Ministry of Education
International Baccalaureate (IB)
The International Baccalaureate or IB program is designed as an academically challenging program of education with final examinations that prepare students, normally aged 16 to 19, for success at university. In Canada, some courses are recognised as equivalent to university courses and student may receive first year credit for courses in the program.
IB offers two main programs: the certificate program and the diploma program. In order to obtain an IB certificate, the candidate only has to take one IB course and write an externally assessed exam at the end of the course in May. The diploma program consists of several requirements: 6 prescribed courses, an essay of up to 4000 words, at least 50 hours in area of Creative, Action and Service requirements and a philosophy requirement by the name of Theory of Knowledge.
IB courses are divided into 6 main categories: languages, social studies, experimental sciences, mathematics and visual or performing arts, and students must take one of each. Courses may be taken at Higher Level (HL) or Standard level (SL). IB courses are granted credit through the Ministry External Credential program and may be used towards district and provincial scholarships.
Requirement Details
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Students should check with their school counsellor to learn if the IB program is offered in their school district.
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For more information about the IB program can be found on the International Baccalaureate Organization website.
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