IB Diploma

The IB Diploma Program is a college-preparatory course of study which is designed to provide students with a broad knowledge base. It is a two-year endeavor, over grades 11 and 12. To earn an IB Diploma, students must take examinations in six subjects: English, a second language, Individuals and Societies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics, and a sixth subject, which may be an arts class or may be a second course from one of the other five subject areas. Of these six subjects, at least three (but no more than four) courses must be at Higher Level (HL), while the remaining two or three courses are at Standard Level (SL). Examinations are graded on a scale from 1 to 7 (with 7 being the highest), and students must score a total of at least 24 points in order to earn the Diploma, with at least 12 points earned from HL courses.

In addition to examinations, students must also successfully complete the Theory of Knowledge course, a maximum 4000-word Extended Essay, and at least 150 hours of Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). Students’ performance in ToK and on the Extended Essay can earn them up to three bonus points towards the Diploma total.

IB examinations are administered in May, and students learn results in July. Thus students do not know if they have earned the IB Diploma until after they have graduated from high school. Students who do not earn the Diploma will receive the IB Certificate (of Results).

Extended Essay

The Extended Essay is a maximum 4000-word research paper on student-chosen topic. The paper is completed under the supervision of a faculty supervisor who is knowledgeable in the subject area in which the paper is written. The paper is an IB requirement which is separate from the IB curriculum being studied, although the paper’s subject often relates to an IB course a student is taking. The paper-writing process typically begins in the spring of junior year, and the papers are scored by external IB examiners.

Theory of Knowledge

Theory of Knowledge is an interdisciplinary seminar course over two years which challenges students and teachers to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of knowledge. Examples of questions considered in Theory of Knowledge are: “How much of one’s knowledge depends on interaction with other knowers?” and “What is history? Is it the study of the past, or the study of records of the past?” Successful completion of the course is a requirement for earning the IB Diploma. The course is assessed by the ToK teacher via a class presentation and assessed by an external IB examiner via a 1200 to 1600 word essay on a prescribed topic. ToK is taught during the student’s junior and senior years.

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