Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two year educational programme primarily aimed at students aged 16–19. The program provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education and is recognised by many universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva, Switzerland, by a group of international educators. After a six-year pilot programme ended in 1975, a bilingual diploma was established.

Administered by the International Baccalaureate (IB), the IBDP is taught in schools in over 140 countries, in one of three languages: English, French, or Spanish. In order to participate, students must attend an IB school. IBDP students complete assessments in six subjects, one from each subject group, and three core requirements. Students are evaluated using both internal and external assessments, and courses finish with an externally assessed series of examinations, usually consisting of two or three timed written tests. Internal assessment varies by subject: there may be oral presentations, practical work, or written work. In most cases, these are initially graded by the classroom teacher, whose grades are then verified or modified, as necessary, by an appointed external moderator.

Generally, the IBDP has been well received. It has been commended for introducing interdisciplinary thinking to students. In the United Kingdom, The Guardian newspaper claims that the IBDP is "more academically challenging and broader than three or four A-levels". However, a pledge to allow children in all areas to participate in the programme was shelved amid concerns that a "two-tier" education system was emerging, because the growth in IB was driven by private schools and sixth form colleges. British students who take the IB with its six subjects, Extended Essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) receive differently structured university offers to those who sit three A-levels, with universities working carefully to construct appropriate equivalent offer conditions.

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