The IB Diploma Programme: The Basics

The IB Diploma Programme:

The Basics

November 22, 2024

This week I thought I’d break down the basic elements of the IB Diploma Programme.

I get questions quite a bit about exactly what makes it a “program” as opposed to a set of courses kids take.

Mostly those questions come from people like me.

I grew up in the United States last century.

And in the late 1980s when I was attending public high school outside of Cleveland, Ohio, no one had heard of the International Baccalaureate Program.

I was an “AP kid”.

So, as I got into my first years of teaching, I made the assumption that the IB Programme was just a different version of the Advanced Placement Program.

It isn’t.

Which isn’t saying anything smart. Of course, it’s not. Why would it be?

They have different roots. Different methods. Different desired outcomes.

So, that was my first mistake about the IB Programme.

The second was simple. I should have asked somebody. But, I didn’t.

So, if you’re like me, hopefully, you’ll find this helpful.

It’s a basic overview of the IB Diploma Programme. If you want the full history of the program, which is really pretty cool, take a look here.

Here are the main tasks every IB Diploma Student must complete:

Take Six IB Classes
- Three Higher Level Courses
- Three Standard Level Courses

Take the Theory of Knowledge Course
- Their 7th class

Write an Extended Essay
- A 4,000-word research paper
Complete Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS)
- Ongoing CAS Activities
- A significant CAS Project

That’s their lives as students. Now let’s break that down into more detail.

Task #1: Take Six IB Courses

Every student chooses a combination of six courses in these Six Subject Groups:

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (English)
Group 2: Language Acquisition (Second Language)
Group 3: Individuals and Society (Social Studies)
Group 4: Sciences
Group 5: Mathematics
Group 6: The Arts

Of the six courses, three of them must be taken at the Higher Level and three of them must be taken at Standard Level.

While it varies from subject to subject, don’t think of Higher Level as “harder” and Standard Level as “easier”.

Just think of Higher Level classes as having more content to cover.

For a full list of IB course offerings, take a look here.

Task #2: Take the Theory of Knowledge Course

Every IB Diploma student is required to take one course called Theory of Knowledge (TOK). This course is often the most misunderstood portion of the IB Diploma Programme.

I have taught this course for years and I’ll say one thing very clearly, it is not a philosophy course.

Theory of Knowledge is a course designed to have students better understand why they know what they know—and where that information or knowledge came from.

I love teaching this course because it pushes students to think about why they believe what they believe, and then consider if they actually want to believe that anymore.

It is an awesome course. When taught well, kids really enjoy it.

For a full breakdown of the course, take a look at this article: Theory of Knowledge Demystified

The overarching goal of the course is to create what I call “beautifully flexible minds”.

That is, minds that are capable of bringing in new information without judgment, thinking about it, forming new thoughts based on their previous knowledge, and then clearly articulating them.

In addition to the content of the course, each student must complete two required tasks:

The TOK Exhibition

This thing is cool: Students choose three objects that connect to one of the thirty-five prescribed prompts provided by the IB.

The goal is to demonstrate how TOK concepts manifest in the real world through these objects.

The TOK Essay

Check this out. Each year, the IB provides a list of “prescribed titles” from which students must choose one.

These titles challenge students to critically engage with different knowledge assumptions they may have and to explore their implications.

The essay has a maximum word count of 1,600 words and requires students to develop a coherent argument that is well supported by real-life examples and their own critical thinking.

Pretty cool, right?

The IB gives kids titles and then they have to write an essay to serve that title.

It’s a really thoughtful assignment.

Task #3: Write an Extended Essay

The Extended Essay is a 4,000-word essay that provides students the opportunity to extend their studies into their favorite educational field.

Think of it as an opportunity for students to investigate a specific question within a subject area that the student is particularly interested in.

This could range across a wide variety of disciplines—from the sciences and humanities to the arts and languages.

Here’s the way the IB describes it in the Extended Essay Subject Guide:

The Extended Essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of available Diploma Programme subjects.
This is normally one of the student’s six chosen subjects for those taking the IB diploma, or a subject that a course student has a background in.
It is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor.
This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject chosen.

It’s awesome!

Every student is assigned one Supervisor who serves as a mentor, a guide, an advocate, and an adult-expert in the area of study the student has chosen.

I love this journey with students. Here’s my take on how to be the best Supervisor you can be.

Task #4: Complete Creativity, Activity, and Service

Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) is the “holistic part” of the IB Diploma curriculum that requires students to engage in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the two years.

It is designed to foster students' personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience.

It’s also very cool.

Here’s a breakdown of each element:

Creativity involves arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
Activity refers to “physical exertion” contributing to a healthy lifestyle, encouraging students to appreciate the importance of physical activity.
Service entails collaborative engagement with a community or individuals that address the genuine needs of the community.

And then there’s the CAS Project,

The CAS Project is a requirement within the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) component of the IB Diploma Programme and it involves students in a collaborative or individual project that spans at least one month.

That’s a lot, right?

It is.

And its the combination of all of these elements that makes the IB a comprehensive curricular program that goes way beyond any other high school curriculum.

Then I always think, imagine being a 17 year-old kid.

That’s a lot for them to manage.

As teachers, that must always be on our minds too.

But they do it.

I can tell you as a teacher and a father of two IB Diploma Programme kids, it’s like no other curriculum out there.

It vows to create these beautifully flexible minds.

And it does.

See you next week.