
Mathematics
Mathematics Analysis & Approaches (AA)
Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation (AI)
Standard Level
Group 1
Studies in Language & Literature
English A
Language and Literature
Group 2
Language Acquisition
French ab initio
French B
Spanish ab initio
Spanish B
Hindi B
Tamil B
Group 3
Individuals & Societies
Business Management
Economics
Environmental Systems & Societies
Group 4
Sciences
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Computer Science
Environmental Systems & Societies
Group 5
Mathematics
Mathematics Analysis & Approaches (AA)
Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation (AI)
Grades & Assessment
Each examined subject is graded on a scale of 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum) and upto 3 points can be earned for the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge. The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain minimum levels of performance across the whole programme (for instance, 12 points in 3 Higher Level subjects) and to satisfactory participation in the three core requirements. The highest total that a Diploma Programme student can be awarded is 45 points.
Students complete assessment tasks in the school, which are marked initially by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners. Students also take written examinations, which are marked by external IB examiners, in May of the second year.
