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International Baccalaureate Program

International Baccalaureate Program

“[The IB Program] is a thoughtful and genuinely intellectual curriculum with an unusually high degree of integrity and connectedness. There is no other curriculum anywhere that does a superior job of both educating students and inspiring a true and broad-based love of learning.”

- William Shain, Dean of Admission, Vanderbilt University

 

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a comprehensive two-year curriculum taken by South Side students in their Junior and Senior years. Students may participate as full diploma candidates or course candidates.

Those students who wish to pursue the full diploma are required to follow a course of study in each of the six academic "groups." At least three (and not more than four) are taken at the Higher Level (HL) and the others at the Standard Level (SL). HL courses represent two full years of study; SL courses range in length from a year to two years, depending on the course.

South Side now has 26 IB offerings, allowing students with different interests to pursue the IB Diploma according to their strengths.

A visual representation of the different subjects and approaches to learning covered under the IB Program.

Click here to enlarge the image...

The Central Elements

The Central Elements--Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS--are required for all full IB Diploma Candidates.
 

  • Theory of Knowledge is a unique course offered to IB Diploma Candidates in the senior year. The course is an important component in providing a holistic education to students in the IB Program. The purpose of Theory of Knowledge is to explore the ways in which different disciplines search for truth. Students will be asked to reflect critically on the subjects they have already encountered in their school experience with an eye to understanding the fundamental concepts of the various disciplines and their validity. This approach helps students to analyze and integrate knowledge that they have already gained.

  • The Extended Essay is an independent study project completed by IB Diploma Candidates by January of their senior year. This work is done under the supervision of a teacher-mentor and may be done in any of the IB subject area courses. 

  • CAS is a required component of the IB Diploma Program. It involves those learning experiences undertaken by IB Diploma Candidates outside of the classroom under the general headings of Creativity (e.g. engagement in the arts, designing and implementing service projects, etc.), Activity (e.g. participation in athletics, dance, expeditions), and Service (community and social service activities). Students are expected to be involved in CAS over the two years of the Diploma Program. Working with a CAS advisor, the students will engage in systematic self-evaluation of their experiences.

Testimonials