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The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is an educational programme taught in one of three languages (English, French or Spanish). The Diploma Programme, administered by the International Baccalaureate, is a recognised pre-university educational programme. It is taught in 1,976 schools in 134 countries. More than half of the schools offering the Diploma Programme are state funded schools. Students take six subjects, and must also complete 3 extra requirements: the Theory of Knowledge course (ToK), an Extended Essay (EE), and the CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) programme. The primary aim of the IB Diploma Programme is to provide an internationally accepted education for entry into higher education.

Marks are awarded from 1 to 7 in each subject with 7 being the highest, and up to three additional points may be awarded depending on the candidate's attainment in their EE and ToK essays. The maximum possible point total in the Diploma Programme is 45. In order to receive an International Baccalaureate Diploma, candidates must receive a minimum of 24 points. There are a number of failing conditions which will prevent a student from being awarded a Diploma regardless of the points they received (such as non-completion of CAS, plagiarism, no EE etc).

Candidates who successfully pass examinations in two languages A1, or one language A1 and one language A2 courses and meet all the other criteria for successful completion of the Diploma Programme are eligible to receive a Bilingual Diploma.

Students receive a Certificate for each completed course and exam, regardless of whether they have achieved the Diploma.

Subject groups

Students who pursue the Diploma Programme take six subjects; one compulsory subject from each of Groups 1 to 5 (below) and one elective from groups 1-4 or 6

A minimum of three subjects must be taken at higher level (HL) and the rest at standard level (SL). The IB recommends a minimum of 240 hours of teaching time for higher level subjects and 150 hours for standard level subjects.

• Group 1: Language A1: Generally the student's strongest language, with over 80 different languages available.
• Group 2: Second Language: An additional language, taken either at A1 (HL or SL), A2 (HL or SL), B (SL or HL) or ab initio (SL only).
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies: Humanities and social sciences: such as philosophy, economics, business and management, psychology, social anthropology, human rights, peace and conflict studies, information technology in a global society (ITGS), geography and history (or History of the Islamic World).
• Group 4: Experimental Sciences: Subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology and design technology
• Group 5: Mathematics: The subjects are, in order of increasing difficulty, Mathematical Studies SL, Mathematics SL, and Mathematics HL. Furthermore, Further Mathematics can be studied at SL in addition to a Mathematics HL course. This group also includes computer science but only as an elective (not a substitute for the other mathematics courses).
• Group 6: Arts and Electives: Subjects such as visual arts, film, music, dance, and theatre arts. Can be replaced with another subject from Group 2, 3, or 4, or Computer Science from Group 5.

Additionally, there are some transdisciplinary courses such as environmental systems and societies (group 3 & group 4).

Extended Essay

Students must write an essay of up to 4,000 words in a subject from the list of approved EE subjects. The student is not obligated to take the corresponding IB course and exam for the subject chosen, although it is highly suggested that the student have some familiarity with the topic. The topic should fall clearly in one subject area, not across subjects.

All subjects have specific guidelines that must be followed in order for the Extended Essay to be considered. The topic may be any that the student feels is researchable. This task involves teacher-guided independent research and requires producing a written thesis. Each student is paired with a supervisor who provides insight and orients his or her work. The Extended Essay must be submitted in order to receive the IB Diploma.

CAS

CAS is an acronym for Creativity, Action, Service, one of the three Core requirements of the Diploma Programme. According to the CAS guide, the aims of CAS are to develop students to be "reflective thinkers who are aware of their strengths and limitations, are able to identify goals and devise strategies for personal growth" and "are willing to accept new challenges and new roles". The students are also expected to become aware of themselves as responsible members of their communities who actively participate in "sustained collaborative projects" and "enjoy and find significance in a range of activities involving intellectual, physical, creative and emotional experiences".

Students are expected to engage in three somewhat balanced areas of activities involving social or community work (Service), athletics or other physical activities (Action), and creative activities (Creativity). The guideline for the minimum amount of CAS activity over the two year Diploma programme is approximately 150 hours. "Hour counting”, however, is not encouraged.

If the Diploma Programme candidate does not complete the CAS requirement within two years, the Diploma will not be awarded, even if all other requirements have been satisfactorily met.

Theory of Knowledge

Each student must complete the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course of at least 100 hours, which aims to encourage students to be critical thinkers and to teach students basic epistemology. To complete requirements for TOK, Diploma programme candidates must write an externally assessed TOK essay of 1200–1600 words from a choice of ten prescribed by the IB, and present an internally assessed TOK issue to their class on their choice of topic.

A matrix provided by IB allows the results of ToK and the Extended Essay to be summarised. At best, three points will be added to the candidate's Diploma score and at worst the candidate may fail.

