Overall, the IB Diploma Programme, or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, is a two-year educational course for young adults between the ages of 16 and 19. The programme is recognized internationally and offers acceptance into major universities for higher education.

The IB Diploma Programme was first initiated by a group of international educators in the mid-1960s in Geneva, Switzerland. The bilingual diploma was established after a six-year pilot programme ended in 1975.

In general, the programme has been well-received and commended for introducing inter-disciplinary mental state to students. It has also been reported that it is broader and more academically challenging than other programmers.

Subject cores

Students who wish to pursue the IB Diploma Programme must take six subjects from each group (1-5) and one either from Group 6 or a permitted substitute from the previous groups. These subjects and courses are summarized below:

• Group 1: Studies in literature and language; where the student learns his/her native language, with more than 80 languages available
• Group 2: Language acquisition; where the student learns an additional language like Classical Greek or Latin
• Group 3: Societies and individuals; where the student learns geography, economics, history, philosophy, etc. on a global scale
• Group 4: Experimental Sciences; where the student learns about science like computer science, physics, chemistry, etc
• Group 5: Mathematics; where the student learns general and advanced mathematics
• Group 6: The arts; where the students are involved in film, visual arts, theatre, music, and foreign language

The IB diploma programme Singapore is available in most international schools in Singapore. If you wish to enrol your child in this programme at an International School Singapore, you can definitely do so by going through and following the application process.