The IB Diploma Programme is designed for students aged between 16 and 19. It is a unique curriculum, not based on the pattern of a single country, but is a balance between the specialisation required in some national systems and the breadth of learning preferred in others.
In achieving this, students who successfully complete the IB Diploma Programme demonstrate a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of their mastering of a range of subjects and in their development of skills and disciplines necessary for success in our competitive, global world. The Learner Profile, embedded throughout the PYP and MYP, continues as an integral part of the Diploma programme.
The IB Diploma allows entry to universities around the world. In recent years, students from the International School Hilversum have been offered places at such respected universities as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, Warwick and Durham in the United Kingdom, as well as Georgetown and New York University in the US. Students have also been admitted to the University of British Columbia in Canada. Some US universities offer advance credit for IB Diploma students on certain courses. All leading universities in Europe recognise the IB Diploma.
Diploma candidates are required to select six subjects from a broad spectrum of disciplines, incorporating the arts, the humanities and sciences. Three of these subjects are taken at Higher Level, the others at Standard Level. While an overall balance is maintained, a focus on three Higher Level subjects allows the student to pursue areas of personal interest and meet the requirements necessary for university entrance. In addition to the study of six subjects, students also follow a Theory of Knowledge course, submit an extended essay and participate in the CAS programme (creativity, action and service activities).
