IB Diploma Program at Elgin High School
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP) curriculum consists of six subject areas which are offered as two-year course experiences during the junior and senior years at Elgin High School.
The DP consists of courses from each of the following areas:
Additionally, all full DP students engage in the IB Core, which consists of the following three requirements:
Completion of the full DP at Elgin High School results in students earning the prestigious IB Diploma. This IB designation is not only recognized at more than 1,000 schools across North America but is also highly regarded at universities and colleges around the world.
To earn the full IB Diploma Program credential, students will need to be sure they enroll in at least three Higher Level (HL) courses as they select their courses for junior and senior years. Students planning to complete the full DP should work with their counselor and the IB Coordinator to ensure their course plan meets this requirement.
Students should also work with their counselor to ensure they have completed any necessary pre-requisite that may be needed for particular IB courses.
The DP consists of courses from each of the following areas:
- Group 1: Language A: English
- Group 2: Language B: Spanish or French
- Group 3: Individuals and Societies (i.e. Social Science)
- Group 4: Science
- Group 5: Mathematics
- Group 6: The Arts
Additionally, all full DP students engage in the IB Core, which consists of the following three requirements:
- Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS)
- Extended Essay (EE)
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
Completion of the full DP at Elgin High School results in students earning the prestigious IB Diploma. This IB designation is not only recognized at more than 1,000 schools across North America but is also highly regarded at universities and colleges around the world.
To earn the full IB Diploma Program credential, students will need to be sure they enroll in at least three Higher Level (HL) courses as they select their courses for junior and senior years. Students planning to complete the full DP should work with their counselor and the IB Coordinator to ensure their course plan meets this requirement.
Students should also work with their counselor to ensure they have completed any necessary pre-requisite that may be needed for particular IB courses.
Full Diploma vs Course Diploma Students
The structure of IB DP at Elgin High School affords students a great deal of flexibility in creating their course schedules. Students may elect to engage in as many IB courses as they feel is most appropriate for themselves. The International Baccalaureate Organization classifies students into one of the follow two categories:
- Full Diploma Students
Full DP students are those who engage in one class from each of the six subject areas, as well as the three IB Core components of EE, TOK, and CAS. In the spring of their senior year, students take a series of end-of-course exams to demonstrate their mastery of the course material. The scores on each exam, as well as the work submitted for EE, TOK, and CAS are combined for a total cumulative DP score. Colleges and universities look to this DP score to determine college credit and potential scholarship offerings. - Course DP Students
Students who engages in a few IB courses, without completing the full Diploma Program, are noted as Course DP students. Course DP students do not engage in the IB Core components of EE, TOK, or CAS. Like their Full DP counterparts, Course DP students complete the end of course exams in the spring of their senior year. Individual exam scores of 4 or higher, out of a 7 point scale, are typically considered as eligible for credit at colleges and universities.
Variations of IB Coursework
The slideshow below illustrates a few samples of what a student's schedule may look like if he/she elects to engage in Elgin's IB course work.
Social Science Focus: Students who express a desire to focus their Full Diploma studies in the humanities may opt to take two courses from Group 3 Individuals and Societies in lieu of taking the Group 6: Music course.
Completing two courses from the Group 3 offering will still qualify students for being awarded the full IB Diploma Program recognition. |
Science Focus: Students who express a desire to focus their Full Diploma studies in the science fields may opt to take two courses from Group 4Science in lieu of taking the Group 6: Music course.
Completing two courses from the Group 4 offering will still qualify students for being awarded the full IB Diploma Program recognition. |
Dual Language Students: Elgin High School students who are currently enrolled in the U-46 Dual Language Program will also have the opportunity to complete the Full Diploma Program while also maintaining their involvement in the Dual Langauge program.
By enrolling in both the Language B: Spanish course, and the IB Visual Arts course with the instructional language of Spanish, students will have satisfied both requirements for IB and the U-46 Dual Language destination for their transcript and graduation regalia. |
Individual IB Course Students: Students may also elect to take one or more IB courses without participating in the full Diploma Program. IB students who are not seeking the full Diploma but earn successful scores on IB end-of-course exams are awarded a “Certification of Mastery”.
The "Certification of Mastery" designation means students are eligible to earn university credit for each individual IB course they complete. As with the full Diploma Program students, University credit is based determined by each University or College. Students and parents can find more information by scanning this QR code. |