Assessment

All subjects are assessed using both internal and external assessment, including final exams given worldwide in May (usually for Northern Hemisphere schools) and in November (usually for Southern Hemisphere schools). Each exam usually consists of two or three papers, generally written on the same or successive weekdays. The different papers may have different forms of questions, or they may focus on different areas of the subject syllabus. For example, chemistry Paper 1 has multiple choice questions, Paper 2 has extended response questions, and Paper 3 focuses on the 'option' topics which can vary according to the student's (or school's) preference. Re-sits for each paper (sat in the next exam session - November or May) are possible for a maximum of three times.

External assessment takes place by independent examiners appointed by the IB.

The nature of the internal assessment (IA) varies by subject. There may be oral presentations (used in languages), practical work (in experimental sciences), or written works to be done at home. Internal assessment accounts for 20 to 50 percent of the mark awarded for each subject and is marked by a teacher in the school.A sample of at least five per subject at each level will also be graded by a moderator appointed by the IB, in a process called external moderation of internal assessment.

The marks collected from the internal and external moderators are criterion referenced against IB standards. Student work submitted to IB for assessment grants IB the "non-exclusive charge-free, worldwide licence, for the duration of the statutory copyright protection, to reproduce submitted materials in any medium for assessment, educational, training and/or promotional purposes relating to the IB Organization’s activities, or to those related activities of which it approves."

Awards

The only official award available in the IB Diploma Programme is the IB Diploma. A student must score between 24-45 points in addition to meeting the three core Diploma requirements for TOK, EE and CAS. The global pass rate for the IB Diploma Programme is approximately 80%.

Diploma conditions

In order to be awarded the full IB Diploma the following requirements must have been met:

• at least three subjects are completed at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL).
  • should four subjects be completed at HL then only two need be completed at SL.
• all six subjects have been awarded a numerical grade higher than 1, with a minimum total score of 24.
• the CAS requirement has been completed
• the Extended Essay and TOK course do not result in a failing condition (both grades are a D or better)
• if the overall score is 24-27, there is no grade 2 at HL and not more than one grade 2 at SL; if the overall score is greater than or equal to 28, not more than one grade 2 at HL and no more than two grades 2 at SL; altogether, there are no more than three grades 3 or below
• at least 12 points (12 for overall score 24-27; 16 if four HL subjects are taken) have been gained on HL subjects, and 9 (6 if only two SL subjects are taken) on SL subjects
• the final award committee has not judged the candidate to be guilty of malpractice

Certificates

Students who do not pursue the full IB Diploma Programme are called Certificate Candidates. An IB Certificate which reflects the grade earned (1-7), is issued to students upon completion of each Diploma course and exam.

Fees

Application Fees

The application process continues for two years and costs $8,500 per year. If necessary, schools may extend the application period to a third year for an additional $5,000. During the application process, candidate schools are required to send teachers and administrators to IB training workshops at an additional cost.

Ongoing costs

Schools pay an annual fee for the IB Diploma Programme that allows secure access to the Online Curriculum Centre, and guarantees access to support and advice. The current annual fee is 9,150 USD (scheduled to increase to 9,600 in 2011) 5,225 GBP, 11,895 CHF, and 10,980 CAD. There is a registration fee of 129 USD, 79 GBP, 167 CHF, 154 CAD for full Diploma students. IB examination fees per subject are 88 USD, 50 GBP, 114 CHF, 105 CAD. In some cases, the school pays the registration and examination fees, in other cases the students pay the fees. Additional ongoing costs may vary and include additional professional development, a stipend for IB Diploma Programme Coordinator and postage for examinations.

Recognition

In the United Kingdom, most universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, accept the IB Diploma as an alternative to A-levels and Scottish Highers. UCAS created a tariff for IB points which was in use from 2008 university entry onwards.

In some countries, such as Turkey or Peru, the IB Diploma is not considered equivalent to the national end-of-school examination scheme, usually because the IB Diploma is not as specialised, or because certain subjects are not offered. However, in Peru, various universities allow direct entrance to students who successfully completed the Diploma.

Other countries, such as Germany, set certain conditions for the IB Diploma to be validated (a foreign language at minimum A2 Standard Level, Mathematics standard level minimum, and at least one Science or Mathematics at Higher Level). Some universities, on the other hand, prefer the IB Diploma to the certificate which the students usually get in their own country. A list of universities admitting IB Diploma holders can be found on the IBO web site.

In Australia, all universities accept results in the IB Diploma. Students with high scores in HL subjects may claim credit (full or partial) in certain first-year university subjects.

In Russia the IB Diploma is accepted in most Universities (like MGU and MGMO), but conditions are set very high. For example, to study economics in MGU the IB student has to achieve an overall score of at least 36 points, including 6s in higher level subjects.

Australia

In Australia, the IB Diploma Programme is taught in 59 of approximately 2,800 secondary schools Although every university in Australia recognizes the IB Diploma, entry criteria often differ between universities, with some universities accepting students on their IB score alone, while others require the score to be converted using a conversion scale. In most states, this conversion scale is based on the Equivalent National Tertiary Entry Rank or 'ENTER'.

Canada

In Canada, some IB Diploma Programme courses are recognised as equivalent to university/college-level courses, and universities and colleges may award entering students with first-year credit depending on their scores, however typically only for Higher Level examinations. As of June, 2009, there are 132 schools in Canada which offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Finland

In Finland, the IB Diploma Programme was initially directed to children of diplomats but nowadays everyone can apply. The first school which offered IB Diploma Programme education in Finland was Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu. The first class graduated in spring 1993. Currently 15 schools in Finland offer the IB Diploma Programme education. The International School of Helsinki offers the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme, and the Diploma Programme.

France

According to the "Décret du Ministère de l'Education Nationale" (23 August 1985), the IB Diploma Programme is one of the foreign diplomas which allow students access into French universities. There are 11 schools in France which offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Hong Kong

IB Diploma Programme students may apply to Hong Kong universities as non-JUPAS (Joint University Programmes Admissions System). JUPAS is the system enabling applications to nine tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Currently the People's Republic of China does not formally recognize the IB Diploma Programme for university qualification.

As of June 2009, 14 schools offer the IB Diploma Programme in Hong Kong.

India

In India, the IB Diploma Programme is often seen as a "passport" to gain entry into universities abroad. The schools which are allowed to take on this programme are the international schools, which are privately funded and as a result are very expensive. Many parents are willing to spend a lot on their child's education, hence the increase in the number of schools which offer the Diploma Programme. As of June, 2009, there are 59 schools in India offering the IB programme.

Iran

Only one school in Iran, the Tehran International School, is authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme. Iran's Diploma Programme for each subject area has three levels. These levels are numerically represented as level 1, 2 or 3. (1) is equivalent to an SL (Standard level) course which is considered an honors course. (2) is equivalent to HL (Higher level) courses which provide college credit with a score of 7, and (3) is called Olympiad course.

IB courses are included in overall calculation of GPA for the student and since they are honors courses they have a significant impact on GPA.

Pakistan

One school operates the IB Diploma Programme course, called The International School in Karachi. A number of Colleges and Universities recognize the IB Diploma Programme and accept students.

Singapore

In the 2008-2009 prospectus, the National University of Singapore (NUS) recognises the IB Diploma Programme as a high school qualification for Singapore universities. University requirements are as follows: 3 HL subjects with scores of 5 or better, 2 SL subjects with scores of 4 or better, and a grade of 4 or better in English A, Standard Level. There are 14 schools in Singapore that offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Spain

As of June, 2009, there are 46 IB schools which offer the Diploma Programme in Spain. The International Preparatory Schools are ranked and recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Ciencias (MEC) and all teach a minimum level of Spanish language, science, literature, geography and history. The curriculum also varies from one international school to another.

United Kingdom

There are 189 schools in the UK with the IB Diploma Programme. Due to the alleged grade inflation and political controversy over reforming A-Levels, the Diploma has been gaining attention and popularity as an alternative. In the past four years, the number of schools teaching the IB in the UK has more than doubled.

The IB is challenging, and a mid-range Diploma score of 30 for six IB exams gives a candidate 392 UCAS tariff points compared with 360 for three As at A-Level. A top score of 45 is equivalent to six As at A-Level.. Due to its challenging nature and increased demands on lecturer teaching time, the IB is often taught in high-performing, academically-selective independent schools, which have long pioneered this qualification with their greater freedom and willingness to experiment. The result is that leading IB Diploma schools such as King's College School, Ardingly College and Sevenoaks School now dominate the top of the league tables.

In addition, IB Diploma Programme students offer features such as the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), which are not available at A-Level.

International Baccalaureate Diploma points convert to UCAS points as follows:

United States

As of June, 2009, there are 670 public and private schools offering the IB Diploma Programme in the United States. Jay Mathews, education reporter for The Washington Post and Newsweek, is an advocate for increasing the number of AP and IB courses in the United States. Mathews co-authored the book Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools with IB's Deputy Director General Ian Hill.

Many colleges recognize participation in (and the passing of) HL IB examinations for college credit. Some universities give credit for SL examinations either directly for individual examinations or when giving credit for the entire diploma. The IB Diploma score required for college credit often depends on the competitiveness of the university. Most universities grant course credit for HL examination scores of 5, 6, or 7, and some institutions grant credit for an examination score of 4. Some colleges such as Towson University, offer as many as a full year's credit for students who achieve a certain total score (30+) on the IB Diploma. Colorado and Texas legislate recognition of the IB Diploma Programme For example, the University of Colorado grants IB credit for examination scores of 4 and above for both Higher Level and Standard Level courses.

