IB Courses

IB Courses

IB Courses offers students an alternative pathway to the full IB Diploma. 

Students who decide not to take the full IB Diploma Programme (DP) may still take individual IB subjects and will be awarded an IB Courses certificate which shows their performance in each subject upon completion. IB Courses students will not achieve their full IB Diploma and will not be given a score out of 45 points. However, IB subjects, especially those at the Higher Level, may be used to gain advanced standing or credit for entry into many colleges and universities around the world.

A student who wants to do IB Courses does not have to adhere to the subject selection criteria that applies when choosing courses for the full IB Diploma. However, in order for students to achieve their CCS High School Diploma, students in Years 12 and 13 must complete at least four IB subjects (either HL or SL), all CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) requirements must be met plus one year of TOK (Theory of Knowledge). The Extended Essay (EE) does not need to be completed by IB Course students. Language A and Mathematics are compulsory subjects.

Courses students are awarded with a CCS Diploma and an IB certificate on which all subjects studied and their respective grades (out of 7 points) are shown.

When deciding whether to opt for the IB Diploma, it is possible to transition to IB Courses during the first year of study, but it is not possible to move from IB Courses to IB Diploma once the first semester is truly underway. For those planning to study outside North America, successful completion of the IB Diploma may be a necessity for the higher ranking universities.

IB Courses students are eligible for entry to most North American and worldwide universities. Our careers counsellor is available to discuss tertiary education pathways with students who choose this option.

There are a number of points to consider about IB and university applications:

• Diploma and Courses students must carefully research the recognition policies for the IB Diploma and individual course results in terms of credit, advanced standing and scholarships.

• Students list their IB courses and/or provide a transcript for verification of academic standards to date.

• Many colleges request predicted or forecast grades for IB exams, TOK and Extended Essay scores as part of their application process.

• Recommendations will clearly state the known candidate status of the student – IB Diploma or IB Course (after registration only).

Many IB Courses students decide that taking an International ‘pathway programme’ is the best first step, before transferring across to the university of their choice. Many universities offer pathway programs.

Country-specific advice

NORTH AMERICA

The US and Canada are more flexible in accepting IB Courses students, as long as the student has completed requirements equivalent to a High School Diploma in Years 10 - 13. The student may have to demonstrate that they’ve achieved grades above a D, or above 2 across required subjects over four years of High School. However, IB Courses students will not have the advantage of stating that they have taken the most rigorous academic programme at CCS. Some students will decide to start with Community College and then transfer over to a 4 year university after one or two years. In Canada, if a student does not have the equivalent to a High school completion diploma, they may have more options if they wait to apply until after they’re 19 years old. 

UK

There are several more practical UK universities that will accept IB Courses students. Students can research their options by calculating their UCAS tariff points equivalent for the courses they’ve taken. They can then use the search function on UCAS here, and in the filter section select the UCAS point range they predict they will achieve. Many IB Courses students opt to take an International Foundation Year first and then transfer over to the degree of their choice after one year. 

HOLLAND

Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Holland have been known to accept IB Courses students as long as they have an equivalent to a US High School Diploma. Students can therefore apply with their CCS diploma and transcript with evidence that they have passed 4 years of High School. Students will need to check with each UAS institution individually on a case-by-case basis to see if they meet entry requirements with their High School diploma.

EUROPE

There are many international universities across Europe that have admissions policies similar to those in the US. These universities will likely look at grades across all 4 years of High School. For some, as long as the student has a High School diploma or graduation completion certificate (similar to in the US), they will be admitted to the programme. There are also many international ‘pathway’ or foundation year programmes in Europe. 

AUSTRALIA

Often IB Courses students applying to Australia will start with an international ‘pathway’ programme, foundation programme or TAFE course and then transfer over to the university of their choice.

Where have our IB Courses Students Gone?

• Business Diploma programme in California

• Foundation programme in the UK (with plans to transfer to a high ranking university after one year)

• Community College in the US (with plans to transfer to a 4 year university)

• Gap year of work experience before starting college in Canada (at age 19)

Our Full Guide