IB DP 1 and IB DP2
IB Diploma Programme (DP)
SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College is a fully authorised IB Diploma Programme (IB DP) school. The IB DP provides a holistic educational experience that heightens critical thinking skills and the joy of learning. Students flourish intellectually, physically, emotionally and ethically, and graduates continue to higher education feeling prepared and confident in themselves.
“IB pushes you to your limits, helps you discover aspects of your life that were hidden. Undertaking the IB Diploma Program unwrapped multiple opportunities for me, even hidden talents in me. I promise you, you won’t regret doing this well-balanced, rigorous and profound curriculum. It might be tough, but it’s worth it.”
– Fred Sebowa (Class of 2022)
Why the IB is Unique
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
The TOK course plays a special role in the DP by providing an opportunity for students to
reflect on the nature, scope and limitations of knowledge and the process of knowing. In this
way, the main focus of TOK is not on students acquiring new knowledge but on helping
students to reflect on, and put into perspective, what they already know. TOK underpins and
helps to unite the subjects that students encounter in the rest of their DP studies. It engages
students in explicit reflection on how knowledge is arrived at in different disciplines and areas of knowledge, on what these areas have in common and the differences between them. It is intended that through this holistic approach, discussions in one area will help to enrich and deepen discussions in other areas. The course is an opportunity for teachers and students to engage in interesting conversations that cross the boundaries of individual disciplines and that help students to reflect on the knowledge they have acquired from both their academic studies and their lives outside the classroom.
EXTENDED ESSAY
Diploma Programme subjects for the session in question. 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 (an appropriately qualified member of staff within the school). 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 is mandatory that all students undertake three reflection sessions with their supervisor, which includes a short, concluding interview, or viva voce, with their supervisor following the completion of the extended essay.
CAS
CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity and service defined as follows:
Creativity: exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance
Activity: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle
Service: collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need
The IB DP emphasizes rigorous college preparation, across a two-year program across six subject areas. At the conclusion of the two-year program, students engage in external examinations and are awarded an IB diploma highly recognized by universities globally.
Over the course of the two-year International Baccalaureate diploma programme (IB DP), students study six subjects chosen from various groups, and participate fully in the diploma core experiences detailed further below.
Three of the six subject courses must be taken at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). All non-language subjects are taught in English. All of these courses are graded on a scale of 1 to 7, where 7 is the highest. Available courses in the school’s diploma programme are indicated in the table below:
BLUE: AVAILABLE AT BOTH HL AND SL, PINK: AVAILABLE AT SL ONLY, ORANGE: AVAILABLE AT HL ONLY
Each student must select one course from each of the first 5 groups, and then either a course in group 6 or an additional course from group 3 or group 4. This arrangement allows for breadth of learning and also a certain degree of specialisation.
Students develop skills, attitudes and dispositions through a variety of individual and group experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore their interests and express their passions, personalities and perspectives.