IB is an NGO of the United Nations and has committed to integrating UNESCO's "Peace Education" into its curriculum.   Criticism of the IB/UN relationship has been issued by Tom DeWeese  and Henry Lamb  Some districts have eliminated the IB program, citing cost as the primary reason.  In the Upper St. Clair, PA, district, the ACLU represented IB supporters in a lawsuit against the Board of Education to retain IB after the Board had voted to eliminate it.  In 2006, IB presented its Inspiration Award to the plaintiffs in the case for "control of local education at its finest". 

References

1. What is the Diploma Programmeibo.org. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
2. "IBO notes on university recognition". ibo.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |date accessed= ignored (help)
3. ^ IB School Finder "IB School Finder". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Unknown parameter |date accessed= ignored (help)
4. "Diploma Programme at a glance: What are the three core requirements?". International Baccalaureate. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
5. van Loo, Marc.The parents guide to the IB Diploma 2004. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
6. 45 points = 42 plus 3
7. A guide to the IB Diploma Programme for universities and colleges: How to interpret IB grades and transcripts
8. What are the requirements for the IB diploma and certificate?
9. "Diploma Programme curriculum". ibo.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |date accessed= ignored (help)
10. ^ "IB Diploma Programme curriculum, extended essay". International Baccalaureate Organization. Retrieved 2009-06-06. Cite error: The named reference "essay1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
11. ^ Creativity, Action, Service Guide for students graduating in 2010 and thereafter, Published March 2008 International Baccalaureate
12. "Creativity, action, service (CAS)" ibo.org. retrieved 2009-06-05
13. Diploma Programme, Theory of knowledge, First examinations 2008, International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
14. Diploma Programme, Theory of knowledge, First examinations 2008, International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
15. 2008 IBO Examination Schedule Retrieved 2009-06-23.
16. "Diploma Programme Assessment". Retrieved 2009-06-06.
17. "Diploma Programme Assessment". Retrieved 2009-06-06.
18. Diploma Programme Assessment: Philosophy ibo.org. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
20. PowerPoint Presentation
21. IB Diploma Conditions
22. http://www.ibo.org/diploma/documents/schools_guide_diploma.pdf
23. p.1. International Baccalaureate Organization. 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-10
25. Annual School Fees ibo.com.Retrieved 2009-06-20.
26. Assessment Services: Diploma Programmeibo.org. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
27. Assessment services ibo.org. Retrieved 2006-06-10
29. ibo.org. Retrieved 2006-06-10
30. University recognition directory
32. Australian Bureau of Statistics - School Statistics Accessed 30 March 2008
33. VTAC Notional Enter Conversion Table Accessed 30 March 30, 2008
35. IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME AT HELSINGIN SUOMALAINEN YHTEISKOULU Retrieved 2009-06-10
36. Finnish International Baccalaureate Society Retrieved 2009-06-10
37. International School of HelsinkiRetrieved 2009-06-10
38. Template:PDF
40. International Schools in Hong KongInternational Schools Worldwide.Retrieved 2009-06-13.
42. List of IB school in Iran
43. International Schools in Singapore International Schools Worldwide. Retrieved 2009-06-13/
44. [ http://www.ibo.org/school/search/index.cfm?programmes=DIPLOMA&country=SG&region=&find_schools=Find]
45. [ http://www.ibo.org/school/search/index.cfm?programmes=DIPLOMA&country=ES&region=&find_schools=Find]
47. ^ "International Baccalaureate: Why the broad IB beats A-levels". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
48. IB and A-level rankings at odds
50. UCAS Tariff, http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables/
53. Mathews, Jay. Ian Hill. Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools.2005:Open Court Publishing. Chicago
54. 2003 State of Colorado House Bill 03-1108 requiring most public universities in the state to give a minimum of 24 college credits to any local diploma recipient
55. Section 51.968(b) of the Texas Education Code states: Each institution of higher education that offers freshman-level courses shall adopt and implement a policy to grant undergraduate course credit to entering freshman students who have successfully completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, who have achieved required scores on one or more examinations in the Advanced Placement Program or the College-Level Examination Program, or who have successfully completed one or more courses offered through concurrent enrolment in high school and at an institution of higher education.
56. "IB Credit". University of Colorado. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
64. 19

See also

• Advanced Placement Program
• European Baccalaureate
• French Baccalaureate

External links

• The Diploma Programme at IBO's official website
• Programme overview at directgov

• International Baccalaureate schools
• International Baccalaureate