Students should consider their personal strengths in individual subjects when making course selections; students should also consider their future education and career plans. Students should become familiar with the specific requirements of the universities in the countries to which they intend to apply as different universities in different countries have different entrance requirements. It is important that the student is aware that specific subjects or combinations of subjects could be required (or excluded) by the country or university of their choice. Information about universities around the world is available from the university counsellor.
It is strongly recommended that students spend as much time as possible discussing their options with as many people as possible, including parents and teachers. Decisions made at this stage in a student’s education could affect the rest of their lives, so it is vital that choices are made only after full research and consultation.
To be eligible for the IB Diploma, each student is required to follow six IB courses, with one subject taken from each group in the curriculum model:
• Group 1: Language A (Literature and/or Language & Literature) must be English
• Group 2: Language Other than English (ab intio, Language B, Lang & Lit, Lit)
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Experimental Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: Arts OR one subject from groups 1-5
Further, all IB Diploma students must choose
• Three courses at higher level (HL)
• Three courses at standard level (SL)
In addition, all IB Diploma students must complete
• A course in the Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
• A 4,000-word Extended Essay in a subject of their choice
• A Creativity, Activity & Service (CAS) programme