What is the International Baccalaureate?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is an international qualification taught at 3313 schools in 141 countries under the supervision of The International Baccalaureate Organisation. In 2012 there are more than 983,000 IB students around the world. IB student numbers have increased by between 10% and 20% each year for the past ten years.
The IB is made up of three programmes divided into these age groups:
- Primary Years Programme (PYP) ages 3-12
- Middle Years Programme (MYP) ages 11-16
- Diploma Programme (DP) ages 16-18
The DP, followed by the oldest pupils, lasts 2 years and is both broad and balanced; all candidates study languages, a social science, an experimental science, mathematics and an arts subject. Although there is an element of choice, the IB is a essentially a qualification designed to highlight the all-round academic ability of its graduates.
Students in the UK who are aiming for a particular career such as medicine may be do better if they concentrate on the A-level subjects which will enable them to apply for the appropriate degree course at their chosen university.
The IB international qualification recognised in many countries and many international schools offering the IB co-operate closely with others to help students who must relocate during the course of their studies.
The IB subjects are divided into the following six groups:
- Language A1 (literature studies in the candidate's first language)
- Second language (there are three levels of second language study)
- Individuals and societies (including business, economics, geography, history, IT, philosophy, psychology, social and cultural anthropology)
- Experimental sciences (including biology, chemistry, physics and design technology)
- Mathematics and computer science
- The arts (including film, music, theatre, visual arts) - candidates may elect to include an additional subject from one of the other groups instead of one from the arts group
If you are looking for an IB school in the United Kingdom, please follow these links to lists for England and Scotland.
Full information on the IB programmes may be obtained from the International Baccalaureate Organisation.