The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a curriculum which allows the students the opportunity to access the most important universities all over the world. The programme is shortened called IB and is offered by international schools across the globe, in addition to several public and private English schools.
The Diploma Programme addresses students aged 16 to 18/19 and the subjects of study are chosen by the students themselves among six main subject groups:
- Studies in language and literature
- Language acquisition
- Individuals and societies
- Sciences
- Mathematics
- The arts
Students choose 5 courses from the first five subject groups – one for each group. A sixth subject can be either chosen on the sixth group or among one of the first five groups. Each subject may be learned at different levels: at least three (but no more than four) subjects need to be taken at higher level (HL), whereas the others are taken at standard level (SL).
The IB diploma is developed around three core elements:
- Theory of knowledge (TOK), in which students are brought to reflect on the nature of what we claim to know. It is an additional subject aiming at helping students finding connections among the different subjects.
- The extended essay, that is an original 4.000 word essay to be written by students without any external help on one specific topic treated during one of the courses.
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), in which students complete a project related to these three concepts. Creativity aims at involving the student in artistic education, thus developing his/her creative thinking. Action promotes physical exercise, aiming at developing the student’s sense of responsibility. CAS activities’ main purpose is to integrate the student into a broaden community and a less academic background. by Nicoletta, our CAS Coordinator, to find out more about CAS.
To become an , the authorising process is long and rigorous and is regulated by IBO, a non-profit educational institution founded in 1968 which offers educational programmes from 3 to 19 years old. Consequently, IBO also offers other educational programmes starting from childhood: PYP (Primary Years Programme), MYP (Middle Years Programme) and DP (Diploma Programme). GSO is officially an IB World School, authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme.